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Vinyl cocktail lounges, DJ takeovers at bars and ticketed cultural events have all been crucial to preserving the heavy frequency of Delhi’s independent tunes. But I’ve found myself wishing there was more to the conversation about ‘reviving’ analogue music culture.
Well, today and tomorrow, Gully Labs is teaming up with the crates-and-wax purists at Pagal Records to throw something of celebration – one of reggae music, in all its cobbled, drawling, light-headed glory, over a proper sound system, beating through a coffee-shop-dotted stretch in Panchsheel Park.
For free. No dress code, all day, until 9 at night. Walk in, out and around, nod your head, perhaps strike a conversation with someone, grab a drink or bite, come back – nothing timebound or exclusive. That’s pretty much the idea. They’re calling it, adorably, Little Sounds.
Why you should go
The line-up’s Qila Sound System (all of their hands on deck), Plantation Sound, and what the organisers call the Special Big Sound Entry – Delhi Sultanate. They're all extremely experienced with curating reggae. While you’re around in Panchsheel, there’s several spots to check out other than Gully Labs: like the very calming Planterie, Beanly for pick-me-ups, and the Barista Training Academy which does rotating menus. All walkable in under a minute.
Wait, what’s reggae?
Yes, Bob Marley’s genre, if that’s the name that popped in your head. Born in Jamaica during the late 1960s, it evolved out of older genres like ska and rocksteady. At its core, reggae is defined by a ‘one drop’ drum beat and a somewhat hypnotic bassline that locks you into a groove. Really, though, it’s anchored by a sense of community.
When: June 12-13, both till 9pm
Where: Gully Labs, Panchsheel Park