Scales are grand in Rajasthan. The weather is extreme and so are ways of life: the royalty on one end of the spectrum; tribal farmers living hand-to-mouth on the other. But the Maharajahs of this desert state have been legendary patrons of the arts. Every October since 2007, that lineage is reflected at the Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival (J-RIFF), hosted at the breathtaking Mehrangarh Fort looming high above in Jodhpur city. An initiative of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (JVF) and the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, the five-day festival is aimed at preserving Rajasthan’s heritage and its rich folk culture.
With collaborations between Rajasthani folk musicians and international artistes being the focal point — this year’s big names were British-Tamil neo-soul diva Susheela Raman, world percussion maestro Pete Lockett and Brazilian DJ Maga Bo, along with local legends like manganiyar singers Chanan Khan and Pempe Khan, Gulam Hussain’s qawwali troupe, percussionists Chugge Khan and Nathu Solanki, among others — J-RIFF 2010, held from October 21-25, offered an exciting blend of sounds in a stunning setting.
Day 1
The mood of the first day leaned towards the traditional, with Maand artistes Ali Mohammad, Pt. Chirenji Lal, Moinuddin Khan and Zaffar Khan opening the 2010 festival and a soul-stirring performance from Jaipur-Atrauli khayal exponent Ashwini Bhide. A colourful polka dance by the Warszawianka dancers of Poland concluded the evening.
Day 2
While a silver moon set behind the royal crematorium at Jaswant Thada, the golden glow of the dawn sun slowly stirred the Blue City into life with bhajans and spiritual poetry by Jamuna Devi and Mali Devi, from Charanwasi village, Shekhawati. Called the Dawn Devotional, these 5.45am recitals offered a fitting start to the day; a magical witching hour of music that set the mood for all that followed.
Daylong activities included fort festivities where one caught glimpses of folk music and performing arts at the Mehrangarh fort. Percussion plays a pivotal role in the Rajasthani folk music and the festivities showcased the hourglass-shaped derun (akin to a talking drum with similar pitch modulating principles), the bhapang (akin to a khamak but double-barelled), the chang, usually played on Holi in Shekhawati, the large clay pot-like maante, the nagara (played with sticks) and of course, the ubiquitous dholak. The fort festivities also showcased artistes performing on the rare mashak, the Rajasthani counterpart of the bagpipe, while performing arts like the ger martial art dance, the balancing act called the chhatar kotli, the bahurupiya and the kachhi ghodi (which literally translates into ‘false-horse rider’) bloomed in a riot of colours, movements and music. The Kalbeliya, followers of Lord Krishna and wandering performers known as snake-charmers and jugglers, added excitement to the festive mood.
The Meghwals of Marwar ushered in the dusk with the Sunset Devotional at Jaswant Thada – yet another performance that set the tone for the moon-soaked evening. At Moti Mahal in the fort, in the first of the Living Legends series of recitals, Manganiyar ladies Rukma, Akla and Dariya sang to a small audience. Manganiyar women are barred from performing in front of men or in public; Rukma Devi was expelled from the community when she flouted that tradition. When she began to receive acclaim from all over Rajasthan, she was joined by her sister Akla and their childhood friend Dariya Manganiyar. The stained glass doors of Moti Mahal were thrown open to the audience to witness a performance that seeped soul in every note sung and played.
