Taking a giant leap forward, the beatboxing art form, which has remained sheathed in the underground scene, is all set to come out of its shadow with a one of its kind festival the country will witness this December.
A dedicated carnival—the Indian Beatbox Festival for the subculture of hip-hop is scheduled in Mumbai from 15 to 18 December that will host live beatbox music, dialogues, workshops, and the Indian Beatbox Championship with other hip-hop acts.
While the championship has been happening since 2016, it would be the first time that music enthusiasts will witness a dedicated hip-hop festival lined up with terrific national and international talent.
The globally famed for their ‘out of the box’ beatboxing skills, finalists of America’s Got Talent, World Beatbox Champion 2018, the Berywam Crew has been roped into judge the participants in the championship. The best among the hustlers would get the opportunity to represent India at the World Beatbox Championship.
Berywam crew are immensely popular among hip-hopers for their unique skill of running a concert out of their mouths (beatboxing) without touching any musical instruments. The crew would also treat the audience to this act, which will be happening for the first time in India.
Apart from performances, the event would also deliberate on the journey, present scenario, and the road ahead for the beatboxing art form in the country. A wide range of panellists will lead discussions on topics like “The history and future of beatboxing”; “Beatboxing as an artform”; “Career in beatboxing”; “Beatboxing in India” etc.
For BBXINDIA, the organisers of the event, the festival is a step towards opening the gateway of the mainstream world for beatboxing, which is now coming out of the underground.
To make the momentum for this much-awaited event amid the beatboxing community, the organisers are on a multi-city tour with the latest pitstop at Delhi, Pune, Mumbai
“Music is something which can bring everyone together. Beatboxing as an artform is a part of hip hop culture, but it is transforming into a form of vocal music production. The IBF 2022 is going to bring multiple cultures together. People may belong to different states, countries and speak different tongues, but beatboxing unites everyone,” Raka Vee, founder of BBXINDIA, said.
At the end of the day, beatboxing is a conversation about music between people from different backgrounds and languages. The celebration of vocal music in India is an upcoming culture that is going to take over the music industry in the future, the organizer of the Indian Beatbox Festival added.
The music festival is for every hip-hop and music fan or follower or even those who are keen to know about contemporary culture. The aim is to make the community grow stronger and provide a platform for budding artists to hustle into the beatboxing area and established ones to gain greater exposure.