The film industry brings life, culture and art to our eager eyes. It has given us so many emotions and beautiful storylines as well as songs to cherish since its inception. The only time that we, as an audience, can give it something back is through our active involvement in events that celebrate this industry- such as film festivals. Film festivals are a vital link in the chain of global film culture. Such festivals encourage and create a dialogue between people reaching out to not just the regional but an international audience.

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in all of Asia. The festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of the film art; contributing to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos, and promoting friendship and cooperation among people of the world. In 2017, the 48^th edition of the IFFI which was organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government in collaboration with the Government of Goa was concluded in the presence of some greatly renowned and distinguished celebrities such as Shri. Amitabh Bachchan Ji. The highlight of the event, however, was our very own Papon’s performance.

The closing ceremony held on the final day began with Papon’s performance and he completely rocked it by including not only his Bollywood hits but a few of his well-known Bihu numbers too. According to various onlookers, people enjoyed his folk-fusion music more than anything since it has a certain vibe to it which is rarely seen these days. This Rockstar’s mesmerizing performance completely swayed every single person present at the event including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and all the Senior Union Cabinet Ministers. A number of foreign delegates who were present at the event also enjoyed Papon’s performance which was clearly evident from their visible excitement. IFFI Goa later, through their official Twitter handle tweeted,” Singer @paponmusic set the stage on fire with his folk-fusion music at #IFFI2017 Closing Ceremony.”

Papon is widely acclaimed for the beauty with which he gives all his songs a slight touch of folk and the ease with which he gets such notable variations in his voice. At the event, he also engaged with the crowd and explained the meaning of his Bihu songs to develop a feeling of knowingness and make it easier for them to relate to what he was saying. He also said that he wants to promote folk music among today’s youth as India has such a rich cultural diversity that it needs to be passed down to as many generations to come as possible.

Papon is definitely one artist who believes in retaining originality and our rich cultural heritage instead of following stereotypes and incorporating new music that appeals to the masses, just for the sake of it. All we really need right now is more such artists!

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

As a singer, your only instrument is your vocals, which you will only want to accentuate as much as possible. This is why it is extremely important that when you are performing or recording music, you work with good musicians or artists who are going to accompany your vocals with their musical instruments at the same level and highlight your voice to its fullest potential. A ‘good band’ doesn’t just mean that it is technically experienced or advanced, obviously that is important, but the most important factor is the compatibility between various band members and how they work together as one.

One such band that has gone down to become an absolute favourite among people in a mere span of few years is ‘Papon and The East India Company’. It is an electric folk-fusion band from New Delhi, which was formed by the singer himself in 2007. The band, now based out of Mumbai, comprises of Papon (vocals, guitars), Jeenti (guitars), Brin (live electronica), Aakash (bass), Kirti (World percussions), Birinchi (keys) and, Tanmay (drums). The band has performed at many major festivals such as NH7 Weekender, Oktoberfest in Bangalore, Eastwind festival, SAARC music festival in New Delhi, MAD fest Ooty, Storm Fest, Windsong Goa, etc. They have also performed on an international level with Sutasi in Singapore. The band is a much-appreciated live act together the gig circuit in the country today.

Papon and the East India Company also performed at the du World Music Festival in Dubai recently. The festival also saw performances by other prominent artists from across the world such as Italian singer-song writer Andrea Bocelli, Australian Jazz Fusion Guitarist Frank Gambale, GRAMMY Winner Natalia Cole, famous American rock band Guns & Roses and also Indian bands as Raghu Dixit, Soulmate etc. In January 2014, the band gave three live performances at the prestigious Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland. The very same year in July, Papon and the EIC also toured the United States and performed 2 gigs in New Jersey and 1 gig in San Francisco. Other than these, during October- November 2014, the band toured Europe performing three shows in the Netherlands, followed by a performance at the prestigious Dom Omladine in Belgrade, Serbia.

