Joi Barua: Our strength lies in our tendency to embrace local music

Joi Barua

From April 30, Leh's Sonam Wangchuk Stadium will host the first ever Ladakh International Music Festival, which will feature performances by popular rock bands, competitions among the local talent, and a special tribute to the Indian Army at one of the world's highest war memorials, Rezang La.

Apart from The Indian Ocean, The Yellow Diary, Parashara, and the Tetseo Sisters composer Joi Barua will also participate in the milestone event to pay tribute to both the Army as well as the residents of Ladakh, "who live in challenging conditions".

"[This will be] among the most magical things that one can experience. Meeting a soldier at the border is different from doing so [when he is not on duty]. It will be a trip of gratitude for me. India is a diverse country, and [I will] tell the stories from my state. The festival will resonate with the masses."

Assamese music, he admits, has been able to flourish in the midst of the commercial music industry given that its musicians have been true to their roots. "The biggest strength of Assamese musicians is that we have grown up with a sense of [gratitude for] our local folk music, including tribal music. We have grown up with a strong sense of identity, and that has given us a certain strength. There are multiple Indias, and this is what we represent. We grew up listening to the musicians whose thoughts were global, and writing, universal. If you listen to their music, you'll find it to be global music."

At the upcoming festival, Barua will shed light on such stories of valour of the Indian soldiers that have been lost with the passage of time.