With Pakistani draw Mekal Hasan Band’s participation cancelled at RIFF 2010, it was left to Susheela Raman to light up the main stage at the Old Zenana courtyard. With hubby Sam Mills on guitar, Georgie Pope on harp and a band of Rajasthani folk musicians including Rana Ram on narh, Gopal Ram on the algoza flute, Chanan Khan on the folk sarangi called kamayacha and Nathu Solanki on nagara, Susheela – dressed in black and flaunting a cape with a blood-red inlay – was in her element from the word go. She started with two devotional songs that did justice to her raspy husk of a voice before launching into the raucous chorus of Murguan vail, joined by the vocalist/percussionist duo of Chugge Khan and Kutle Khan. Under the silver moon, the chant in Tamil to Lord Murugan – sung with surprising conviction by Susheela’s Rajasthani band – underlined the collaborations that RIFF 2010 was all about. Kutle Khan was exceptional on the bhapang; Chugge Khan sang his heart out and both played the morchang and wooden kartal (akin to Spanish castanets) with a fluid brilliance. The surprises didn’t end there: Susheela was joined on stage with the eight-member qawwal party of Gulam Hussain. Rendering songs in praise of Allah and Lord Murugan on the same platform with equal soul, the groove got a seated audience up close to the stage to dance in no time. There couldn’t have been a more apt set-closer than the funky Raise Up Your Hands, bringing the house down in a unique rendition.
Day 3
The new morning offered Baul and fakiri music at the Dawn Devotional, with Khejmat and Khaibur Fakir, Shasthi Das Baul and Nikhil Biswas on percussion. With the moon setting on one horizon – the festival is scheduled to coincide with the brightest full moon of the year in north India (sharad purnima) – and Mehrangarh fort in the distance bathed by the first light of the day, it was surreal listening to the ektara and khamak accompanying Lalan Fakir’s songs. Being the devotional recital, the wandering minstrels only offered songs based on the atmatatwa philosophy, like Barir pashey aarshi nagar.
A visit to the uppermost room of the fort, watching and listening to multi-percussionist Pete Lockett rehearse with 28 Rajasthani folk musicians, was a rare delight. If views were fascinating from various points within, the top offered a vantage point that displayed the Blue City in all its sunny splendour. At 5pm, it was time to witness Manganiyar magic in Moti Mahal again as Pempe Khan Manganiyar and Patashi Bhopi sung about life and loss at the second Living Legends recital.
Later, there was promise of more magic with Sona Mohapatra’s “desi soul” sound at the main stage. RIFF 2010 brought Sona’s partner Ram Sampath – variously known as ace producer/experimental songwriter/Colourblind frontman – on stage with her band for the first time, manning laptop and keys. With a broken ankle and irksome technical glitches, the Oriya lass still delivered her pop-tinted set and got the audience on their feet, singing songs by Bulle Shah to Amir Khusrau to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Piya re. Singer Bhanwari Devi and her entourage joining Sona’s band was the high point of the evening. With the morchang, dhol and sarangi adding flavours of the soil to Sona’s sound and Bhanwari Devi’s voice that seemed to reach out to the fort’s ramparts, the repertoire’s rendition of Dum mast qulandar closed the set.
Next up was perhaps the most scintillating performance of J-RIFF 2010. Roots Reunion brought together flamenco guitarist Augustin Carbonell “Bola” and his quintet (Antonio “El Negro” on vocals, Pedro “Brekon” on percussion, traditional flamenco dancers Tamar Gonzalez and Karen Lugo) with Abdul Rashid Khan Langa (vocals), Zakir Khan Langa (kartal), Eklash Khan Langa (sarangi), Sadiq Khan Langa (dholak) and Kalbeliya dancer Aasha Sapera. Augustin – who has collaborated on several albums with flamenco legend Paco de Lucia – and his band rendered flamenco standards with élan. As the set rolled, they were joined by the dancer duo of Gonzalez and Lugo, offering a blend of sensual music with grace, poise and passion in movement. As the local folk artistes took stage to add layers to the music and Asha Sapera joined the dance, the choreography turned more colourful, more joyous. Under the bright full moon, sitting near the fort ramparts, this was an experience in itself; the first RIFF 2010 performance that brought His Highness the Maharajah Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur up on stage to shake a leg.
The party continued till the wee hours with Club Mehran at Chokelao Mahal, with the street beats of DJ/producer Maga Bo from Rio de Janeiro. A percussionist himself, the man with the turntables got the exclusive crowd swinging within the spacious open-air courtyard with his street beats and quirky remixes, fusing traditional samba and hip-hop with local voices and strains of folk instruments. Even wallflowers danced.
