MUMBAI: India, as a nation is blessed with diverse forms of music. Each state resonates with a different music, instrument and style of music. While there is information on most of the forms, experiencing it on one platform is a golden, rare opportunity in India to experience it all together. Paddy Fields is India’s only music festival that takes the beauty of folk music from across the country and packages and presents it to the audience.

In the earlier two editions, Paddy Fields showcased rare folk fusion music from states like Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan and Punjab to the Mumbai audience in the fusion idiom in 2016 and in 2017 had only women performer. Both the editions met with thunderous success and marked attendance of over 3,000 audience. The third season is based on a question ‘If Indian Classical Music has origins in folk music?’ A solution for the same will be explored in the format of Jugalbandi between two or more proficient musicians. The concept of Jugalbandi will be a start to new genre of live performers in the country, especially for folk and fusion music.

Previous two editions had some of the biggest stalwarts of folk and popular music genre headlining the event. Artistes like Papon, Nooran Sisters, Colonial Cousins, Chaar Yaar, Gangadhar and Tulika, Dhruva Vouage and Mame Khan had inaugurated the Paddy fields fest with a bang. The second edition in 2017presented a show called ‘Women Take centre stage’ and presented artists like Shubha Mudgal, Kalpana Patowary, Susheela Raman, Sona Mohapatra, Sunita Bhuyan, Nooran Sisters, Sonam Kalra, Tipriti Kharbangar took the fest to higher level in terms of folk and fusion musical event. The organisers have left no stone unturned to take the season 3 to yet other higher levels. Paddy Fields ‘18 would not only see performers for the first time on such a stage, but also with a new concept of Jugalbandi. The line-up this edition includes, The Manganiyar Classroom – Rajasthani, Rahul Sharma and Gulzar Ganie – Kashmiri Folk, Shujaat Khan and Malini Awasthi – Awadhi Folk, Shujaat Khan and Malini Awasthi – Awadhi Folk, Amit Trivedi –Amit Trivedi Live Folk Fusion Music, Deepa Nair Rasiya – Sufi Folk, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Anwar Khan – Rajasthani Folk, Shantanu Moitra, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Ani Choyang, Purnayan Chatterjee and Ashwin Srinivasan – Song of the Himalayas, Merlin D’Souza and Viva La Goa – Goan Folk. These artistes will perform spread across two days.

Speaking about the event, Nesco Ltd Vice President Sales and Marketing Ms. Anupama Bhalla said, “We are absolutely delighted to launch our third season of India’s Premiere Folk Fusion Music Festival Paddy Fields. It continues to get only bigger and better each year with 8 artists to start with in Season 1 to this year’s 19 extremely talented performers. Season 3 is all set to celebrate a fascinating and exciting concept of Jugalbandi – the classicism of folk fusion. We at Nesco are gearing up to guarantee an experience of a lifetime. So, do come and join us for this two day experience called Paddy Fields.”

It all made for an obviously fascinating and exciting concept for Paddy Fields 2018. Jugalbandi: The Classicism Of Folk Fusion on 6 and 7 October 2018 at Nesco, Goregaon.

Tickets are available on BookMyShow, Insider.in and Livefiesta.