Festive atmosphere in Haflong, a picturesque hill station. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Big Bang

A festival based on love, community and preservation of indigenous traditions will be held on October 26 and 27 in a 500-year-old village with just 28 houses. Big Bang! The festival of love returns after a gap of three years, this time in Nandisa, Assam. It celebrates the richness of India’s roots while using music as a tool to connect with a wider audience.

Reggae Artist of BFR Sound System Delhi Sultanate | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Big Bang

Founded in 2016 by musician and activist Daniel Langthasa and indigenous chef Avantika Ruhi Haflongbar, the festival aims to serve as a platform to highlight local economies, indigenous knowledge and sustainable living. “The BIG BANG Festival was born out of a deep love for our land and people and to reconnect with what is truly important. It’s about slowing down, appreciating nature and understanding that our traditional ways of living are of utmost importance while addressing the realities of the modern world,” explained Daniel, co-founder.

Festival founders Daniel Langthasa and Avantika Ruhi. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Big Bang

The theme of the 2024 edition, ‘Villages are the future’, comes from the realization that the answers to many of today’s challenges lie in the way our villages worked before the advent of industrialization and consumerism.

A number of activities have been planned to allow people to experience the practical knowledge that villagers live by every day.

The first editions of Big Bang Festival took place at various places in Assam like Haflong, Diphu and Hojai. The revival of the festival was made possible due to an application created by reggae artist Delhi Sultanate of BFR Sound System featuring the festival for the Studio Monkey Shoulder initiative through Worldwide FM. “Roots music has the ability to make you feel things that no other popular music genre can, and this setting is ideal. I hope it will give a rich context to one of the core messages of reggae music – cultural resilience, unity, love and reverence for the earth,” says Delhi Sultanate.

Tipriti Kharbangar will play a live acoustic set of Khasi blues and folk. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Big Bang

Trombone and trumpet player Chi Nishikori will be joining forces with BFR Sound System, along with Mumbai-based rapper-activist MC Mwali and reggae producer-DJ Ras Manman. Tipriti Kharbangar will play a live acoustic set of Khasi blues and folk. Also in the line up is Ahimxa, a cult grunge band from Haflong, and Daniel with his band Digital Suicide.

“The workshops, educational programs and projects we are working on are designed to have a lasting impact on the village youth long after the festival is over.