iWorld
Goa dives deep with immersive seaweed forest installation at Museum of Goa
MUMBAI: Goa is making waves without leaving dry land. From 24 to 30 January, the Museum of Goa will host Step into the Sea, a multi-disciplinary immersive installation that brings Goa’s little-known seaweed forests out of the water and into public view.
The installation offers audiences a rare chance to encounter one of the world’s oldest marine ecosystems. India is home to more than 800 known seaweed species, many forming dense underwater forests along its coast. In Goa, Sargassum seaweed forests bloom seasonally between November and March, quietly sustaining marine biodiversity while remaining largely invisible to everyday life.
Step into the Sea aims to change that. Conceptualised by The Good Ocean and Jolchhobi Collective, the project marks the first visual documentation of India’s seaweed forests. Using underwater cinematography, spatial soundscapes, projection mapping, live performance and narrative design, the installation recreates the sensation of swimming through a living seaweed forest off the Goan coast.
“Seaweed forests are among our oldest living ecosystems, yet they rarely enter public conversation,” says marine conservationist and The Good Ocean founder Gabriella D’Cruz. “This installation invites people to experience them not as abstract science, but as living systems that support our coastline and our wellbeing.”
The underwater visuals are led by filmmaker and cinematographer Nefertiti Titli of Jolchhobi Collective, with sound design by Pruthu Parab (Echologue) and immersive technology by creative technologist Priyanka Yadav (Poyo). Together, the team blends ecology with sensory storytelling, encouraging audiences to slow down and reconnect with the ocean as a living presence.
The installation opens on Friday, 24 January, with a ticketed live solo performance by Sushmit Sen, former lead guitarist of Indian Ocean. This marks the first public unveiling of the work, with tickets available on District.
From 25 to 30 January, Step into the Sea will be open to the public free of charge. The week will also feature free sessions including The Story of Seaweed, a series of storytelling events offering insight into the research, ecology and creative thinking behind the project.
By placing the ocean inside a museum, Step into the Sea bridges contemporary art, environmental research and public engagement making marine stories accessible well beyond academic or specialist spaces.
Step into the Sea runs at the Museum of Goa from 25 to 30 January 2026, 10 am to 6 pm. Entry is free.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
