Inside Jodhpur RIFF: Keeping The Folk Music Tradition Alive

It’s that time of the year when the blue city of Jodhpur comes alive with music from all across the globe at the Jodhpur RIFF. With music and beats reverberating through every cell in the body, this musical extravaganza brings together the best of roots music from India and abroad. And like every other year, Jodhpur RIFF 2023 was nothing short of exhilarating. With an exemplary line-up of more than 300 Indian and global roots performers enthralling the audience with their music, the event was an alchemical blend of tradition and innovation, crafting an auditory masterpiece.

An Introduction To Rajasthan’s Folk Music Heritage

Jodhpur RIFF is the foremost international roots music festival in India, bringing together folk artists from distant villages of Rajasthan and many other regions of India and abroad. Every year, Jodhpur RIFF is planned around Sharad Poornima (the brightest full moon of the year in North India), and this year, too, the five-day cultural extravaganza took place between the 26th-30th October at the majestic Mehrangarh fort. Organised under the aegis of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, the festival aims to provide a platform for folk musicians from Rajasthan to showcase their musical lineage and collaborate with global roots artists.

Dawn Concerts-Enchanting Encounters with Sunrise

Heralding in the dawn at Jodhpur RIFF were the mesmerising dawn concerts as a prelude to a day filled with harmonious rhythms and cultural revelations. First in the stellar line-up were the Meghwals of Marwar, enchanting the audience with meditative bhajans vibing to the rhythm of the manjira and dholak.

The second dawn broke with the melodious sounds of the wind by the legend Idu Khan Langa on the algoza, often called the ‘the flute of the desert’ and the Estonian duo Kuula-Hetke playing ethereal melodies from the Western Classical tradition on their flutes. On the third day, the desert city awoke to the gentle serenade of Carnatic music by Mahesh Vinaykram, a UNESCO Millennium Award winner.

An Impressive Lineup Of Indian Artists

In a celestial alignment of musical brilliance, a roster of virtuosos from various root traditions in India and abroad guided the audience through a harmonious odyssey. Amongst the luminaries was the bhapang maestro, Yusuf Khan, bringing forth the musical traditions from the Mewat region. Avadhoot Phadke, a national award recipient, welcomed the Sharad Poornima with a mellifluous performance on the flute. Livening up the magnificent Old Zenana Courtyard was the electrifying performance by Kalbeliya singers Asha Sapera, Sugna Devi, and Mohini Devi from the Jogi-Kalbeliya community. Adding a traditional folk element to the festivities was the dholak interlude by Feroze Khan Manganiyar, the state’s first dholak exponent.

Acclaimed Sufi singer Smita Bellur, along with Dilshad Khan, a renowned classical sarangi player and other folk musicians, created magic with soulful Sufi renditions. Weaving a musical narrative through the Kamaicha, a quintessential gem of Rajasthan's musical heritage, were Ghevar Khan and Darre Khan of the Manganiyar community. In a unique collaboration, SAZ, comprising the dynamic maestros of the Langa community, and Tarini Tripathi, an acclaimed kathak dancer merged the two traditions in a riveting jugalbandi. As part of the Living Legends performance, stalwarts of Rajasthan music took centre stage with Bundu Khan Langa, a pioneer of the khartal and Bade Ghazi Khan Manganiyar, a Marwar Ratna Award winner, renowned for his renditions of traditional folk songs.

Adding A Global Flavour

To add a global flavour to this musical bonanza were Australia’s Jeff Lang and Greg Sheehan swaying the audience with Blues and Roots genre music, Ars Nova Napoli took the crowds to the streets of Naples with Sicilian serenades, Neapolitan Classics, while Alejandra Gomez, from the Glastonbury and Fuji Rock fame, captivated everyone with traditional and contemporary music from Latin America.

RIFF Rustle-The Showstopper

Concluding the festival’s midnight concerts was the RIFF Rustle, a veritable smorgasbord of sounds and grooves. Every year, it is the mainstay of the event, where an impromptu collaboration of musicians takes place, creating a grand symphony. For the first time, Jodhpur RIFF saw three collaborating rustlers. Greg Sheehan, an acclaimed percussionist with Rhys Sebastian, an accomplished saxophonist, and Miroca Paris, a brilliant  singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. They created magic beneath the magical celestial canopy jamming with the maestros of Dhol Tasha, the Dhol Drummers, khartal, Kuula Hetke, dholak, and Rajasthani musicians along with Irene Scarpato of Suonno d’ Ajere.

A Spectacular End

As the musical spectacle drew to a close at the cusp of dawn in the serene setting of Jaswant Thada, the soulful voice of Harpreet Singh mesmerised the audience with his compositions of Kabir and Bulleh Shah, and the much-celebrated Sharma Bandhu swayed everyone with their divine music. The sun had finally risen in all its glory to end Jodhpur RIFF 2023.

So, all you music aficionados, book yourself for the next edition of Jodhpur RIFF, a celebration of the magical tapestry of Rajasthan. For more on the festival, check out their website here.