Blending diverse forms of music from across the world along with Rajasthani folk songs, the annual Jodhpur RIFF Festival is scheduled to begin on October 23 at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur this year.
“The underlying theme is always showcasing the best of traditional Rajasthani music. This year, the other strands running through the festival build on Jazz and African-Reggae sounds,” says Divya Bhatia - Festival Director, Jodhpur RIFF.
This year’s Grammy winner Wouter Kellerman, one of the highlights of the festival is expected to blend together traditional and classical compositions. Besides a performance by 1991 Grammy winner Yossi Fine is scheduled to lead this year’s moonlit jam.
Jodhpur RIFF, a not-for-profit project, seeks to offer patronage and encouragement to the often neglected Rajasthani Folk music. It is timed to coincide with Sharad Purina, the brightest full moon of the year in north India.
“The patrons of Jodhpur RIFF were genuinely concerned about the fact that our traditional music culture was languishing and really needed to be supported and promoted” says Bhatia
“The musicians were largely neglected and their livelihood was under constant threat. RIFF was conceived as a platform for and a celebration of these wonderful musicians,” he says.
Line-up
Among the major attractions this year would be a sensual Thumri by contemporary artiste Suchismita Das, a Desert Lounge comprising of stalwarts like Bhanwari Devi, Anwar Khan Manganiyar and Barkat Khan Manganiyar, Sumitra Devi singing renditions of songs of Meera and Kabir. Papa Julius and Zion Nexus bring an exciting Reggae night, supported by funk rockers, TheSkaVengers.
According to Bhatia, a collaboration like Jodhpur Riff has helped musicians from different cultures to come together and nourish each other’s musical traditions.
“In a collaboration, each artiste needs to able hold his or her own form and yet create a new one. So each artist is forced to dig deeper into their own experience to come up with something fresh, which is what Jodhpur RIFF has been enabling for musicians,” he says.
Other ventures
A special RIFF Children’s Corner is being scheduled for the city’s school children that will feature Kawa Circus and regulars such as the Kathputali, KachiGhodi and ChhatarKotla, Bahrupiya.
Another feature scheduled is the Scottish Panorama with Acid-Croft specialists, Celtic master musicians Shooglenifty collaborating with Rajasthani masters and Jazz sensation Brian Molley Quartet.
The event is set to conclude on October 27.