Today, the band is only getting better at what they do with each passing day and has managed to develop a loyal fanbase throughout India as well as abroad. Papon, as the creator of the band, hopes that they continue to win people’s hearts with their unique music and undying team spirit. He also wishes to take the band at many more places in the world to perform as well as learn new things from different artists they encounter during these gatherings. The band is all for music so it wishes to experiment and come up with new sounds that appeal to the present- day audiences.

We hope that the band keeps rocking and conquering us like it always has. To many more amazing performances and achievements of ‘Papon and The East India Company’, signing off as of now!

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

Today, reality TV shows have become a vital source of our entertainment after the never-ending era of daily soaps. They have played a very important role in making celebrities out of ordinary people. Audiences were introduced to a host of hidden talents that they never thought existed in the country. We see real people performing daredevil stunts or showcasing their skills. Viewers come to know about them and appreciate their performance. In addition, reality TV stars become very popular within a very short period of time. They do not need any Godfather to become successful in the show biz but use their talent to achieve success.

One of the biggest positive effects of reality TV shows is that they address numerous social issues and introduce people to the ills plaguing the society. For instance, they have played a very important role in enhancing women empowerment in society. With active discussion on various television forums, reality shows have made people more aware of what is happening in their vicinity.

One of the most popular youth-based reality shows today is MTV Roadies. Ever since its inception, this show has been soaring on the popularity charts. It first aired in 2003. In the show, a group of contestants travel to different destinations and participate in various tasks that challenge their physical and mental strength. During the course of the journey, there are vote outs, vote ins, eliminations and game changing twists. Eventually the contestant who manages to survive vote outs and succeed in the final task is chosen as the winner. The show has enjoyed relative success among the youth and with a 16-year history, it is one of India’s longest running shows.

In 2013, the 10^th season of MTV Roadies came out. The season’s theme song was sung by none other than the super talented and extremely versatile- Angaraag Mahanta, commonly known as Papon. The singer who stole the hearts of millions with his voice in ‘Jiyein Kyun’– the song that got him recognition in Bollywood, had now created a rage with Jajabor, the theme song for MTV Hero Roadies X, so much so that the song managed to get 56,000 plus hits on YouTube within a short span of 6 days and the number only seemed to be multiplying with every passing day.

Jajabor is an Assamese word for ‘yayavar – a Traveller’, a person who travels through new destinations by creating new roads where none exist. The song is about being free from mental boundaries and stale thinking, striding with confidence towards a new destiny. Papon’s voice in the song is charming as ever and he manages to capture people’s hearts with as much ease. He has proved time and again that his versatility is beyond comparison.

We are absolutely in awe of the singer and love every single composition of his, how about you’ll? #papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

When someone who is unfamiliar with the genre, hears the term “classical music,” what usually comes to mind is any purely instrumental music written before the 1950s. What other terms typically come to mind? Today, young peoples’ connotation of classical music is something along the lines of “old fashioned”, “irrelevant”. However, a lot of artists and musical platforms are aiming towards persuading the general public, specifically young adults, that “classical music” is not irrelevant, and it still matters because it has the ability to add aesthetic and emotional value to the human experience.

One such international manifesto of cultural exchange, originating from Bangladesh is Gaanbangla’s ‘Wind of Change’. It is currently the most diverse musical fusion platform in the World! It brings talented musicians from across the globe collectively on one stage to create musical masterpieces. This noble concept symbolizes that the world is one through the sync of soul and achieving universal peace is not just a cliché.

Papon has been associated with the music show for a long time now and the creators recently launched its 5^th season. He has sung a number of songs in the show even in the past few seasons. After winning the audience’s hearts with his first song ‘Orey Neel Doriya’ for the 1^st episode of season 5, his second song ‘Aaj Ei Bristir Kanna Dekhey’ released recently and both the songs took his Bangladeshi fanbase by storm. The first song managed to get a lot of praises from artists and audiences all over the world. It starts with a beautiful instrumental tune by other prominent artists playing alongside Papon and has got a classical feel to it. This song has added another feather to Papon’s hat of achievements.

