Role of Institutional Actors in Development of Independent Live Music Scene in Shillong: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The role of live music culture in a city’s cultural identity and tourism development has been a recurrent theme in academic fields from subcultural to urban studies for decades. Shillong, a colonial hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, is renowned for a unique music culture often headlined as the “Rock Capital of India” since the 1960s. While the city’s identity is rooted in this legacy, it has evolved into a diverse hub for genres ranging from blues and jazz to hip-hop, recently formalized through state initiatives like the Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP). While the development of this scene is influenced by history, language, and social values, the role of specific institutional actors in nurturing these cultures during their nascent stages is often overlooked. Using archival research and critical analysis, this paper explores the transcendental effect of the Church, individual musical icons, academic institutions such as MLCU, and commercial venues. It argues that these actors function as a collective ecosystem, bridging the sacred and secular to shape the contemporary identity of the music scene in Shillong.