Day 4
Partying late the night before, those who did catch the next morning’s Dawn Devotional were offered a rare opportunity to listen to Ustad Bahauddin Khan Dagar usher in the new day with his rudra veena. The morning devotional recital remains a personal favourite, given the ambience and the setting of Jaswant Thada.
Later in the evening, the third and last of the Living Legends recitals brought the two legendary singers of the same name – Chanan Khan Manganiyar – artistes who have elevated the status of their art within their community and inspired generations to follow in their footsteps. At 8pm, the main stage was lit up for the Italian Festa, featuring Francesca Cassio on vocals and Giuliano Modarelli on classical guitar, collaborating with local artistes playing the sarangi, kartal and other percussion. Trained both in Western and Indian classical music, Cassio offered a unique performance with her take on traditional compositions, based on a combination of Italian folk tunes and Rajasthani melodies. It was a delight to witness the collaboration: where one knew the other’s language and thus wove an eloquent story or two in song.
The final, formal set at the main stage was Pete Lockett’s Percussion Party. With a team of 28 folk musicians, vocalists and dancers to lead – including Gopal Geela’s change troupe and Manphula Ram’s derun brigade – it seemed like quite a task for the Academy Award-winning mutli-percussionist/producer to manage. Once the performance began though, it was all about textures seamlessly flowing from one to the other: the Japanese taiko drum to the Carnatic kanjira to Latin bongos and cajun to the Rajasthani bhapang, morchang and derun, ably supported by vocal segments. Moods swayed from the reflective to the exhilarating in accordance to the music on offer; the tunes offered enough scope for individual brilliance yet were sewn as a whole with invisible hands. Things got funkier with Pete and his troupe being joined by the flamboyant Murali (a multi-percussionist from Chennai), Ram Sampath and DJ Maga Bo at RIFF Rustle – the closing jam of the 2010 festival.
RIFF 2010 truly ended the dawn next, with the Haveli Sangeet Sankirtan presented by Pandit Chandra Prakash of Ajmer, offering temple music from the Nathdwara tradition.
ARKA DAS
With collaborations between Rajasthani folk musicians and international artistes being the focal point — this year’s big names were British-Tamil neo-soul diva Susheela Raman, world percussion maestro Pete Lockett and Brazilian DJ Maga Bo, along with local legends like manganiyar singers Chanan Khan and Pempe Khan, Gulam Hussain’s qawwali troupe, percussionists Chugge Khan and Nathu Solanki, among others — J-RIFF 2010, held from October 21-25, offered an exciting blend of sounds in a stunning setting.
Day 1
The mood of the first day leaned towards the traditional, with Maand artistes Ali Mohammad, Pt. Chirenji Lal, Moinuddin Khan and Zaffar Khan opening the 2010 festival and a soul-stirring performance from Jaipur-Atrauli khayal exponent Ashwini Bhide. A colourful polka dance by the Warszawianka dancers of Poland concluded the evening.
Day 2
While a silver moon set behind the royal crematorium at Jaswant Thada, the golden glow of the dawn sun slowly stirred the Blue City into life with bhajans and spiritual poetry by Jamuna Devi and Mali Devi, from Charanwasi village, Shekhawati. Called the Dawn Devotional, these 5.45am recitals offered a fitting start to the day; a magical witching hour of music that set the mood for all that followed.
