5X Festival: A Clairvoyant Retrospective
Written by Hashnain Patel
There’s a glow to 5x that’s nearly unexplainable. I’ve seen it recreated through half a dozen different rooms, and moments that left me transfixed at possibilities I left to simple contemplation. For it’s rare to find rooms dominated by my peers, South Asian, or otherwise where creatives, of all mediums can exist and discuss possibilities that were once out of our purview. Possibilities of poetry and prose that are our birthright, and a taste for music and dance that lies within our blood. In blending these mediums, and creating a moderated space for all to inhabit, Harpo and crew have curated an experience second to none in our illustrious city.
The atmosphere was dimly lit, smoke trailing as a last-minute sesh seeped into the room. The conversation was meditative as Ruby asked the crowd to pull out their journals, and question themselves, on the prompts projected onto the walls. Titled Desi-Futurism, the night befits its contemporary adage as we explored a wide gamut of science-fiction and questioned the possibilities of a future more in tune with our own. Outside the scope of a whitified sci-fi, that evokes a future without us. And this remains more important than ever, as what was once sci-fi, begins to blend into our reality. Changing the way we communicate, learn, and create. Ruby held a thoughtful air, as we were led along questions that we were meant to discuss with my favorite question remaining the final of the night. When asked, what would you posit to a future world, the conversation remained clear sighted. There were dozens of conversations occurring within the room, but in the small group I gathered with we discussed the notion of empathy, and kindness as the epicenter of all. That even in a future, none of us could truly fathom, without this guiding ethos, we were likely to fall into the same tribulation of hatred, envy and displacement our current reality is already plagued with. It was ultimately a great deal more hopeful than I expected, but as a fan of dystopian sci-fi, it remained a gentle reminder that hope is a facet we can control and create.
And that was the biggest tell of the night. Of the entire event mind, you. That 5X remains more than an outlet for the community. It acts as a harbinger of hope, for a future that can often feel devouring, as our lives and our times clash against our own wishes. It’s a heartfelt reminder that hope is at our fingertips but cannot be passively sought. It must be fought for, and won, through moments and connections that force us to realize a better future is within our hands.
The night featured one of Punjab’s rising stars, as Robyn Sandhu strolled across the small stage, singing, rapping, and speaking, on his life. Yet, his career didn’t start until he lived a six-month stint in Terrace, BC and eventually moved to Surrey, BC, where he began his rising career.
What was evident throughout the night, was that Robyn could have tripled that stage, or simply stood on a stool, and his echoing message would have reached every corner. He keenly reaches a blossoming audience born out of Surrey itself. Of expats, or migrants. Immigrants, or settlers, from a nation my lineage claims home. Of immigrants, striving for a life worth living, in a nation, often tenuous, in a time not kindly for strangers. Yet, they are not a silent majority, for its people will not subscribe to such limiting. And their voices, in part, are heard through Robyn’s own. Of longing for loved ones, an ocean across. A tale as old as the ancestors we claim lineage too, amongst seas we now cross in moments.
Of finding yourself amongst strangers, and little to no kin.
Of rebuilding a life, as those you cherish live their own.
And it was that balance I found so profound in Robyn’s work. And one that I explored in a recent work alongside Sevin Kasran, and our discussion on migration. It’s a selfishly driven goal to pursue something better, for yourself, or those you bring along. A wrenching sort of heartbreak that fractures, as calls become infrequent, and time continues its endless tread towards the great unknown. You watch your elders age in the span of decades, grainy video calls never truly fulfilling that itch. Infrequent visits, claiming further chunks as nostalgia dies in the face of modernism.
And yet, daunting horizons, unfamiliar or otherwise, are challenges, all must pursue. To remake a fractured community through the only way possible. To once again grow your roots and entrench them in others. Never easy, but art remains a vehicle for connections that would have otherwise been damned to eternity. And I saw that ten-fold over the course of the night. Strange, and beautiful conversations culminating in withdrawn conversations, at the edges of rooms, or those boisterous during a smoke break out front. Connections between, migrants old or new, Indian, or otherwise.
