Desert Songs

The festival focuses on sub-genres of Rajasthani folk music fused with a foreign twist. On the cards is a variety of interesting combinations of Rajasthani folk,Indian classical,Baul,flamenco,sufi rock,indie-pop,gypsy-jazz,music from Tanzania as well as beat boxers among others.

“The festival will have a spiritual flavour this year. We plan to showcase the unknown musicians of Rajasthan as well as musicians who play rare instruments. These art forms will be presented through collaborations,” says Divya Bhatia,Director of Jodhpur RIFF. “The second feature of the festival is percussion. Most of the evening will be high-energy ones with a lot of percussion.” The festival is organised in collaboration with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation and Mehrangarh Museum Trust and has Mick Jagger and Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur as its patrons.

The Jodhpur RIFF will open with a Maand performance,to be followed by traditional vocals by Ashwini Bhide. Less known traditional forms of Rajasthan that will be showcased are nirgun bhajans by Jamuna Devi,a rudra veena performance by Ustad Bahauddin Dagar,Male Khan on the Nad and a recital by Pt Chandra Prakash,an exponent of haveli sangeet of the Nathdwara temple tradition. Says Dagar,“Rudra veena has always been a chamber instrument and playing it at the fort will be like coming full circle.” The highlight of the festival will be American multi-percussionist Pete Lockett,who will perform with 14 Rajasthani musicians. “Lockett will get together with musicians of Shekhavati in September to try new rhythms,” says Bhatia.

Foreign performers include Lahore-based sufi rock band Mekaal Hasan Band which will blend eastern classical music with 1970s jazz band style,Warszawianka,a 16-member folk dance ensemble from Poland,DJ Maga Bo from Brazil who will perform in India for the first time and is known for mixing different musical forms like dubstep,jungle kudiro and kwaito. There will also be the Zawose Family from Tanzania,and flamenco gypsy-jazz guitarist,Augustin Carbonell. A flamenco-kalbeliya dance collaboration will be presented at the finale.

The five-day festival will begins on October 21. For tickets visit http://www.jodhpurfolkfestival.org Contact 4651 7700

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