Jodhpur set for music fest

Music lovers can look forward to a musical treat in Jodhpur next month.

New Delhi: Music lovers can look forward to a good deal of international flavour at the this year`s fourth annual music festival, RIFF, hosted at the Meharngarh Fort in Jodhpur next month.

The festival, a part of the the five-day `Rajasthan International Folk Festival` beginning October 21 showcases the variety of folk music from the desert state as well as brings in diverse musicians from UK, Tanzania, Australia and other countries. "This year we are showcasing a lot of local very senior Rajasthani artists and are stalwarts in their own right," Divya Bharati, Director, Jodhpur RIFF told PTI. Organised in collaboration with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation and Mehrangarh Museum Trust the festival has Mick Jagger and Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur as its patrons. The festival is scheduled to open with a Maand performance, to be followed by traditional vocals by Ashwini Bhide. 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 are the other highlights of the festival. Apart from these the international collaborations that are in store is British Tamil singer Susheela Raman who is jamming with Rajasthani folk artists to create a medley. "Raman also plans to take the folk artists to London to perform at the monthly club event "Outer India" soon after the Jodhpur event," says Bharti. "Another artist Sona who does her own version of `Desi Soul` is a very promising upcoming artist whose performances are a must watch out for," he adds. The centrepiece of the festival is expected to be the multi percussionist Pete Lockett, who will perform with 14 Rajasthani musicians. Other international performers include Lahore-based Mekaal Hasan band, that will blends eastern classical music with 1970s jazz band style, Warszawianka, a 16-member folk dance ensemble from Poland. DJ Maga Bo from Brazil, known for mixing different musical forms like dubstep, jungle kudiro and kwaito would be be performing for the first time in India. Other artists expected to perform are the Zawose family from Tanzania, and the flamenco gypsy-jazz guitarist, Augustin Carbonell. A flamenco-kalbeliya dance collaboration would be presented at the finale of the festival that will conclude on October 25. PTI