The Meghalaya monsoon music scene: how rain became a genre
From rain-themed albums to waterproof stages, Shillong's musicians have turned the wettest months into their season.
Shillong receives more than 11,000 millimetres of rain a year, and its musicians have long treated the monsoon as a collaborator — the rhythm section no one can silence.
A wave of ‘rain albums’ has formalised the love affair, and venues now build monsoon-proof stages with covered seating as standard.
‘The rain is not the enemy of the show,’ one producer said. ‘It is the opening act.’