Image instagrammed by Daler Mehndi. (Courtesy: DalerMehndi)
As the festive season has kicked off, NH7 Weekender is all set to take the excitement a notch higher with its 14th edition of the music festival. This year, over 45 homegrown and global artists are set to perform in mutiple generes such as metal, rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, funk and Punjabi at the festival. A few days back, the first phase line-up confirmed that American rap superstar and actor YG aka Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson, British pop icon M.I.A. and British progressive metal band Monuments will headline this year's show.
Indian pop mainstay Lisa Mishra, New Delhi based singer-songwriter Hanita Bhambri and Bollywood composers Sunny M.R. and Oaff x Savera who will be premiering new music are also a part of the line-up. 90's Indie-rock band Euphoria will premiere their much awaited retrospective set while Punjabi pop legend Daler Mehndi and new age rap sensation MC Stan will also be making their long awaited debuts at the festival with their signature style.
Australia-based instrumental progressive rock artist I Built The Sky, New-York based electronic duo MEMBA and American progressive metal band Arch Echo will make their debuts this year; Afro pioneer Romare, Tamil-Swiss artist Priya Ragu and Antwerp based metal upstarts BEAR will also perform.
Other international artists to watch out for on the festival's bill include French reggae duo - Jahneration, Canadian hip hop duo Cartel Madras and Copenhagen-based global bass star Alo Wala known for her numerous dance-floor-happy international collaborations.
The hip hop and pop curation include a Gully Gang showcase featuring label mainstays MC Altaf, D'Evil, Sammohit as well as electrifying performances by contemporary Punjabi artist tricksingh, turntablist Spindoctor who will present the 5 elements of hip-hop through a specially commissioned set, Chennai-based Sunflower Tape Machine, Pune-based multi-instrumentalist Aarifah along with Bengaluru-based singer-songwriters BeBhumika, Mary Ann Alexander and LAVI & Foenix.
Rock and metal heads will have a rampaging range to offer- from New-Delhi based rock band Komodo Jane to three-piece Mumbai-based punk rock band The Lightyears Explode and rock band Naalayak from Chandigarh.
YG, best known for projecting the voice of the streets into the mainstream, and for having collaborated with hip-hop's heavyweights such as Ty Dolla Sign, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Nas, Post Malone and Jeezy and also having acted opposite Matthew McConaughey said, "I'm excited to let all my fans in India know that we're working on something really special for y'all. It's gonna be great to finally perform in India and hopefully get a chance to learn a little more about the beautiful country and the culture. I can't wait."
The festival will feature a dedicated all-female line-up chosen from various regions on Day 2 in the main festival arena. The lineup of artists across 2 stages will include Alo Wala, Priya Ragu, Cartel Madras, BeBhumika, Lavi, Aarifah and Mary Ann Alexander in addition to the headliner M.I.A.
The three-day festival will allow attendees across age groups to experience the vibes in Pune from December 1-3.