Bhoomija Trust's 8th Jackfruit Festival To Feature 194 Young Musicians

The eighth edition of the Jackfruit Festival, an annual music festival dedicated to young musicians under the age of 16, is scheduled to take place from August 21 to 23 at the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts and the Indian Music Experience in Bengaluru. Organised by the Bhoomija Trust, the event brings together 194 children from diverse backgrounds across India.

Helmed in collaboration with the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts and the Indian Music Experience, the festival is directed by renowned singer and Padma Shri awardee Shubha Mudgal. Mudgal, who has been associated with the event for four years, curates the lineup with a focus on musical performance and education alongside her husband, percussionist Aneesh Pradhan.

This year’s schedule features several key segments, including Jackfruit Songsters, an ensemble production directed by Mudgal and Pradhan bringing together 150 children from across the country to perform popular songs. The segment will feature songs and mentorship by musicians including B Jayashree, Vasuki Vaibhav, Mohammad Muneem Nazir, Rajib Das, Dhammrakshit Randive, Asinta Asur, Roshni Asur, and Lata Kunjwal. For the first time, Songsters will also include a composition by Mudgal.

According to Gayathri Krishna, Managing Trustee of Bhoomija Trust, half of the children participating in Songsters are from underprivileged backgrounds. The initiative has also led to music classes becoming integrated into the regular curriculum at select Bengaluru schools that serve children with special needs, visually impaired youth, and students unable to afford music lessons.

The festival lineup also features Musicking into the Future, a platform showcasing child prodigies under the age of 14, and Kamaal Dhamaal, a performance helmed by Pradhan featuring 40 young percussionists from across India. A series of workshops and outreach programmes will accompany the main performances.