I’ll cut the rest of the show short, partially because, again. I didn’t understand anything. But I imagine if I did, it would have been twice as beautiful. Regardless, again 5X absolutely remains king of the slow and methodical event. More university seminars than parties, but all the more interesting for it. Yet, that doesn’t remain all that true, for the final 3 events of 5X created the cacophony I find so endearing about our cities.
I unfortunately wasn’t able to make the pride night, with a conflict I sorely couldn’t afford to miss, so here we are. A bozo, for not seeing the city alive, within a community that remains the city’s finest. Jams provided by the illustrious cast of @sikhknowledge, @biancamaieli, and the ever-dynamic duo of @lilindia_ set the soundstage. All the while Drag Queens’ @jolenequeensloan, @itsonlyra, and @nimratthedrag threw the party of the year, as passion, and pride fractured any notion of a patriarchal, or homogeneous imperative in art.
The final two events of 5X were the most interesting to me. Partially due to the number of faces and names, I was looking to reconnect with. As it’s rare for me to have a chance to kick it with the south Asian collective outside of the city’s festivals. And with Safe and Sound, quiet as a dead man, and FVDED looking like a nostalgic memory, I wasn’t too sure the city would get a chance to conglomerate this summer. Yet, 5X brought some of my favorite creators out of the woodworks and provided me with a deluge of new artists to sift through as I chased the finest our cities had to offer.
And what a day it was. It’s rare to find festivals in our barren landscape, but it’s telling when your favorite festival can’t sell enough pre-sales tickets… And how did 5X manage to get around that? Why not make the entire thing free?! Hosted at the Surrey Civic Plaza, the day fest featured a dozen vendors selling their south Asian Inspired wares, absolutely brimming with creativity, and talent across the board. Being sold a wood fired pizza by two Singhs, alongside a Fruiticana vendor handing out free slices of watermelon, I remember grinning at the spectacle.
Beginning early enough for parents, and kids alike to partake in the festivities, the early set fit perfectly with the beating pulse of the event. Because that was the shining characteristic of the night. It felt alive and joyous in times that often enforce the opposite. Where others go loud, and chaotic, 5X stuck to a harmony between its open-air venue, and the crowds that left the closely located SkyTrain, and explored the festival for sheer curiosity’s sake. A genius marketing move I saw pay dividends as phone calls quickly followed, and the numbers increased proportionally. Special shoutouts to @fiverrivers for their gorgeous pieces and having flown out from Atlanta to make the event. As well as @filmitrivia for the colorful Bollywood take on the trivia genre, and the dozens of post-cards I spent half an hour deciding between.
The bill featured half a dozen acts I’ve been loosely following for half a dozen years, so I was more than excited to see our people strut their shit. Some of the standouts of the night remained Born to Bangra, as they flew us through a collage of colors and moves leaving the crowd banging. DJ set of the night went hands to Tala aka. @talacollective for a half a dozen remixes I’ll be chasing for the rest of my days. They were percussive, and passionate, strumming sitars spearing through breakbeat tempos that kept my curiosity careening.
Yet, with nearly too many acts to name on a billing so unique that we are unlikely to see it recreated again, I have to cut my discussion down to a few of my favorites rather than all. This is by no means detrimental to any unnamed acts, but I’ll try to fit what time and length allows. All praise be to my guy kultargotbounce, whose presence is always a refreshing sight, and surrounded by a community he calls his own, the energy was insurmountable. Go stream his latest track Step while you’re at it, cause KGB and Shally Rehal got a heater. The MV’s a vibe too, so peep.
If I’m being honest, everyone was great, but God damn if Cartel Madras didn’t steal the entire show. The Calgarian duo have been making titanic waves across the country, before broadening their movement to a global audience. Whether it was their ever-echoing Goonda Gold, as they spit a razor-sharp verse, over a filthy, pulsating beat that drives the songs goonda veneer. I could have spent the afternoon headbanging to their tracks, but I’ll leave the rest up to my new favorite track of the night. MMM, brings the crashing and careening into the year with a rage filled sprint towards a final meeting with one’s maker. Hands up, crowd screaming, Cartel Madras absolutely massacred the 5X main stage and I couldn’t be happier.
