Meghalaya’s youth shine at Asia’s biggest Spoken Fest

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 7, 2024

For the first time, Shillong hosted Asia’s largest Spoken Festival by Kommune at the iconic Wards Lake on December 6. The Spoken Fest lit up the city with raw energy, unfiltered stories, and voices that demanded to be heard at this one multi-stage festival of expression. Supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the event was graced by Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh and Cyril VD Diengdoh, IAS, Director of Tourism.

Paul Lyngdoh stated, “It is indeed a moment of joy and ecstasy for us in the department to see that experiential tourism and the arts and culture are getting a fresh lease of life in Meghalaya.” He expressed his gratitude to the local population for their support and the collaboration of groups and enthusiasts like Kommune and the participating artists.

Lyngdoh emphasized that when spoken word is mentioned as a brand, the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya have a long history of oral tradition; the stories, myths, and legends are an old part of the history of the state even before the introduction of the written word. A platform such as this allows young poets, writers, and storytellers to elaborate and exchange with other artists of the community. Providing Meghalaya’s budding artists with such a platform is a tangible achievement. He expressed positivity that the youth of Meghalaya, when given the opportunity to interact in such platforms, will ensure that the state’s strengths, including arts, culture, literature, and music, are provided with the best platform in the world.

Cyril Diengdoh remarked that Shillong is the first city to host an edition of Spoken Fest outside of Mumbai. He added that the platform gives local authors and other local talents the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the country. He observed that Spoken Fest promotes Meghalaya tourism to a wider audience.

The day kicked off at the reverie stage with performances by singer-songwriter Clayton Hogermeer, and Shillong’s very own singer-poets Vancouver Shullai and Marbamonlang Rani, who took centre stage with their poems exploring themes of identity, home, and family. Actress and social influencer Kareema Barry mesmerised the crowd with her mastery in storytelling on food, family, childhood, and her native city.

Later, the fest highlighted a showcase by Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP), a state government-aided platform, featuring pop-soul artist Elena Sohktung. Poets Anees Ailynti Noronha, Priya Malik, and Tanmay Maheshwari delivered their performances with poise. Storytellers Laksh Maheshwari and Madhu Raghvendra ended the first session of the day.

As the day progressed, hip-hop/R&B artist Meba Ofilia and the hip-hop duo Khasi Bloodz took centre stage with electrifying performances. The poetry lineup featured Merenla Imsong, Lalnunsanga Ralte, and Madhu Raghvendra. The storytellers curated for the Shillong edition included actors such as Amol Parashar and Merenla Imsong, plus poet Trinetra Haldar. The evening was full of music, words, and joy with a curated line-up of the most authentic stories and poems, also featuring food and flea selections and new experiences.

As the curtains drew to a close, the festival culminated with a one-on-one conversation between Bollywood actresses Patralekha and Tillotama Shome, who engrossed themselves with topics like female friendships, family, outsiders in Mumbai creating their own space, and unconventional choices as an artist. When Chai Met Toast, an indie-folk band, took center stage for a closing set that was nothing short of legendary.