Echoes of Earth brings music and nature together in India’s only ecologically crafted music festival
By Sara Athar
Late in the year, thousands of people from around the world were drawn to the Eucalyptus woods of the Embassy Riding School for what is known as India’s only ecologically crafted music festival — Echoes of Earth.
Spread over 150 acres of land with lush green surroundings, Echoes of Earth, having completed its third year, consists of 4 handcrafted stages, 40 acclaimed artists and an environmentally conscious theme which reflects in the art installations put up at the venue every year.
‘Echoes’ as it is commonly referred to by its goers aims to bring people from all walks of life together and unite them for a celebration of music, art and culture. It also maintains a strict policy of putting the needs of the planet before anything else and thereby displaying a deep commitment to the sustenance and protection of the planet.
Each year, a theme is chosen and each stage is uniquely designed and crafted to highlight both the genre of the music that will play on that particular stage while also lending to the theme as a whole. Aside from these stages, art installations all made from upcycled material scattered around the venue set the mood.
“About four months prior to the festival, our production team, along with artists, scout junkyards to collect material to work with, that’s then used to build all our stages, art installations, signages, etc,” said festival founder and Curator, Roshan Netalkar. “It is a yearlong process to bring together Echoes of Earth. There’s a dedicated team of researchers that works throughout the year to find ways to make the festival more sustainable.”
This year marked the third edition of Echoes, themed ‘Wonders of the Deep’ and focused on ocean and marine life conservation. The four stages and art installations all paid homage to the sea and all the magnificent life forms that it is home to.
All the infrastructure at the festival is constructed using environmentally conscious methods. The 3 R’s-Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are taken very seriously while setting up. Scrap metal, used cardboard, wasted cloth bits, wood shafts, old CDs and a vast variety of discarded media is recycled and upcycled to create their stages, art installations, signage boards and even the stalls for their flea market.
“We try to find vendors who sell products that care about nature just as much as this festival does,” said Zoheb M, who works with Swordfish and Watson’s and handles the production team.
As always, there was a special emphasis on water, energy and waste management.
The team behind Echoes believes that life began in the Oceans and now, more than ever, the protection and preservation of the marine biosphere are imperative to sustain life on Earth. This year, children were able to interact with marine biologists and participate in other interesting workshops being conducted by ReefWatch, an NGO in the Andamans.
The setup this year included stages made to resemble a Lionfish, an Anglerfish and a Mandala. The artist lineup is carefully selected to represent all genres and music from around the world. The artists also feel a sense of pride playing on Echoes stages.
Brian Shimkovitz, a first-time performer in India and the lead DJ from the African band ‘Awesome Tapes of Africa’ pointed out the importance of organising such fests.
“Artistes and environment can prologue the thought of environmental consciousness, especially when performing in festivals like this outside the city. We are reminded of how the land actually used to be. We have to balance all the tech, the business, and the growth, keeping in mind the environment. Otherwise, we will not have anything left behind for the generations to come,” he said.
The elaborate stages, all solar powered by EcoSoch, and the artists performing, however, were not the only attraction.
The festival also housed a 10-foot-tall seahorse made entirely out of repurposed gunny bags and a skeleton constructed using debris from construction sites. There were also replicas of dolphins made of old CDs and a Sea Turtle made with pieces of cardboard, old magazines and LED strips. Schools of Jellyfish made from old Chinese lanterns and string lights caught the eye from anywhere in the venue. Wooden shafts were used to construct all signage boards and a giant humpback whale that appeared to be emerging out of the water.
Unlike other festivals, Echoes of Earth is children and pet-friendly, with activities and arrangements for both. The lounge area included hammocks and a trail through which informative pieces and pictures of exotic marine animals were displayed. The venue also saw solar-powered mobile charging units, biodegradable cutlery at the food stalls and a flea market selling a variety of environmentally conscious products. The team behind Echoes of Earth also organised a sapling drive which saw over 2000 saplings planted in and around Bangalore.
“Echoes of Earth is a celebration of music, nature, & design,” said Netalkar. “A festival that celebrates music from around the world with a focus on the environment and sustainable living. Our endeavour is to reduce, reuse, recycle, and upcycle. Throughout the festival, you will witness ecological approaches and practices at play, made possible by adopting the most sustainable means of construction, energy, & waste management.
Echoes of Earth welcomes those with similar aspirations and dreams to join this endeavour to create a better tomorrow, all the while appreciating and enjoying our biggest gift to the Earth yet — Music.”
