We travelled with Delhi Sultanate of BFR Sound System in his iconic red van on a five-day trip across India to host the Big Bang Festival, a two-day arts and culture gathering deep within the indigenous tribal villages of Assam’s jungle.
BFR (Bass Foundations Roots) Sound System, owned and operated by Delhi Sultanate and Begum X, is a hand built Jamaican-style sound system – one of only a handful in all of South Asia. Built through community crowdfunding and crafted with intention, BFR wanted to share the power of reggae with the sound, weight and emotional power it deserves, while offering inclusive spaces outside the commercial and elitist club venues of the cities.
Delhi Sultanate setting up BFR Sound System at Big Bang Festival | Photo by @magdalenamoursy
Studio Monkey Shoulder supported DJ and BFR co-founder Taru Dalmia aka Delhi Sultanate on a five journey across India, travelling from his home town Delhi to the remote tribal village of Nanadisa in Assam, where he partnered with local organiser Daniel Langthasa to revive The Big Bang Festival of Love – a boutique arts festival co-organised with the local indigenous community that stopped due to the lockdown.
Village Chief performing during BFR's evening sound system session | Photo by @Vikramaditya Singh
Along the way we stopped off at the AQI Festival – organised by house collective Warehouse Mix – in a valley 2 hours outside Delhi with Worldwide FM founder & DJ Gilles Peterson in attendance.
Delhi Sultanate going through his dub plates at his AQI festival session | Photo by @notshrey
Delhi Sultanate BFR Sound System Session at AQI Festival | Photo by @notshrey
Gilles caught up with Taru after the session to chat about why event organisers are escaping the cities to find spaces where they can build communities around music. They also delved into Taru's impressive collection of dub plates, his personal journey into reggae and building a sound system, and why he believes the music's message resonates so deeply in India.
Gilles Peterson and Taru Dalmia at the AQI Festival site | Photo by @magdalenamoursy
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Assam's mountainous jungles, the Big Bang Festival was a two-day arts and culture gathering that combined evening sound system sessions hosted by Delhi Sultanate with a vibrant programme of local artists, spanning indigenous folk, hip-hop, blues and more.
Big Bang Festival Festival Site in Nanadisa Village | Photo by @Vikramaditya Singh
The festival also featured activities and workshops embracing the community's cultural traditions and their self-sufficient relationship with the land. All festival infrastructure was built with bamboo from the land from staging to the bar and the cup used for drinking.
Traditional Opening Performance by village chief at Big Bang Festival | Photo by @magdalenamoursy
Traditional Opening Performance at Big Bang Festival | Photo by @magdalenamoursy
Trombonist Chie Nishikori performing at BFR session at Big Bang Festival | Photo by @Vikramaditya Singh
Watch the video to join Taru on the road to Assam, experience the Big Bang Festival and see the unifying power of sound system culture in action.
This project is part of Studio Monkey Shoulder – a music initiative by Worldwide FM and Monkey Shoulder Whisky dedicated to empowering and celebrating innovate grassroots music communities around the world.