World music stars share the stage with India’s finest roots musicians at ‘Jodhpur RIFF 2024’

Under the brightest full moon of this year, ‘Jodhpur RIFF’ will bring together more than 280 spectacular roots music performers from across the world, India and the state of Rajasthan, in Jodhpur’s awe-inspiring Mehrangarh Fort, to inspire, entertain and dazzle audiences from October 16 to October 20.

The festival’s lineup in its 17th year includes French electronica artist Éric Mouquet, who co-founded the Grammy-winning music project ‘Deep Forest’; the masterly Manganiyar of Marwar; ‘Kutiyattam’ maestro Kapila Venu from Kerala; ‘GABBA’ from Norway, who won the ‘Spellemannprisen’; singer, composer and lyricist Sona Mohapatra; emerging Rajasthani roots music group ‘SAZ’; Estonian folk stars Puuluup, Anuja Zokarkar (rendering a tribute to Pandit Chintaman Raghunath Vyas, a giant of the Hindustani classical genre) and to name some.

HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur, Chief Patron of ‘Jodhpur RIFF’ said, “Rajasthani folk artists are equal to the best roots musicians in the world. Not just in terms of their musical heritage but also how some of them are reinterpreting and contemporising their legacy for the current generation. ‘Jodhpur RIFF’ is proof of this. The festival exists to provide an enabling environment and a superb platform for folk artists. But it also serves to introduce remarkable international performers to our audiences and gives these artists a fantastic opportunity to interact and collaborate with the infinite living treasure that is Rajasthani folk.”

Festival Director Divya Bhatia said, “‘Jodhpur RIFF’ has been at the forefront of the Indian roots’ music scene for 17 years now. Our commitment to roots music also means that we think beyond silos such as music, dance, theatre or classical, jazz, folk and ‘Sufi’ and truly explore the wonder that is our collective, living, musical heritage. This year’s ‘Jodhpur RIFF’ aims to do just that.”

This year’s festival weaves together dance, music and theatre, breaking down silos between how these performing arts are viewed through collaborations such as that between ‘SAZ’ - a stunning group of Rajasthani folk musicians born out of this festival, who have rearranged traditional lyrics to dynamic compositions and written original songs in the genre which speak to today’s generation - and kathak exponent Tarini Tripathi. Other highlights which blend performance forms include ‘Kutiyattam’; Dilip Bhatt’s Jaipur ‘Tamasha’, the robust revival of a fading theatre form; ‘Pavakathakali’ (performed by the ‘Natanakairali Pavakathakali Ensemble’ and lead by Guru G Venu) and ‘Lavani’ by Aditi Bhawat. Similarly, walls between genres will be scaled this year by performers like Mauritian multi-instrumentalist Emlyn Marimutu, who blends elements from African, Malagasy and Indian music; Louis Mhlanga, who mixes American and Zimbabwean influences and ‘Gray’ by Silver from South Korea, a group which finds equal inspiration in contemporary Western classical, Indigenous folk song, modern jazz and new age instrumental. Musical ideas of ‘folk’ and ‘classical’ might even disappear on stage, in the presence of the recipient of the ‘Aga Khan Music Award’ (AKMA 2020-22) Asin Khan Langa on the Sindhi ‘sarangi’ and recipient of an ‘AKMA Special Mention’ artist Dilshad Khan (on the classical ‘sarangi’), who will come together for a 40-minute collaboration produced by festival director Divya Bhatia.

Some highlights from ‘Jodhpur RIFF 2024’

Eric Mouquet: The composer, musician and legend of electronic music will lead a live set at ‘Club Mehran’ which will also feature artists from the festival.

Sukanya Ramgopal, Giridhar Udupa, Shreeharsha - Guru-Shishya Ghatam Gharna: Known as the first woman ghatam player in Carnatic music, Sukanya Ramgopal came up with the ideas of ‘Ghata Tharang’, where six to seven ‘ghatams’ of different shrutis are played together, as well as ‘Sthree Thaal Tharang’, an all-woman ‘ghatam’ ensemble. She will be accompanied by her student Giridhar Udupa, who is also a master of Carnatic percussion as well as his student Shreeharsha.

Meherdeen Khan Langa: The 65-year-old artist is not only a master of the Sindhi ‘sarangi’ which is his community’s talisman (the Sarangiya Langa community), but also the Surnaiya Langa community’s wind instrument: the ‘algoza’. This living legend, who has performed across the world and is now in semi-retirement, will play both instruments at Jodhpur RIFF 2024, accompanied by Idu and Asin Khan Langa.

Sona Mohapatra: The singer, lyricist and composer Sona Mohapatra hardly needs an introduction. On the ‘Jodhpur RIFF’ stage after 14 years, she has graciously acquiesced to present a specially curated set for the festival.

Gabba - Tales from a Yoiker: The ‘Yoik’, one of Europe’s oldest song traditions, with minimal or no lyrics, is an intrinsic part of ‘Sámi’ culture. The ‘Sámi’ are indigenous to the far northern parts of Scandinavia and Russia. ‘Gabba’, winners of the ‘Spellemannprisen’ (equivalent to a Norwegian Grammy), weave this singing style with Norwegian folk, Americana and world music, infusing it with contemporaneity, resurrecting it for another age.

Barnali Chattopadhyay: Recently in the news for bringing to life key songs from ‘Heeramandi’, Barnali, known for her rendition of the ‘Banarasi Maand’ as well as classical ‘thumris’, presents a selection from the works of Amir Khusrau as her ode to the Sufi legend and spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, whose music and poetry looms large over Hindustani and Carnatic classical Indian traditions.

‘Why I Do What I Do’: An interactive session where the audience will hear the voices of five women from four different performing art traditions of Rajasthan: Maewa Sapera, Mamta Sapera, Prem Dangi, Hanifa Manganiyar and Kamla Bhat.

Shaiva Koothu - Kuddiyattam by Kapila Venu: ‘Kutiyattam’ (meaning ‘acting together’), acknowledged by UNESCO as ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’, is one of the oldest living theatre traditions of the world. Kapila experiments beyond the traditional possibilities of the art form, which is an intricate mix of ancient Sanskrit theatre and traditional ‘koothu’, an ancient art form from the ‘Sangam’ era.

Manganiyar of Marwari: A special, annual performance at the festival by senior legends of the ‘Manganiyar’ community dedicated to the late Sakhar Khan Manganiyar of ‘Hamira’ doyen, mentor and teacher par excellence. Songs rarely heard nowadays will be brought back to life with gusto by vocalists Barkat Khan (Chattangarh), Barkat Khan (Myajlar), Hakim Khan (Kisola) and Multan Khan (Dedariya), accompanied by Sakhar ji’s sons Ghevar and Darre Khan on the ‘kamaicha’ and Feroze Khan, the living master of the Rajasthani dholak. Their friend and cousin, Devu Khan, will also accompany them on the ‘khartal’.

An African Dawn with Louis Mhlanga: The award-winning roots and jazz guitarist and producer is celebrated as one of Southern Africa’s finest. Influenced by the traditional finger-picking styles of African instruments such as the ‘kora’, he blends American and Zimbabwean elements in his music.

Tickets for ‘Jodhpur RIFF 2024’ will be available online at www.jodhpurriff.org from September 3.

Photo Credit: Jodhpur RIFF/OIJO