Cherry Blossom 2024 | Day 1 | From 'Heer Ranjha' to 'Lonely' to 'Daddy Cool'

By Kenny Jyrwa

Shillong, Nov 16: From tears to laughter, from anger to joy and from revisiting the 2000s to returning to the 1980s, every emotional shift was experienced by those who attended Day-1 of the highly anticipated Cherry Blossom 2024 music festival at Madan Kurkalang in Ri Bhoi District on Friday.

At the start of the day, Cherry Blossom attendees, filled with joy and excitement, faced a dim moment as their excitement was dampened by a two-to-three-hour traffic jam from Shillong to the venue, which is just 34.5 kilometers away. The traffic snarl was significant, but it was inevitable given everyone’s eagerness to attend and listen to the sensational R&B superstar — Akon.

Yes, everyone might have felt annoyed, but once inside, that frustration was washed away by the festival’s vibrant atmosphere, which was bigger and better than last year and the years before. The initial disappointment faded, replaced by the festival’s spirit and all anger turned into joy.

The festival was flooded with attendees from all parts of the Northeast, all over India, and even from abroad.

Speaking to Hub News, a couple from the country’s capital, New Delhi, said, “It feels great and matches—if not surpasses—our expectations. The stalls and the bands are fantastic; it’s overwhelming.” Her husband added that he was there for Akon, Queen Sensation, and Boney M, noting that the festival was very refreshing: “Coming from Delhi…we can really breathe here.”

The festival was truly refreshing, as Day 1 was packed with exciting headliners. Rito Riba, the singer from Arunachal Pradesh, welcomed all attendees with his soulful song “Heer Ranjha”. But when Queen Sensation began with “Bohemian Rhapsody”, who could still remember the traffic jam? No one. Everyone—young and old—stood and sang at the top of their lungs, hitting every note and every line. Just amazing. Queen Sensation, a cover band of Queen, made the late Freddie Mercury proud with the crowd’s energy at Madan Kurkalang. However, the crowd attended the festival primarily for one man—the legend himself, who has the power to make a happily married man cry out in tears and sing “Lonely”.

Akon, originally scheduled to perform on Day 2, had to move his performance to Day 1 due to some unavoidable circumstances. Yes, he is the ‘Konvict,’ the sole reason for the traffic congestion in Shillong—we can all “put the blame on him”.

For someone from Shillong—who doesn’t know Akon?

Back in the day, everyone wanted to be like him, to dress like him. His songs were played in every house, every vehicle—hit after hit. Akon is part of everyone’s childhood (for those 90s kids).

He gave an incredible performance on stage, taking everyone down memory lane. After his performance, many people left the venue, thinking the show was over for the day.

But those from the 1980s and 1990s stayed a little longer. Their eyes lit up, their faces filled with excitement as their once-favorite, “Daddy Cool,” hit the stage from the legendary band Boney M.

Even though the band only had half an hour of performance time, every second, every minute of that half hour was worth it. No one was sitting—everyone was on their feet, grooving and dancing.

“Rasputin” had everyone dancing, but who would have thought that every single person in the crowd would be dancing with all their hearts to “Rivers of Babylon”? It just goes to show that a band of some 60-year-olds still has the energy to captivate. It was truly amazing.

The journey home for the festival attendees was also memorable.

While it took 2 hours to get there, it took over 4 to 5 hours to return home. The highway was packed; no one could move—not even the VVIPs. Everyone had to sit and wait in the long lines of traffic.

But that is what makes the festival memorable—the one music festival that people will talk about for days, months, or even years.

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Manipur transfers Jiribam violence cases to NIA amid concerns

NEHU stalemate continues: Prof. N Saha takes over as Acting VC, students to continue hunger strike