Recalling Roots
My journey towards acquiring serendipity
A stringer is a person in a newsroom who strings together information in the build up to a story. Similarly our life stories evolve as a string of our experiences, leading us onto a path of self discovery, understanding and growth.
I had a grounded middle class upbringing in the quiet bylanes of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. I was groomed to develop a cultural grounding in my traditional roots, in a household steeped in musical nuances and traditions. It developed my identity as an artist and I saw the world through these lenses.
Like millions others in India, I left my hometown after graduation in search of better growth opportunities. Moving to bigger cities like Delhi and Mumbai was a cultural eye opener. I saw a sense of disconnect in my colleagues - born and bred in the metros - from their cultural roots. Everything, from the way people interact to the way festivals were celebrated, had a sense of manufactured homogeneity. And while I appreciated the world of opportunities that these cities provide, I couldn't help but notice the cultural disconnect that an urban existence creates.
Similarly I noticed a disconnect between the aspirations of people with a background similar to me and a lack of opportunities to fulfill them - primarily because of their location.
Meanwhile I continued working as an artist and a media/events professional in different creative organizations and projects.
I had an opportunity in 2016 to host a few European musician friends who were looking to perform in India. This gave me the chance to organise a music festival in Muzaffarpur, a novelty at that time there. It was well received and this instilled a thought - what if I could create a platform that could facilitate an exchange of ideas, thoughts, cultures and experiences across different strata of society. This formed the genesis of Recalling Roots.
As I started moving down this path, I had a chance to associate with a bunch of souls who I could resonate and find some common ground with.
As of today we are a motley crew contributing in our own way to build Recalling Roots into a platform that helps build bridges between people through culture.
If this story intrigued you, do satiate your curiosity by checking out our work.