Since launching three years ago the three-day annual Covelong Point Classic Surf and Music Festival, organised by TT Group and EarthSync in association with the Asian Surfing Championship and the Surfing Federation of India, has grown exceptionally well. At the recent edition of the festival, which is the first ever Asian Surfing Championship in India, cricketing legend Jonty Rhodes was in attendance as the official surf ambassador. It featured a national and an international level surf competition, a yoga and meditation festival, a diverse music line-up with three stages, evening film screenings, and a vast variety of beach side activities.
The festival took place from 18th to 20th September, 2015 in Covelong village near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The music festival at this edition had three stages – the Beach Stage, The Yoga Stage, and the IndiEarth Open Stage, each with its own exclusively designed festival atmosphere. Musicians like T.M. Krishna, Skrat, Mahesh Vinayakram, Dualist Inquiry, Swarathma, Mounawar, Oikyotaan, The Nagore Boys and others, were amongst the performers at the festival. The music festival was programmed by a series of world, roots, organic sounds with acts from around India and the world.
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Talking to Radioandmusic.com, TT Group CMD Arun Vasu and EarthSync founder and CTO Yotam Agam spoke about the festival and how it turned out so huge.
Excerpts:
What made you go all out with the planning this time?
Yotam Agam: This is the first time India is hosting the Asian Surfing Championship which is a huge step for surfing in India. The festival has also expanded this year to include three music stages – the Beach Stage right next to the ocean, the IndiEarth Open Stage – an experimental stage that we opened up for all artists interested in performing – and the Yoga Stage, an ethereal space for some beautiful music. With each edition we see the festival growing bigger and bigger – it is exciting.
Arun Vasu: It is also exciting to see Tamil Nadu and Covelong Point quickly emerging as the surfing meccas of India. We have been working in the village for years to encourage the sport of surfing, also to provide business opportunities for the local community to help the community develop and grow economically. Surf tourism can bring positive change – that should be the direction that surf tourism takes in India. And we hope to keep developing this with each coming year of the festival.
How many people were expected at the festival?
Yotam Agam: The first year we had 3000 people, the next year we had 8000 people and this year we were looking forward to even more.
Tell us about the various activities around the festival?
Arun Vasu: We had a lot of activities happening around the festival out on the beach – kayak races, Catamaran races, beach volleyball tournaments, water gun fights, slack lining, surf lessons, yoga workshops – a lot of fun activities in addition to the festival and the music.
The festival has grown over years, so what would you say about the challenges, then and now?
Yotam Agam: For us, the challenge has always been funding – it is tough to put something of this scale together privately year after year, and we face that challenge consistently. We are so grateful to everyone who supports the festival and the cause, helping us bring it alive every year – and we hope to have more support in the coming editions.
What did this edition of Covelong offer to the sponsors?
Arun Vasu: Every year, we have a lot of visibility both on the national and international scale, and worldwide media is supporting our initiative and the Covelong cause – we are lucky having sponsors on board who support our vision and what we are trying to do.
There were many unique things at this edition. Which was the most special according to you?
Arun Vasu: There were so many special things about this festival. This was our third edition, and Jonty Rhodes joined us again at the festival as the official surf ambassador. Arya, the actor, also joined us at the festival, and we have international surfers participating from different corners of the globe – from countries including Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Spain, Japan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Yotam Agam: This year we introduced a series of new festival concepts as well, including the Yoga Shala – a peaceful space that will offer yoga, meditation, dance and art workshops to the general public. We have a holistic approach to the festival, bringing together everything we are passionate about – surfing, music, yoga – all into one space.