Fuck, just starring at this massive wall of text makes me want to cut the rest short. Ill finish this portion off, as is.
5X Block Party needs to be a city staple. It touts all the lovable slogans of inclusion, and awareness, a hundred and one events shout in their mission statement, while living up to their own standards. It displayed a willingness to view our community as faceted, full of differing ideas, and inspirations, without attempting to constrain them to preconceived notions of what being desi means. Yet, I sensed such pride as I watched GM Harpo, and friends of the pubs, Vidursh and Sahil. Each in a panicked hurry as they flew through a dozen different tasks, between each of the crazed days. 5 days, 5 events, each curated to perfection, leaving me at a loss to its negligible faults. And here’s to the final night of the weeklong festivities
Waking up bright and early I trekked out of Vancouver proper and headed to Surrey Art Gallery. While less ostentatious than our own, the building was perfectly suited to the night’s activities. Featuring 4 distinct zones, the 5X art party filled the gallery with some of the finest contemporary work out of metro Van. And I mean finest. Brother at arms against the philistines of our time, Sahil Mroke, was the mind behind the moment. Featuring 4 central artists, Mroke balanced between the varying artistic genres impeccably. And so, I’ll be going through them all, no skips, or stutters. The first of the exhibits we walked in on, was ‘The Poets Baug,’ by multi-disciplinary poet and artist, Natasha Kianipour (aka. @natashakianipour).
The exhibition was aptly named as we stepped into an oasis of emerald plants, and frames fit with filigree. With half-a-dozen poems fitted onto the frames, beautifully wrought, and meant to be handled. To be opened and closed as each respective guest realized Kianipour’s artistic advent anew. If you were lucky enough to view the exhibit early enough, the smaller versions of each piece were available for the taking. And as Baldev says in the video below, shit, why not grab a couple and resell when the world catches up! The one I was fortunate enough to grab was titled, ‘Hurricane of Souls,’ and remains my favorite of the bunch. I’ll leave a tidbit for you here, but you should really check out Kiani’s work.
A glimpse into the eye of their soul
Rest in brief time for each other,
A gentle peace envelops them both
Familiar understanding beyond the mother
Drawing on the symbolism of Hurricane’s in describing a sanctimonious relationship, filled to the brim with a chaotic, heaven descending union, was impeccable. And as the plant life, and greenery echoed such a sentiment, the whole exhibit spoke of a groundedness I sorely needed.
Continuing, the next exhibit was profound in its simplicity. Nafsi’s exhibit, titled ‘Lost in Time, Found in Memories,” was a fascinating interpretation of how I define good art, and great art. Where good art speaks to an individual, the art I hold the highest, forces its viewers to question rather than simply be told. And Nafsi captured such an effervescent conception through a single beat, and a completely enclosed room. Where others may have used the space to create a legacy of their lives, Nafsi chose to use the space to highlight one’s own. The setup was simple, table covered in a dark cloth, and an ancient CD player to start the track. Without an explanation, I was left with my eyes closed, and a pair of headphones as my only companions. And as a listener who enjoys instrumentals, more often than a track with vocals, I thought the moment was perfect.
It was remarkably short, and yet I remember daydreaming about life, picking through moments, before landing on a specific memory I hold dear. I remembered glimmering water, seated around my family. Lounging in the sun, just reaching the precipice of my life. The waves languidly crashed against the ridge, as I stretched out beneath a glowing afternoon. And then it was over, my daydream cut short. I was back in that space, surrounded by others lost in the moment. And as the longing of more simple times called me back to the beats grip, I stepped out and thanked Nafsi for the reminder. One that bears repeating, as we live our lives, often in contrast to the past. Quick to forget moments of sublime, in a constantly echoing world, which leaves me dwindling between moments, rather than striving as my colors deserve. Whether Nafsi meant for all that to occur is up for the highest to decide, but regardless of their judgment, I think I understood what Nafsi was attempting to curate.
