The Barfi singer is all set to thrill the Delhi audience at the North East Festival, says Palak Sharma
Angarag Mahanta popularly known by his stage name — Papon is home. The Assamese singer spent a major part of his growing up years in Delhi, where he would be performing at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) at the ongoing fifth edition of the North East Festival.
“I am connected with my roots and that makes me return and perform at the North East Festival every year. Since I do not get much time to visit my homeland, I connect with North-eastern people residing in Delhi among the extended range of audience that resides in the capital through this forum. Therefore, it gives me immense pleasure and pride to be here and make my region proud,’’ said the singer.
Talking about his connection with the festival he mentioned, ‘‘People who have heard my songs can naturally connect with my North-eastern roots. I have been attending this festival because it has been an eminent step towards bridging the gap between North-eastern states and the capital city. I hope that the festival’s collaborative purpose between the government and private stakeholders translates in spreading awareness about various cultural aspects and elevate tourism in the North-eastern region.’’
He has a special connect with Delhi where he spent most of his formative years. He said, “Performing in the capital has always made me feel at home as I feel connected to Dilli because the state has its own charm that drives you crazy.” looking forward, the Bulleya singer has not decided upon the songs that he would be performing live for the Delhi audience. All he decided upon is that he would be jamming Bollywood and Assamese folk songs for an impromptu opening that would surprise his listeners.
His upcoming projects include several songs and compositions that are in pipeline — the most recent being Tu Chale Toh from Irrfan Khan starrer Qarib Qarib Single which will be releasing on November 10. He would also be appearing on The Voice India Kids, a reality show for children in an international format for which Papon has been mentoring youngsters alongside his co-mentors and judges of the show Himesh Reshamiya, Palak Muchhal and Shaan. It will go on air from November 11 onwards on &TV.
Papon’s style of singing has been majorly influenced by his parents who taught him the nuances of this art. He also admires singers like Kishore Kumar, Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Mehendi Hassan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, international bands like Magnum and Pink Floyd. He has relished working with Shantanu Moitra, Vishal-Shekhar and Karsh Kale among a huge list of other names from the industry.
He also mentioned that he has been exteremely delighted to be a part of multiple versions and editions of Coke Studios which is not being aired for the last two years. “That series has been one platform which made any non-filmy music turn into mainstream tracks due to its versatility. India has too many elements in terms of music however, Bollywood music has always commanded more attention despite other cultural and regional music. Coke Studio was like a boon for any artist who was a part of it. Such platforms should come up more often to give a creative and cultural blend to the music industry.”
Talking about the racist incidences that have happened in the past he said, “Majority of people residing in Delhi come from diverse backgrounds and states, which in way are exploring their individual selves. I have lived with the experience of racist bullying myself, but I have never felt discriminated because I never let it affect me. It is sad that the population of this country is not versed about different cultures that are very much a part of it. Yet at the same time I request my people from the North east to not to feel aggravated and feel bad about it, instead prove themselves by their work.”
While Papon performs on the second day of the festival, the inaugural day saw performances by dance troupes throughout the day at the pristine open amphitheatre. All these troupes performed more than 30 exotic dance forms like Bamboo Dance from Mizoram, Hojagiri from Tripura, Wangala dance from Meghalaya, lion dance of Arunachal Pradesh and many more. The special attraction was a Mukha Bhaona from Samuguri Sattra in Majuli, Assam that mesmerised the audience.