Papon recently tweeted from his official Twitter handle, “Okay here it is! My first song of the first episode!” As soon as the tweet came out, fans went gaga over his magical voice in the YouTube video shared alongside in the tweet. The video has managed to get over 1,00,000 views in a mere span of 2 days. According to various reviews posted by a number of people, not just in Bangladesh but India too, the song manages to capture one’s soul due to Papon’s flawless voice and the simplicity with which he carries out such complicated classical transitions.

Papon has been known to spread positivity everywhere he goes and is believed to be one of the most affectionate people in the Indian film industry by his friends and acquaintances. He spreads love everywhere he goes. In a recent interview, he said that it was an absolute pleasure working in collaboration with such prominent artists from all over the globe and that he has learned a thing or two from each one of them. He hopes that life keeps blessing him with many more such opportunities so that he can take Indian folk music at an international platform and spread its beauty across cultures.

We absolutely love Papon’s spirit and hope that he keeps making our country proud at many more such events in the future. He has gone down to become one of our favourite artists in the industry, how about you’ll?

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

Angaraag Mahanta, more commonly known as ‘Papon’ is a multi-faceted talent. A singer, composer and producer who can play a number of instruments, this artist from Assam shot to fame when one of MTV’s most famous musical series ‘Coke Studio‘ came calling, and when he gave India its new hit track of all-time ‘Jiyein Kyun’ for the movie ‘Dum Maaro Dum‘. The new-age star of the Assamese folk-fusion scene now keeps shuffling between independent music and a Bollywood career where he has had many hits such as ‘Moh Moh Ke Dhaage’, ‘Kaun Mera’, and ‘Kyon’. But his success hasn’t been something as easy as a cakewalk. It took complete determination, hard work and most importantly- an undying passion- to become one of the most sought-after voices in India. Let us look at a few inspiring facts about Papon that truly prove that he is a music legend in the making.

• He experiments and sings versatile songs

Though rooted in folk and classical Indian music, the singer-composer’s repertoire includes many other genres such as rock, jazz and folktronica beside regular Bollywood music. Apart from Assamese, he has also sung in a variety of other languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali and Mishing.

• He can do more than just singing

It isn’t just the singer’s soulful voice that captivates listeners, but also the magic he creates while simply interacting with the crowd or playing different instruments including the table, guitar, khol and harmonium. He absolutely loves experimenting with different sounds and it is more than visible in his compositions.

• He has his own band

In 2007, Papon started his own electronica folk fusion band named ‘Papon and the East India Company’. They have performed at various music festivals across India. Other than the lead singer himself, the band includes a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, a keyboardist and a world percussionist. The band has performed live at many events both- within the country as well as outside of it on international platforms.

• He can act as well

In 2014, Papon made his acting debut with the Assamese film ‘Rodor Sithi’, directed by highly acclaimed theatre artist- Baarul Islam. In an interview once, the singer had said that facing the camera was always his first choice as he is greatly fascinated by the idea of playing a completely different person on-screen.

• He is all for new music

Papon does not believe in the idea of genres since there is so much overlapping happening these days. He has also been a constant part of MTV’s Coke Studio which happens to be an Indian music television series that combines myriad musical influences from Carnatic, Hindustani and Indian folk to contemporary rock, hip hop and pop music.

Apart from all these things, Papon is an amazing human being and has been associated with a number of social causes such as the Assam River Dolphin Conservation Project, Mission Smile and Assam Flood Relief. We surely love Papon for the extremely humble and down-to-earth person he is, how about you?

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

In a society focused on the latest technology, dance crazes, and what is trending on social media, it is easily understood why so many believe the art of classical music is in many ways irrelevant. However, with more music being produced in today’s era than ever before, and with many artists drawing inspiration from classical pieces, this old art form is long from dead. Over the centuries, classical music has transformed itself to become a building block, setting the framework for musicians of all types today.

Though the roots of music are important, classical music’s reach extends farther than just a single phase in music’s evolution. In fact, many popular artists in today’s music industry have a close relationship with classical music. A large portion of today’s musicians grew up playing some sort of classical instrument such as the guitar, piano or violin because reading music is such a transferable skill in the music industry. The relationship between modern and classical music is rightly shown in many artist’s works today since they have either used or adapted it. One such artist who is loved at an international level for the fusions he creates in his music and his strong folk classical background is none other than our beloved Papon.

