The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, often dubbed the 'Festival of Festivals,' continues to be a confluence of cultures, bringing together artists and traditions from across the globe. This year, the 25th edition of the festival, saw Mari Mathias and Gareth Bonello, two celebrated proponents of Welsh folk music, blend their country's rich heritage with the diverse traditions of India. Roots of the journey: From Wales to Nagaland Mari Mathias, who is in her early twenties, began her journey as a folk musician in a childhood rooted in rural Wales.
She was raised by creative and artistic parents who nurtured a passion for music and cherished all genres of good music. “I was introduced to the sounds of folk from an early age..
. memories of playing records from legendary and inspirational artists like Tim Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and many more, whom I listened to early in my childhood, sparked my passion for storytelling through music,” she says. Gareth Bonello, who is in his early forties, began in Cardiff with classical piano and cello lessons.
As a teenager, he became obsessed with rock music and taught himself to play acoustic guitar, performing at open mic nights around Cardiff before eventually graduating to live gigs in the city. “My influences were guitar players like Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt, Ernest Ranglin and jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Later, I became fascinated by folk music a.