Yimvolong Asongchanger
Brillante! The Nagaland Piano Festival has made its grand debut in the national space as a music brand from Nagaland. This local brand has truly made us proud by collaborating with DLF Cyber Hub to hold a pop-up one day festival on December 9, 2022 at the Cyber Hub Amphitheatre, Gurgaon under the theme ‘Music Unites’ and that is exactly what happened. Musicians, well wishers and organisations all came together to celebrate music- making in community.
This festival is part of the warm up for Brillante’s 4th edition which will culminate in Nagaland in 2023. The artists enthralled the audience through the presentation of the talent and culture of Nagaland amidst other stellar performers from the local community. With a footfall of 40,000 plus in the venue along with attendees and passers-by the festival lasted for 9 hours. More importantly, it had all the flavours of what a festival should be about – celebration, excitement, action, fun, positive engagement and meaningful interactions. This was put in place by an amazing team of community minded musicians & individuals (Anjli Mata, Roheth from Khaka Events, Priya Chaturvedi, Niwe-u Mero, Abhishek Lal, Chubala Asung) led by Khyochano TCK, the Founder and Director of Brillante. They superbly held the day’s event skilfully engaging a multi diverse audience at a premium location which boasts of the top Fortune 500 companies and a predominately corporate community.
Brillante began as an initiative to uplift the piano community in Nagaland in 2017.
Today it is a pan India music movement that has expanded with a clear vision to celebrate and uplift the music of YOUNG INDIA through meaningful musical engagements, and spread the message of Social & Cultural Integration and Inclusiveness through Music.
Music unites!
The Brillante community comprises of musicians and creative artists, educationists and performers, who typically celebrate Brillante through the hallmark programs of Performance, Pedagogy and Competition.
Brillante! the Nagaland Piano Festival has consistently provided numerous platforms for Pianists/artists and other stake holders through opportunities that genuinely enhance, encourage and inspire.
In her welcome note, the director Khyochano TCK said, “We are proud of the spirit of our artists who are performing to you for the love of music and in support of this movement. We are also grateful for the participating institutes and individuals who have shared their talents, their energy, their time and their resources to be a part of Brillante Cyber Hub Street Music Festival.”
The event was powered by Kotak Mahindra Bank and sponsored by Nagaland Tourism, Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts, Furtados Music India and Synergy Institute of Music. Participants in the festival were –four pianists from Nagaland Chathavi Vupru, Petenei Tacu, Imsongdi Imsong, Ayide Koza, Everyday Band, Global Music Institute, Trinity College London students, SK – 27 Gym, Nagaland Emporium, the exciting Roheth’s fusion Ensemble and the Ao Naga Choir. Also, featured were past Brillante competition finalists from Gurgaon area Siddhartha Gianchandani and Anuvrat Gulati.
About Brillante
This event which has its origin in Nagaland is the only multi-genre piano festival in India. This was also the first time that the event was held outside of Nagaland. Previous editions have featured various international pianists in addition to artists from all over the country. The event that witnessed a convergence of local, national and international pianists/ musicians engaging in projecting music through performance, pedagogy, competition, practicum (demos, masterclasses, and workshops)
The event consisted of various sessions starting from 1:00 pm which featured piano performances and numerous artists who showcased their expertise and talent. The main concert kicked off at 6: 30PM with the centrally located open-air amphitheatre packed to its full seating capacity. Khyochano TCK Ngully, Director, Brillante! Piano Festival, gave the opening note wherein she mentioned of the vision of Brillante! as a celebration and means of uplifting music in community through deliberate musical engagements, promoting piano culture in India, and their endeavour to act as an agent of social development, integration and inclusiveness. She also spoke of the potential that music holds to bring about integration of different communities by focussing on a common objective, and improvement of mental health and overall wellness.
Starting with the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) by the Faith Arena Worship team, the first act was an Eight Hands Piano piece by a group comprising of the four talented pianists from Nagaland- Chathavi Vupru, Imsongti Imsong, Petenei Tacu and Ayide Koza. This was followed by performances of other pianists namely Arnav Gulati, Siddharth Gianchandani, and Ena and Carlos. These pianists were winners and participants of competitions at Brillante! and Con Brio among others and enthralled the audience. The other acts spanning across the daylong event included a Djembe and Piano ensemble (Roheth and team), Flash Mob (SK-27 Gym), Trinity College London, Furtados School of Music, Global Music Institute and a choral performance by Ao Naga Choir.
In just its 3rd edition in 2021 the festival has gone global with participants from 6 countries taking part. The participants encompasses novices, artists, teachers, ensembles, and to those pursuing professional studies worldwide, and thus while ensuring a holistic inclusiveness also ensures that the highest standards of music is disseminated. It also provides an opportunity to artists to interact with other musicians, inspire one another to greater mastery or start learning an instrument, and also provide a platform that caters to a variety of genres.
Such Community based initiatives that impact people at a personal level and put Nagaland on the map is deeply appreciated and deserve the utmost support from all areas.
About Cyberhub
Cyber Hub, Gurgaon is a much sought after venue for hosting events and Brillante! has made a great impact as it continues to reach out to new avenues. The location is an ideal destination for art and cultural shows, media launches, displays, lifestyle shoots and is one of the most visited places inclusive of all age groups. It is located just next to Cyber City, which is a corporate park housing top IT and Fortune 500 Companies.
Reviews
The Brilliante Street Music Festival was an amazing experience for our family. It was such a pleasure listening to the outstanding performers.
“A rare opportunity to listen to such a wide range of music from familiar classical pieces to informal jams that made you wants to jump up and dance.”-ARJUN Singh, company CEO
“It was a fantastic street music festival that not only promoted music but also our state Nagaland while also giving us the opportunity to showcase our products and culture.” Zhota Nienu- Branch Manager, Nagaland Emporium Delhi.
“A great experience. I hope you can make this a regular event." 6 years old, Thea Dyeus
As a parent i was elated to hear about a road show based on Piano. This seems to be one of its kind. We always see so many shows based on mainly guitar and drum but it was a pleasure to attend this show with altogether a different genre. Eagerly looking forward to attend many more such shows.” Shaili Chawla, mother of Arnav Gulati (Brillante, Runners up Category A, 2021)
