Music, art, environment: Echoes of Earth’s Goa edition draws 40 performing acts and 10,000 attendees

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 750 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery, world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

Echoes of Earth, billed as ‘India’s greenest music festival,’ wrapped up its debut Goa edition this month. Its most recent Bengaluru edition was in December 2023 (see our coverage here).

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With a mix of bands, DJs, art installations, and crafts market, there are also consistent messages about environmental sustainability, wildlife conservation, and circular design. For example, some of the installations are made from repurposed materials from prior editions.

Hand-painted signage is on repurposed cardboard and wood, and there is a strict no-plastics policy. Artistic themes this year included a celebration of the Western Ghats and Goa’s rich biodiversity.

Goa was also gearing up for its annual carnival the week after the music festival. See our coverage of the past three editions of the Serendipity Arts Festival as well, held every December in Goa.

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“Our maiden Goa edition had a cumulative footfall of over 10,000 attendees. Forty Goan, Indian and international music acts performed over the three days,” festival director and founder Roshan Netalkar tells YourStory.

The festival collaborated with local partners such as Goa Tourism, Goa State Biodiversity Board, WWF-India, and Reef Watch Conservation. This was underscored by the festival’s conceptual theme, Ensemble of the Wild.

The event had offerings for festivalgoers of all ages, including a special musical play area for children. Over the last six editions in Bengaluru, Echoes of Earth has hosted over 400 international and Indian music artists.

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International performers in Goa included Satori, Glass Beams, Oden & Fatzo, Batavia Collective, Garden City Movement, Space Dimension Controller, Tentendo, and Balkan Bump.

The lineup of Indian artistes featured Leaxan Freitas, Merak, The Elbows, Dualist Inquiry, Discokid, Boombay Djembe Folas, and Vairaagi. In Part II of our photo essay, we feature interviews with some of the Indian and international performers.

“Goa is the first state in India to launch a Regenerative Tourism Model,” says Suneel Anchipaka (IAS), Director of Tourism, Goa. It has promoted initiatives like Echoes of Earth due to its use of sustainable materials for infrastructural design and the environmental education messaging for children and adults.

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The festival featured over 20 installations on Goa’s fauna, made from scrap metal, recycled plastic, old tyres, e-waste, and other upcycled materials. They were crafted by artists such as Akshay Manjrekar (Tailless Whip Scorpion) and Yadhunandan (Praying Mantis and Olive Ridley Turtles).

The festival’s focus on uniquely crafted stages was outstanding, such as ‘The Kraken’ (Giant Pacific Octopus), ‘The Big Beak’ (Great Indian Hornbill), and ‘The Ghost’ (Horned Ghost Crab). They provided stunning backdrops to the performers by day and night, with spectacular lighting adding to the experience.

Though some concerns were expressed about loud music and bright lights disturbing birds and insects in the forest, Netalkar says there was adherence to all processes and permissions to host the festival.

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“We also installed decibel-level meters as per the Supreme Court’s order. We constantly monitored the sound level to ensure that all music played was well within the permissible limit throughout the festival,” he adds.

“Goa is home to rich ecosystems and biodiversity and a culture of international music and entertainment. It was the perfect destination for us to test the potential of the philosophy behind Echoes of Earth,” Netalkar signs off.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at the festival.)