Tunes of the dunes
Rana Siddiqui Zaman
Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival) is different. It is music from dawn to midnight and beyond. It coincides with Sharad purnima — the brightest full moon each year.
From finding one's way in the dark before dawn, to get that choicest place in front of the artistes whose forms one can hardly make out before the sun rises behind them; to watching the moon rise behind performing living legends; to visiting an impeccably maintained magnificent 15th century fort mounting 400 feet and witness roots musicians from across the world on a stage bereft of any branding and ornamentation; to walking half-an-hour well past the midnight in wilderness and reach an open air amphitheatre just to experience a concert without any acoustics; or to listen to home-grown Rajasthani, largely illiterate, folk musicians performing with acclaimed international artistes, and making locals proud of their flawless and often better than their well-healed global partners — Jodhpur RIFF is certainly different.
For instance, it experiences no head bangers, no mojos, no shoving or pushing, heads swaying in rhythm, fingers tapping — trying to keep pace with the tabla, congo, kamaycha, drums, and dhols; these are the only gestures of the audiences at Jodhpur RIFF.
In its ninth edition, RIFF was held at the Blue City, Jodhpur, at the overpowering Mehrangarh Fort last month.
Unlike most music festivals, RIFF is not a festival of the elistists', by the elitists', for the elistists'. This is a festival for everyone who want to enjoy music and take away a different experience along.
Even for folk singers this is not a means to reach international fame and earn through it. It has been for them, a way of entertainment and keeping the tradition alive. But RIFF has made them realise their worth and in nine years, the biggest difference this festival has brought is the awakening of interest and respect for the traditional folk musicians in the country and across the world; not only among the aficionados, but also the youth with fleeting brush with music.
So what does this difference do? It attracts music lovers not only from any region but youth and people of older generations from across the country than any other music festival. It also pulls in international audiences in bulk, so much so that sometimes it seems Indians and foreign audiences are in equal numbers at some performances.
So, what brings international performers and audiences to the festival? It is the raw charm of the local talents, old and new, who showcase their worth to their global partners as well as give them a great, healthy competition through fusion, without knowing each other's language.
Here the only language that flows is music through vocal recitals and instrumental collaborations. At times, the folk musicians/ vocalists get no time to rehearse with their foreign collaborators, yet the product that comes on the stage is marvellous.
Yossi Fine, who was nominated for Grammy, agrees, "I wonder how come they (folk artists) know so much? Is it because your (India's) music is generations old and they pick things like that. On stage, they stand up to you, never intimidated!" Wouter Kellerman hastens to add, "Your musicians have so much energy. Collaborating with them became such fun and learning experience. Members of Scotland's music band Shooglenifty, echo, "The experience of Rajasthani folk music has been so enriching. We are looking forward to creating an album with it!"
So it is this raw and pure music mixed with the root music of countries like Brazil, Africa, Scotland, Ghana, Finland which one finds no where in the world, that Jodhour RIFF caters to the musical need of a hungry audience. This year RIFF brought more than 300 musicians from the Manganiyars, Langas, Meghwals, Raikas, and more communities which mesmerised the audience with the traditional musical instruments like khartal, morchang, algoza, murli, dhol, bhapang, derun, harmonium, sarangis, etc.
It also created a perfect platform for living legends like Grammy award winner Wouter Kellerman and Yossi Fine to perform and collaborate with folk musicians of Rajasthan. Celebrated Indian and International roots musicians like Shooglenifty from Scotland, Suchismita, a Kolkata-based vocalist and India’s Oscar winner A. R Rahman's favourite singer, Parveen Sabrina Khan, a gen-next girl of French and Indian parentage Maand singer, Jazz sensation Brian Molley, celebrated Carnatic music vocalist Mahesh Vinayakram, Africa's famed band Papa Julius and Zion Nexus, legendary Rajasthani vocalist Dilshad Khan and mouth-organ experts Antonio Serrano — they all partnered with folk artistes and rocked the stage.
The performances had the audience go wild. They danced and sang along, especially with Wouter Kellerman and his associate the Africa's famous singer Della Tamin. This fusion exceeded its time limit as the audiences kept on shouting for more!
In the very important "free-for-all musical-partnership" called RIFF Rustle, Yossi Fine led a mix of all RIFF artists. It had almost everyone from India's funk rockers Ska Vengers band to Mahesh Vinyakram to drummers of Rajasthan creating magic.
This is the most compelling reason why the festival is endorsed by Unesco as a "Peoples' Platform for Creativity and Sustainable Development" and is included among the leading international music festivals in the world.
Hence, RIFF is not only a music festival but a heady mix of rustic riffs, root textures, contemporary arrangements and global rhythm making. It encourages and promotes original people's music.
This heritage festival is a not-for-profit partnership project involving two of India's leading heritage trusts — the Mehrangarh Museum Trust (MMT) and the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (JVF). It has Mahraja Gaj Singh of Marwar, Jodhpur as its chief patron and Sir Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones fame, as the international patron.
A final word of praise comes from Yossi Fine and Wouter Kellerman after the performances, "Amazing... your musicians (from Rajasthan) are way beyond belief. They are the strongest, most melodious, and undefeatable! They don't go by the rules but the heart. We learnt so much."
Did we recall Beethoven saying, "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy?
