This be the BeatThis be the Beat

British Asian beatboxer Jason Singh8217;s first performance in India was not at a fancy auditorium and that suited him just fine. 8220;In 2006, I was a tourist travelling around Jaipur.

British Asian beatboxer Jason Singh returns to Rajasthan to look for that perfect beat

British Asian beatboxer Jason Singh8217;s first performance in India was not at a fancy auditorium and that suited him just fine. 8220;In 2006, I was a tourist travelling around Jaipur. I started beatboxing alongside some folk musicians at the City Palace, we were having a casual jam. It was amazing because people8217;s reactions were of shock and amazement that there were all these sounds coming out of my mouth,8221; says Singh, who subsequently performed professionally at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur. For the uninitiated, beatboxing is the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one8217;s mouth, lips, tongue and voice. Next month, Singh is one of the international artists performing at the annual festival in Jodhpur that counts Rolling Stone8217;s Mick Jagger among it8217;s official patrons.

But since his debut performance, Singh is neck-deep in collaborations with Rajasthani folk musicians and is manning an acoustic folk outfit called the Jodhpur Express. 8220;It is a developmental music project which aims to preserve, nurture and share, to a national and international audience the folk music of Rajasthan. The name is inspired from one of the tracks we produced called Jaipur Express, because it moved like a huge train making its way across the deserts of Rajasthan. It consisted of folk musicians Munshi Khan on vocals and harmonium, Dawoo Khan on Khartals, Kuttla Khan on Morchang, Manzoor Khan on Dholak and myself on Beatbox,8221; says Singh.

The project was initiated in November 2007 as a recording session at Morchang Studios in Jaipur. Supported by the Jaipur Virasat Foundation and the British Council, the idea behind the Jodhpur Express project is about creating music acoustically only. Singh asserts, the music has the quality and potential to go mainstream. He feels it would be a hit in international festivals and club venues, not just in concert halls. Singh self-confessedly enjoys collaborations as it enables him to express myself. 8220;I can create a dialogue with another human being regardless of their race, political views, language or religion by using the universal language of music and feel totally natural,8221; says Singh who will land in India in early October with British singer-songwriter/guitarist Bex Mather. Together, they will work together with a specially picked group of Rajasthani folk musicians. 8220;We will have just two weeks to meet, collaborate and create a performance which will become the basis of the Jodhpur Express album and tour,8221; says Singh. Book your tickets to the festival now for an evening of vocal and percussive jugalbundis, soaring vocals, beatboxing and percussion battles.