Scrapping the Hornbill Rock Contest

Imlisanen Jamir

The latest move to scrap the competition aspect of the Hornbill Music Festival has been a long time coming. As reasoned by the newly renamed Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA), this move should have been made much earlier, if the Hornbill is to host a music festival in its true sense. 


When the international rock contest began nearly twenty years ago, with its biggest prize pool for any such rock competition in the country, there was a lot of fanfare. But over the years, the initial objective of promoting local talent and making the festival a centre for music fans seemed to be lost.  


It has become very hard to argue that winning the contest did anything more for bands or artists than being recipients of a considerable cash award, and perhaps media coverage for a couple of days. Be it bands from outside Nagaland or those within, audiences and promoters these days care little as to whether artists have ‘competition winner’ as an achievement in their CV. 


The days of competitions being a major avenue for artists, particularly bands, to propel their careers is mostly over. This is an age where the independent scene is thriving, with the internet playing a large role in enabling artists to showcase their music to audience sizes which could not be fathomed only a few years ago. 


Most would admit that over the years, the Hornbill Music Festival has been more of a stomping ground for, let’s say artists well beyond their sell by date in other parts of the world. Nothing really wrong with that, as a huge chunk of the audience here still cherish acts from an earlier era; and to be fair, they’re pretty good too. 


However, for the Hornbill to stamp its mark as a must visit musical destination, the festival needs to look beyond short term appeasements.  


Doing away with the competition would also save organizers the substantial prize amount to be used for other things—perhaps bringing in more seasoned artists from the national scene to perform rather than compete. Note that it isn’t necessary to bring in the big acts; there are plenty of fantastic musicians and bands in the national independent circuit who would cost a way lot less to bring than anyone from outside the country. Local musicians would benefit a lot more from sharing the stage with these artists as partners in performance. 


With all that said though, here’s hoping that the organizers will value the core of what makes a music festival great. A collective of 'yous', the passionate music lovers willing to brave out the sun, the rain, the avalanche of mud and other apocalyptic events—that what makes it great. 


You’re the one to hype up the event and would travel just to be at the festival and experience it all. You make up the crowd, and you’re the only reason why they exist in the first place. No you = No festivals. So make sure they keep on existing.

 

Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com