NAAD – the annual inter-college music competition conducted by Dhwani-Music Club, BIT Mesra became one of the biggest music competitions of its kind in Jharkhand. With a series of exhilarating events and competitions, NAAD made its return from 13th-15th March, 2020. With a footfall of more than 1000 music enthusiasts, participants from various schools and colleges from all over Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad graced the hallowed halls of BIT Mesra.
Ecstasy resonated through the walls of the hall as the evening rife with a multitude of alluring and enthralling performances commenced in Shadaj, the grand opening. The mellifluous list of performances included Raag ‘Shudh Kalyan’, ‘Tum Hi Ho’ , ‘Cold Mess’, ‘Muntazir’ and many more. The night ended on a high note with the Acapella performance on songs like ‘Royals’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’.
Dhun, the first event for the second day was an instrumental battle between the participants. Students from various institutes participated in the event ‘Raageshree’- the classical singing competition. Each performance portrayed a unique culture. The melodies of Raag Kedar, Raag Bageshree and Raag Bihag created a euphonious vibe in the hall.
The flagship event of NAAD’20 – Mandra Mayhem Battle of Bands bound the audience to their seats as the bands showcased their talents while cultivating a diverse taste in music varying from songs like “Papercut” from the vintage rock band Linkin Park to “Choo Lo” from The Local Train. After an intense battle of euphonies and a series of vociferous melodies, the bands that earned the podium finish were:
1) Mantra from BIT Mesra
2) Plexus from BIT Mesra
3) Whiteboard from Gossner College, Ranchi
Maati, the regional singing competition, was a perfect blend of ritualistic folk music along with traditional expressions of music. Celebrating the rustic beauty of regional music, a plethora of performances followed.
The final night was graced and judged by Pandit Harvinder Kumar Sharma, Mr. Lalit Narang, Dr. Arvinder Singh, Mr. Shailendra Kumar, Mr. Suresh Kumar Gupta, Mr. Neeraj Kachhap, Mrs. Tapati Konar and Mrs. Alka Srivastavsa. The first two finalists of the various competitions battled it out to be crowned as the ultimate winner of NAAD’20. Following the prize distribution of the individual events, the excitement among the assemblage reached a fever pitch as it was time for the announcement of the overall winners. The winners of NAAD’20 were as follows:
1) Sanju Laguri from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi
2) Aparna Kumari from Women’s College, Ranchi
3) Siddhant Roy from Gossner College, Ranchi.