Daylong activities included fort festivities where one caught glimpses of folk music and performing arts at the Mehrangarh fort. Percussion plays a pivotal role in the Rajasthani folk music and the festivities showcased the hourglass-shaped derun (akin to a talking drum with similar pitch modulating principles), the bhapang (akin to a khamak but double-barelled), the chang, usually played on Holi in Shekhawati, the large clay pot-like maante, the nagara (played with sticks) and of course, the ubiquitous dholak. The fort festivities also showcased artistes performing on the rare mashak, the Rajasthani counterpart of the bagpipe, while performing arts like the ger martial art dance, the balancing act called the chhatar kotli, the bahurupiya and the kachhi ghodi (which literally translates into ‘false-horse rider’) bloomed in a riot of colours, movements and music. The Kalbeliya, followers of Lord Krishna and wandering performers known as snake-charmers and jugglers, added excitement to the festive mood.
The Meghwals of Marwar ushered in the dusk with the Sunset Devotional at Jaswant Thada – yet another performance that set the tone for the moon-soaked evening. At Moti Mahal in the fort, in the first of the Living Legends series of recitals, Manganiyar ladies Rukma, Akla and Dariya sang to a small audience. Manganiyar women are barred from performing in front of men or in public; Rukma Devi was expelled from the community when she flouted that tradition. When she began to receive acclaim from all over Rajasthan, she was joined by her sister Akla and their childhood friend Dariya Manganiyar. The stained glass doors of Moti Mahal were thrown open to the audience to witness a performance that seeped soul in every note sung and played.
With Pakistani draw Mekal Hasan Band’s participation cancelled at RIFF 2010, it was left to Susheela Raman to light up the main stage at the Old Zenana courtyard. With hubby Sam Mills on guitar, Georgie Pope on harp and a band of Rajasthani folk musicians including Rana Ram on narh, Gopal Ram on the algoza flute, Chanan Khan on the folk sarangi called kamayacha and Nathu Solanki on nagara, Susheela – dressed in black and flaunting a cape with a blood-red inlay – was in her element from the word go. She started with two devotional songs that did justice to her raspy husk of a voice before launching into the raucous chorus of Murguan vail, joined by the vocalist/percussionist duo of Chugge Khan and Kutle Khan. Under the silver moon, the chant in Tamil to Lord Murugan – sung with surprising conviction by Susheela’s Rajasthani band – underlined the collaborations that RIFF 2010 was all about. Kutle Khan was exceptional on the bhapang; Chugge Khan sang his heart out and both played the morchang and wooden kartal (akin to Spanish castanets) with a fluid brilliance. The surprises didn’t end there: Susheela was joined on stage with the eight-member qawwal party of Gulam Hussain. Rendering songs in praise of Allah and Lord Murugan on the same platform with equal soul, the groove got a seated audience up close to the stage to dance in no time. There couldn’t have been a more apt set-closer than the funky Raise Up Your Hands, bringing the house down in a unique rendition.
Day 3
The new morning offered Baul and fakiri music at the Dawn Devotional, with Khejmat and Khaibur Fakir, Shasthi Das Baul and Nikhil Biswas on percussion. With the moon setting on one horizon – the festival is scheduled to coincide with the brightest full moon of the year in north India (sharad purnima) – and Mehrangarh fort in the distance bathed by the first light of the day, it was surreal listening to the ektara and khamak accompanying Lalan Fakir’s songs. Being the devotional recital, the wandering minstrels only offered songs based on the atmatatwa philosophy, like Barir pashey aarshi nagar.
A visit to the uppermost room of the fort, watching and listening to multi-percussionist Pete Lockett rehearse with 28 Rajasthani folk musicians, was a rare delight. If views were fascinating from various points within, the top offered a vantage point that displayed the Blue City in all its sunny splendour. At 5pm, it was time to witness Manganiyar magic in Moti Mahal again as Pempe Khan Manganiyar and Patashi Bhopi sung about life and loss at the second Living Legends recital.
