'Independence Rock' music fest set to return with 29th edition in November

MUMBAI: The rock music festival ‘Independence Rock’, which made its comeback last year after a nine-year hiatus is set to return with its new edition this year. Known to be India’s oldest rock festival, titled Mahindra Independence Rock, it will make its way to Mumbai’s Bayview Lawns in Mazgaon area on November 4 and 5.

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Mahindra I-Rock stage will host rock subgenres transcending geographical boundaries by stretching its soundscape across the length and breadth of the country. From the north and the northeast to the west and the south, as well as crossing borders to Nepal, Mahindra I-Rock seeks to bring and unite diverse sounds of rock to its stage.

The festival will see a confluence of genres from old-school thrash, death metal, genre-bending fusion of rock and reggae, the authentic 1980s style glam metal to the blend of Indian classical and folk sounds of the mridangam and flute with guitar riffs and pulsating drums.

Farhad Wadia, Founder of Independence Rock, said: “Since the 1980s, the festival has provided a platform to launch careers of several huge names in the rock fraternity, and it has sparked an everlasting spirit among rockers across India. This stage is where it all began.”

He further mentioned, “Mahindra I-Rock is not just a festival; it has become a meaningful movement. And movements never die - they are recorded in history. They not only continue to inspire future generations but are also reborn over and over. Mahindra I-Rock is one such movement that I hope continues to inspire the new gen to express themselves uninhibitedly through rock and live on.”

The festival will also nurture the growth of new and aspiring artistes in the genre with ‘Tomorrow’s Headliners’.