And that leaves the final two of the night. I’ve known Jamie for roughly as long as I’ve been cataloging our hollowed streets. He’s been a constant face, between events, or nights, as I saw him shooting a hundred and one moments. Yet, 5X, and specifically Mroke, allowed Jamie to explore a different facet of his creative work. Where the life of photographers and videographers are often kept out of the limelight, always second fiddle to that of the event, act, or times the coverage concerns, it’s rare to find speculative documentaries on a given artist’s life. Especially within an indie-space that cannot justify the expenses that often accumulate. And yet, we were treated to one such exception. As, rather than describe a journey, mystical, or incomprehensible, Jamie told a story that remains uniquely his. And the way in which art shifted his sense of self, shifted the way in which he attempts to solve the most fundamental question of all. Who Am I? And Like Zaro stated in his interview, it’s a constantly evolving quandary of love, and life. And the amazing facets in between. Facets that face censorship without an outlet, without an art to provide it structure and nuance. Hopefully Jamie decides to drop the full documentary one of these days, yet his Instagram provides enough of a taste to recognize the kid’s talent. And so, without attempting to dictate the entire documentary, I’ll leave it here.
The final quadrant of the Four Corners Exhibition was helmed by Ravina Toor (aka. @Ravinartoor) and exemplified my last and final point on 5X Fest. The originality of art that I saw displayed across the events of many landscapes was sort of startling. It’s rare for me to come across something wholly original in a world where genres, and stereotyping codify art. And within the new age of AI enhanced everything; as art continues to be viewed as a commodity made for mass-consumption, Toor’s use of ancient iconography, with repetitive mandalas, and filigree bordering’s offer a wholly unique experience. They feel timeless in their gorgeously wrought golds, and shades of brown, as if I had strolled through a Rajas gallery, before the turn of the century. It was uplifting beyond measure to see Sikhi faces donning elegantly painted frames, in which their lives were of the utmost importance.
Toor uses her art to personify the beauty within life itself. Portraying love, and kinship, yet also the nature of time’s movement, and its ever-present crusade against us. Of the dozens of images displayed in the exhibition, my utmost favorite is hands down ‘Do You See You?’ The work features a grid of artwork, with a mirror centrally placed, that forces its user to personify themselves within it. Of the several within the broader art piece, the two that stood out bracketed the centrally placed mirror. They featured two distinct scenes. One of an elderly woman climbing an ever spiraling set of steps, as a younger woman does the same. It’s a beautiful perspective, creating a sense of ever unfolding life. As the younger woman climbs, aging all the way, before the cycle continues anew. The second image bracketing the mirror provides a similar insight, as we watch an aged elder stand between a revolving door, juxtaposed by a younger man on the left. As a final point, Toor has quickly shown themself as one of the nations finest illustrators; able to curate and capture a profound set of ideals, and imagery through skills that are second to none. I hope to catch a larger gallery, as a quick peruse of her website displays dozens of similar works, which need to be viewed up close and personal.
And as this article ends, I know I missed a dozen different moments, and likely forgot twice that amount. Yet, I hope this article provides a detailed look at an event that stands unique in its approach and commitment. An approach that saw no artistic scope shunned or silenced. It held a gravitas of hope, which belied any discussion of a city going through quiet as the recession plagues everyone’s consciousness. It was an exuberant cry against the fog filled skies of our future, fascinating for its depth, and limitless in its potential. And I feel obligated to shout out the dozens of volunteers, crew, and performers I watched over the e week-long festivities. They made sure every event occurred smoothly and one time, two facets our cities often forget are instrumental to a festival’s legacy. And that’ll be the final, final note of this massive review/thanks/memorialization to 5X.
I want to. No. Need 5X to become a legacy event within our province. They do what others fear, in highlighting the best our people can offer. In providing spaces, and moments where we can congregate, and explore the dualities that provide our lives. Whether it was finally putting faces to the names I had been chasing since I started writing at the Ave, or simply basking in the brilliance of my peers, 5X Fest, and by extension 5X, provided hope above all else. That the dreamers that share the same tone as I do, won’t end up with dreams left to loiter and languish. A reality our parents were forced to accept. But as Author, and podcaster Kyle Bhawan once said, I’d be a waste of their struggles if we stopped striving.
And so, I bid, GM Harpo, and 5X a loving, Godspeed, for our dreams are in your hands, and our lineage yours to memorialize.