HT Bureau
DIPHU, Dec 26: The Diphu based band ‘Ambush’ from Karbi Anglong has bagged the first runners up of at the Melo Tea Fest, an open competition held at Darjeeling in West Bengal.
The Melo Tea Fest that began on December 22 concluded on December 24. The prize comprised of a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh and certificates.
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Chromatic, a band from Darjeeling was the winner and received a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh and certificates, while the second runners up was Guns from Countryside of Sikkim, which received a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and certificates. Members of the renowned band Parikrama were the judges for the competition.
Ambush performed two cover songs ‘Bull on parade’ of Rage Against The Machine (RATM) in the final rounds and ‘They don’t care about us’ of Michael Jackson. The band also performed its original number ‘Song against mob lynching.
The band consists of five members including the manager. They are the vocalist Risim Rongpi, Jitu Tokbi on bass guitar, Amarjit Bey on guitar, Deowinson Engti on drums and manager of the band Sarbong Tokbi.
The event was organised by the Darjeeling Police to showcase the cultural tapestry of the region. Special emphasis has been laid on music, tradition and the renowned Darjeeling tea.
The festival derived its name from combining “melody” and “tea,” paying homage to the musical and tea-making heritage of Darjeeling.
12 teams were shortlisted from among 75 entrants across Nepal, Kolkata, Shillong, Karbi Anglong, Delhi, Sikkim, and Darjeeling. Of the 12 bands, seven bands competed in the finals on December 23. They were Ambush, Chromatic, Guns from Countryside, Hamartia from Shillong, Mana, Mirik from West Bengal, Ek Cup Chai from Sikkim and Enchanter from Uttarakhand.
The band’s bassist, Jitu Tokbi said the band was formed in 2015 with five members.
“We have already won several competitions in the northeastern region and outside. We have won the first runners up in the 2017 Falcon Festival held at Umrangso and the Shi Rock competition in Manipur in 2018 and the second runners up in the National Rock Contest of the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland in 2018,” said Jitu Tokbi.
The band has also performed as the opening act during the Michael Angelo Batio, an American heavy metal guitarist’s visit in Diphu. The band also participated in the Sun Fire Rock Contest in Bangalore and broadcast videos on MTV Indies. The band also played at the MTV Indies Rhythm 8, Dwijing Fest in Udalguri and CIT in Kokrajhar.
Anbush will also perform in the golden jubilee celebration of the Karbi Youth Festival at Taralangso in January 2024.
