The festival was a hit but the stages stole the show.
Echoes of Earth made its debut in the beautiful city of Bangalore last month as the first ecological festivalĀ in India and it was beyond all expectations. With the adoption of a sustainable approach, the festival was most creative with the way the stages were constructed for the musical performances by over 40 artists from India as well as around the world. But it was hard to concentrate on the vocals as the stages captured all the attention at the venue.
1. The Yaksha Stage
Perhaps the best freaking stage we have ever seen at any ecological festival. The Yaksha Stage was the highlight of the festival.Ā The inspiration from theĀ Yakshagana theatre was just spot on and when it got dark, the strobe lights that hit the stage was mesmerising. The combination of the draped sarees and the lights gave it aĀ classic yet modern twist, which was perfect for the contemporary genre of music by Alo Wala, Talvin Singh and Rishadh Seen, Susheela Raman, Beardyman, Sam Meher and more.
2. The Bianco StageĀ
This stage was inspired by the venue i.e the Embassy International Riding School in Bangalore and dedicated to the school’s uber masculine horse, Bianco, who also had his very own statue at the venue.Ā The stage was located deep into the woods with the trees surrounding the stage, giving off a very club-like vibe for the music that was played there. Artists like Franca, Zokhuma, Asvajit and Adam Rahman brought their impressive skills to this stage which amplifiedĀ the deep bass that was played at the stage.
3. The Nilgiri Stage
Just by looking at the name of the stage you can visualise a lush canopy of green trees all around and that’s exactly what it embodied in material. The stage was constructed around the Nilgiri trees at the venue and was built using the most interesting drain pipes that gave off an abandoned industrial vibe. The construction was another fascinating combination of 3D projection mapping and rigs used to hold the pipes upto the impressive length at which they were. The ambience was fit for the live electronic music by Madboy/Mink, The F16s, Submotion Orchestra, Jordan Rakei and Youngr whose performance at the stage was breathtaking when the lights hit his drum kit. *Goosebumps*
This step of recyclable and up-cycled material usage for building all the incredible stages along with the decor of the ground payed off for the organisers in a really good way and we can’t wait to see what more they have in store for the future.