Later, there was promise of more magic with Sona Mohapatra’s “desi soul” sound at the main stage. RIFF 2010 brought Sona’s partner Ram Sampath – variously known as ace producer/experimental songwriter/Colourblind frontman – on stage with her band for the first time, manning laptop and keys. With a broken ankle and irksome technical glitches, the Oriya lass still delivered her pop-tinted set and got the audience on their feet, singing songs by Bulle Shah to Amir Khusrau to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Piya re. Singer Bhanwari Devi and her entourage joining Sona’s band was the high point of the evening. With the morchang, dhol and sarangi adding flavours of the soil to Sona’s sound and Bhanwari Devi’s voice that seemed to reach out to the fort’s ramparts, the repertoire’s rendition of Dum mast qulandar closed the set.
Next up was perhaps the most scintillating performance of J-RIFF 2010. Roots Reunion brought together flamenco guitarist Augustin Carbonell “Bola” and his quintet (Antonio “El Negro” on vocals, Pedro “Brekon” on percussion, traditional flamenco dancers Tamar Gonzalez and Karen Lugo) with Abdul Rashid Khan Langa (vocals), Zakir Khan Langa (kartal), Eklash Khan Langa (sarangi), Sadiq Khan Langa (dholak) and Kalbeliya dancer Aasha Sapera. Augustin – who has collaborated on several albums with flamenco legend Paco de Lucia – and his band rendered flamenco standards with élan. As the set rolled, they were joined by the dancer duo of Gonzalez and Lugo, offering a blend of sensual music with grace, poise and passion in movement. As the local folk artistes took stage to add layers to the music and Asha Sapera joined the dance, the choreography turned more colourful, more joyous. Under the bright full moon, sitting near the fort ramparts, this was an experience in itself; the first RIFF 2010 performance that brought His Highness the Maharajah Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur up on stage to shake a leg.
The party continued till the wee hours with Club Mehran at Chokelao Mahal, with the street beats of DJ/producer Maga Bo from Rio de Janeiro. A percussionist himself, the man with the turntables got the exclusive crowd swinging within the spacious open-air courtyard with his street beats and quirky remixes, fusing traditional samba and hip-hop with local voices and strains of folk instruments. Even wallflowers danced.
Day 4
Partying late the night before, those who did catch the next morning’s Dawn Devotional were offered a rare opportunity to listen to Ustad Bahauddin Khan Dagar usher in the new day with his rudra veena. The morning devotional recital remains a personal favourite, given the ambience and the setting of Jaswant Thada.
Later in the evening, the third and last of the Living Legends recitals brought the two legendary singers of the same name – Chanan Khan Manganiyar – artistes who have elevated the status of their art within their community and inspired generations to follow in their footsteps. At 8pm, the main stage was lit up for the Italian Festa, featuring Francesca Cassio on vocals and Giuliano Modarelli on classical guitar, collaborating with local artistes playing the sarangi, kartal and other percussion. Trained both in Western and Indian classical music, Cassio offered a unique performance with her take on traditional compositions, based on a combination of Italian folk tunes and Rajasthani melodies. It was a delight to witness the collaboration: where one knew the other’s language and thus wove an eloquent story or two in song.
The final, formal set at the main stage was Pete Lockett’s Percussion Party. With a team of 28 folk musicians, vocalists and dancers to lead – including Gopal Geela’s change troupe and Manphula Ram’s derun brigade – it seemed like quite a task for the Academy Award-winning mutli-percussionist/producer to manage. Once the performance began though, it was all about textures seamlessly flowing from one to the other: the Japanese taiko drum to the Carnatic kanjira to Latin bongos and cajun to the Rajasthani bhapang, morchang and derun, ably supported by vocal segments. Moods swayed from the reflective to the exhilarating in accordance to the music on offer; the tunes offered enough scope for individual brilliance yet were sewn as a whole with invisible hands. Things got funkier with Pete and his troupe being joined by the flamboyant Murali (a multi-percussionist from Chennai), Ram Sampath and DJ Maga Bo at RIFF Rustle – the closing jam of the 2010 festival.
RIFF 2010 truly ended the dawn next, with the Haveli Sangeet Sankirtan presented by Pandit Chandra Prakash of Ajmer, offering temple music from the Nathdwara tradition.
ARKA DAS
