The Hornbill International Rock Contest and music festival, organized by the Music Task force, Government of Nagaland may well be the longest music event in the country. Attractive cash prizes and music loving crowd makes the event a unique experience for performers.
Such extravaganza is in keeping with the essence of the many Naga festivals; marked by feasts, dances, games and music, all in full measure. Nagas do not do things in small instalments. These celebrations invariably coincide with agricultural lean periods such as after-harvest, and therefore the feeling of gaiety and generosity, even to a fault. In the old days the rich used to host several-day-long feasts in which the villagers revelled, and guests from other villages were feted. These were times when the youth were pitted against each other in friendly competitions in performing arts and traditional sports, while the old proudly looked on.
Circumstances have changed; some have moved on while a few still embraces the old ways. Nevertheless, in either case the joie de vivre of the Nagas lives on. The annual Hornbill Festival, and therefore the Hornbill International Rock Contest, is set in this background. In time, the event hopes to go international.
Over the years, there have been some great performances by bands from all over the country. The very fact that a band is selected to perform at the event is an achievement.
This year the rock contest would be held between December 4 - 7.
SHORTLISTED BANDS 2014
1. Vishnu-delhi
2. The mongrels cacophony-kolkata
3. The doppler effect-delhi
4. The beta funktion -chennai
5. Tape town madness -bangalore
6. Silver-pune
7. Serenade -kolkata
8. 3 ton capacity-bangalore
9. Restless desire-tura
10. Red sky pirates -darjeeling
11. Hidden truth -kolkata
12. Chrome o soul -chennai
13. Black dog machine gun -darjeeling
14. The royal flush -arunachal
15. Final surrender -bangalore
16. The family cheese-mumbai
17. Nightmares -sikkim
18. Muses of authority -siliguri
19. Hypnosis -west bengal
20. Hidden identity -kolkata
21. Grey shack -chennai
22. Crazy weather -delhi
23. Adroit -meghalaya
24. Rage hybrid -nepal
25. Condemned hour -tura
26. Paper sky-nagaland
27. Technicolors -nagaland
28. Stereo type-nagaland