EXCLUSIVE: ELECTRIC PEACOCK ON WHY MUSIC IS CRITICAL TO SRI LANKA
For those who have not heard the term before, music tourism refers to a lucrative industry where people travel to a new area in order to attend a music show or festival.The multiplier effect of this kind of tourism does wonders for the local economy.
“Music tourism is a very important factor in any country’s tourism marketing plan. That is why Leah and I have been working to create the Electric Peacock Festival as a music tourism product as we see it as a huge growth area for Sri Lanka,”saidTasha.
“It was the first timeTasha and I went to Glastonbury in 2008,” remembered Leah,“that we realized the huge potential of a music festival. 200,000 people descend to this small town to see music greats and new artists perform on one of the most prestigious stages in the world. Subsequently, I started to work at the Glastonbury festival and I could see everything that went into bringing the festival alive. This is what we hope to bring to Sri Lanka, an incredible performing arts and music festival, making it the best festival in South Asia.”
Both the Directors have had a bevy of experience in putting together live music events, from cross promoting music between London and Paris,working in the O2Arena,to working at some of the biggest festivals in the UK including Reading and Leeds,as well as Latitude.
They have brought this wealth of experience and knowledge to Sri Lanka and have used their contacts to bring some of the biggest artists to the island.This year, the Electric Peacock team has managed to secure the biggest artist to play in Sri Lanka yet, the British hip hop SuperstarTinieTempah.
“TinieTempah is one of the biggest and most current artists to play Sri Lanka,”statesTasha.“This hip hop legend really showed the world who he was when he closed the Olympic Ceremony in the Summer of 2012 and we are so thrilled to have him come play!”
The Electric Peacock Festival is set to take place on Saturday, April 27th 2013 and it is proving to be an epic event.The organizers have stressed that they want it to be an experience unlike any other in Sri Lanka and are encouraging people to dress up according to their theme of“Where the wild things are”.They have worked with AOD International Design Campus to create one of a kind monster installations and costumes that will decorate the festival grounds.They will also have a free costume box hosted by Friskybox, where attendees can get costumes and have their faces painted too! Ensure that you get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.They are available online at Anything.lk and can be purchased via Anything.lk outlets at their head office in Thimbirigasaya and Odel in Alexandra Place.