India’s most awaited Gourmet World Music Festival, ‘SulaFest’ is just round the corner. The festival in its 9th edition has gotten bigger and better and has ensured some of the finest and the most enthralling artists from around the world.
Ensuring a mix of varied genres that would leave every music lover wanting for more, this line-up could never get better.
If you are overwhelmed while picking out the acts you wouldn’t want to miss out, then here are top 5 Acts you must attend at SulaFest!
- Cat Empire the Australian band (Ska, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Latin)will make their much-awaited Indian debut as one of the headliners of SulaFest ’16. Known as the world’s best festival bands around the globe, this multi genre band will be kickstarting their 2016 global album tour with SulaFest ’16. The Melbourne sextet appeared this year at world renowned festivals like The Secret Garden Party, WOMAD, Eden Festival and a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in June! The Cat Empire will play a mix of their hits from their previous 6 albums, and tracks from their brand new album – set for release in the month right after SulaFest ’16. THE CAT EMPIRE has a massive army of fans over the world delivering incredible musicality, humour, entertainment and energy.
- Edu Imbernon
Headlining the Atmasphere Stage, Edu Imbernon is songwriter, producer, remixer, DJ, and label owner EDU IMBERNON (Spain | Deep House, Progressive House), a global electronic music heavyweight also know to collaborate with international stalwarts – Coyu and Droog to mention a few – to produce chart-topping electronic tracks.
Sprouting from city of “valour” – Valencia – producer, remixer, DJ and label owner; the multifaceted artist Edu Imbernon is a truly global electronic music proposition.
Firstly, “El Baile Alemán” on Liebe Detail, produced with his friend Coyu was appointed “Best Underground Track of the Year” by Beatport and stayed at #1 for 2 solid weeks. Secondly, his label Eklektisch was born, the second release hitting #1 on Beatport for 3 consecutive weeks. Following on from that, over the past 5 years, Edu has curated original music and remixes from the likes of Solomun, Blond:ish, Hot Since 82, Pleasurekraft and David August for the imprint.
Edu’s unique blend of electronica, house and indie has seen him come into his own as a remixer. His anthemic remix of The XX”s “Crystalised”, from their stratospheric “xx” album, proved to be Young Turks best selling remix to date. Follow up remixes of Maya Jane Coles’ “You” for Hypercolour, X-Press 2’s monster “Lazy”; and more recently Hot Natured’s “Emerald City”, Metronomy’s “I’m Aquarius” and WhoMadeWho’s “Right Track” cemented him as a top tier remixer.
In late 2012 “Fayer” was born, starting as a small non regular 300 person event in the upstairs room of La3 club in Valencia. 3 years later Fayer has grown into a record label, event and clothing brand, hosting events in clubs and at festivals to thousands of people at a time, month in, month out. From humbler beginnings, the Fayer events have gone from strength to strength – the likes of Solomun, Hot Since 82, Tiga, Ame and Booka Shade have featured over the last 12 months; the events flourishing after a move to new 1200 capacity venue Veracruz and a new outdoor summer space in summer 2015.
The future of Fayer as an international touring party looks bright.
The label arm of Fayer focuses on bridging the gap between the song based worlds of indie and electronica and the more club focused sounds of house and techno music. Soon to embark on its fourth release, thus far the label has featured music from Qtier, David August, Agoria, Bambook, Metronomy, WhoMadeWho, Adriatique and Edu himself; achieving a two Beatport #1s, over 1m plays online, multiple BBC Radio 1 plays and support from Mixmag, NME, Hypetrak, Earmilk, DIY and Pigeons & Planes.
As a DJ, Edu’s truly global touring schedule continues to broaden – 2014 saw over 120 shows across 40 countries over 5 continents. The first half of 2015 has shown no signs of the pace letting up. The year started with 3 stand out sets at BPM Festival in Mexico, before a debut appearance at tastemaker festival Coachella; closing out spring with a Beatport Top 10 on Suara with long time collaborators Los Suruba. Edu’s return to Ibiza opened illustriously, closing the terrace at Space opening fiesta; the first of 12 dates as part of his residency at the club. To come in 2015: a return to Culprit Records, the label who harboured “Fayer”, which scooped up best track at the Vicious Music Awards in 2014, performances at TomorrowLand, FIB Benicassim and Electrosplash festival hosting his own Fayer stage featuring Miss Kittin and Adriatique, and the beginnings of a debut artist album.
- Rick Watts-
If you’ve seen Rik Watts perform at his resident club Magistrat in his hometown The Hague, or at other gigs througout the Netherlands for sure you have been taken away with his warm deep solid sounds.
Via his DJ sets or his productions on labels like Lowendcommunity, Phat Elephant and Jelly Beast recording, he merges perspectives in his sense for sounds and underpinned with deep solid, soulful grooves inspired by the fact he was traveling all over the world working for the Dutch Navy at the early age of 17. Travelling all over the world got him in touch with so many different kind of cultures and styles of music which made him the artist who he is today. Taking his time to find his own style, made it his and still craving for more. He likes to bring something for those who love to dream as well for them who stay on the dancefloor all night.
This is Rik Watts, with his Dutch sober, ‘act normal than you act crazy enough’ mentality. Hard working and stay true to yourself but still loving to share his musical thoughts with others and most of all make them into an artistic reality.
- Kailash Kher
Kailash Kher is a Singer-Music, Composer- Lyricist and Performer. He has performed on over 400 Hindi film soundtracks, sung in over 20 languages in regional Indian films, not to mention recording more than 350 radio and television advertising jingles.
Along with guitars, drums and keyboards; the band incorporates classical Indian instruments and traditional lyrics to infuse folk and Sufi hue to their songs.
Kailasa has performed over 900 concerts in approximately nine years across the globe.
- Balkan Beat Box (Israel -Balkan, Gypsy, Electronic)
Balkan Beat Box first exploded out of Brooklyn’s underground music scene in 2005 with a self-titled debut that unleashed into the world their Mediterranean-inflected, globalized electronica sound.
Founded by Ori Kaplan (DJ Shotnez and ex Gogol Bordello) and Tamir Muskat (producer Asaf Avidan and Ape Records, ex-Firewater) the band built their reputation on explosive live shows. Shortly after forming, Balkan Beat Box drafted their collaborator Tomer Yosef to be the group’s frontman, and his wild onstage energy has been galvanizing audiences ever since.
The three emerged as a cohesive songwriting trio on 2007’s Nu Med, which featured Tamir hand crafting beats and samples, Ori orchestrating melodies and Tomer writing the hard-hitting lyrics. With the release of 2010’s Blue Eyed Black Boy, the group took their already well-traveled sound to Belgrade and other Eastern points. Their fourth album, GIVE, reveals a harder edge. Inspired by protest movements across the globe—from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street and Israel’s social protests—the album speaks out against social ills while presenting a cautious hope and energizing spirit for our time. The band’s also a hit with other musicians and has been sampled by Mac Miller and Diplo on “Goosebumpz,” and Jason Derulo on “Talk Dirty,” a #1 hit around the world.