Papon has been associated with the Bangladeshi music show ‘Wind of Change’ for a long time now and the show recently launched its 5^th season. Papon has sung a number of songs in the show even in the past few seasons. After winning the audience’s hearts with his first song ‘Orey Neel Doriya’ for the 1^st episode of season 5, his second song ‘Aaj Ei Bristir Kanna Dekhey’ released recently and took his Bangladeshi fanbase by storm. The song starts with a beautiful instrumental tune by other prominent artists playing alongside Papon and has got a classical feel to it. This song has added another feather to Papon’s hat of achievements.

Papon recently tweeted from his official Twitter handle, “Here is my second song from Wind of Change season 5. Singing with magicians all around! Marco Minnimen’s entry into the song, Anton’s Bass, Arshad Bhai’s Esraj, Bapi Da’s subtle touch and Taposh you are a dreamer!!” As soon as the tweet came out, fans went gaga over his magical voice in the YouTube video shared. The video managed to get over 42,000 views in a mere span of 12 hours. According to various reviews posted by a number of people, not just in Bangladesh but India too, the song manages to capture one’s soul due to Papon’s flawless voice and the simplicity with which he carries out such complicated classical transitions.

We aren’t surprised with the song’s success even one bit, any guesses why? It is Papon after all! It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he was born to rule people’s hearts. We eagerly await the release of his songs every single time, irrespective of the language he sings them in. How about you?

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India #musician

Assam, which is one of the biggest states in the north-eastern part of India has an undying spirit- be it heavy rainfall or the floods that follow- the people of Assam never let any such barriers come in their way when it comes to celebrating their culture, which happens to be their pride. One such example was when the state had recently faced extremely heavy rainfall but even that couldn’t dampen the people’s spirit of celebrating the ‘Namami Brahmaputra River Festival’ which is the biggest river festival of India.

In 2017, the well-known Assamese and Bollywood singer- Papon composed an anthem for the debut edition of Namami Brahmaputra- which is also being touted as the best song ever made for a river festival. The song has been sung by a number of celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Vishal-Shekhar and Arijit Singh. Papon had also invited Amitabh Ji to visit Assam. In a tweet, he wrote,” Humbled by your gestures my lovely music fraternity and Amitabh Ji. Please come to Assam soon. Forever grateful!” The five-day long festival celebrates Assam’s rich culture, art, and heritage. ‘Namami Brahmaputra’ was released by Assam’s chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati that year itself.

Papon, who has made a place for himself in Bollywood with his heart-touching tracks such as ‘Kyun’, ‘Jiyein Kyun’, ‘Kaun Mera’ and ‘Zindagi Aisi Waisi’, in an interview, said that he specifically wanted the song to have a quintessential flavour of Assam. He said in a statement,” Like the mighty and grand Brahmaputra, I wanted the song to reflect those qualities. Consciously, I also wanted to showcase the Vaishnavite classical music system and used ‘bol’ using the khol (drum-like instrument made of terracotta, usually played to accompany devotional music)”.

More interestingly, it was Papon’s idea to involve Bollywood celebrities in the initiative. He said that the Government of Assam had asked him to compose the theme song for the festival that celebrates the Brahmaputra and since the very objective of the festival was to showcase Assam, he felt that if the song was sung by singers from all over the country, it would have a far wider reach. Papon later also made an Assamese version of the river song in which he worked with a generation of singers right from his own mother Archana Mahanta to Rupam Bhuyam who was the youngest singer of the lot.

Papon’s love for Assam and his people has been reflected in his compositions time and again. Even today, after receiving an immense amount of success and appreciation for his work in Bollywood, he hasn’t left Assam. He makes it a point that he performs in Assam at least once a month along with his band, or simply visits his hometown there. His simplicity and love for his region is truly breath-taking. We surely need to learn a thing or two from him!

#papon #music #singer #Scams #news #Controversy #Bollywood #India