Jodhpur RIFF: A Musical Fusion Of Traditions And A Celebration Of Innovation

The 17th edition of Jodhpur RIFF, India’s much-toasted roots festival, held between 16-20 October, was a breathtaking spectacle. For five days, the Blue City was cast in a spell where global artists and traditional Rajasthani performers intertwined their souls through music, dance, and theatre. Classical dance swayed to the rhythm of folk music, while electronic beats harmonised with the rustic sounds of Rajasthan, and Congolese percussion danced to the thump of the Rajasthani dholak - blurring the lines of musical expression. 

As a regular JRIFF enthusiast, I was mesmerised by every performance, but specific performances truly left an indelible mark for their bold and innovative expressions. Unravelling the special moments of Jodhpur RIFF, one of the largest international roots music festivals.

Pushing The Boundaries Of Music

Every year, JRIFF innovates itself, bringing together artists from India and around the globe under one roof, creating magic with music. Set against the majestic ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort, this year’s edition was no different. Festival director Divya Bhatia curated the entire event with some unique collaborations. “Given our ethos, the ‘main’ idea is always to showcase Rajasthani music traditions. Yet, every edition revolves around a mix of ideas, like threads woven together, which brings various aspects of roots music to life. This year’s edition had a delightful mix of varied and powerful women musicians and singers and celebrated skilled percussionists. We also explored the intersection of theatre and music. The collaborations were distinctive too - kathak & folk with Tarini Tripathi and SAZ; electronica & folk with Deep Forest and Rajasthani artists; percussion collaboration with Congolese-Canadian Elli Miller Maboungou and Rajasthani dholak ace Firoze Khan Manganiyar; Asin Khan’s folk sarangi & Dilshad’s classical sarangi,” says Divya Bhatia.

African And Indian Percussion Beats Collide

The Zenana Courtyard came alive in a mesmerising performance between Elli Miller-Maboungou, a renowned Congolese percussionist and composer, and Firoze Khan, part of Rajasthani folk’s living legend, Manganiyar of Marwar. The two masters of rhythm engaged in a captivating dialogue with a contemporary twist to the otherwise traditional musical instruments from Congo and India. Their performance was a testament to the universal language of music. Elli got the audience on their feet, swaying to the peppy beats of the Saatar and Congolese drum while Firoze matched it with the traditional dholak.

Speaking about this eclectic piece, Eli said, “ Collaborating with Firoze was magical. It did not take us too much time to merge our music and create what I call transcendental.” While for Firoze, it was a beautiful jugalbandi that emerged effortlessly. “Music at its core is the same; only its form changes, so it was easy to create this piece,” he added.

Inayat: A Duet for Four

Another unique combination of contrasting traditions was Rajasthani music and Kathak. Tarini Tripathi, an award-winning Kathak artist, and SAZ, the dynamic trio of Langa musicians, wowed the audience against the magical Chokelao Bagh of Mehrangarh Fort with their new collaboration -  ‘Inayat: A Duet for Four’. The performance was a beautiful milieu of classical dance and the rustic beats of traditional Rajasthani folk music. Sadiq on the dholak, Asin on vocals and Sindhi sarangi, Zakir on the khartal, and Tarini, through her fluid hand gestures, subtle expressions, and intricate footwork, kept the crowds glued to their seats during the hour-long performance.

“We have been playing our traditional music for generations dating back to 200 years to preserve our musical heritage. We have performed all over the world, but there has never been a collaboration between kathak and folk music from Rajasthan; this makes Jodhpur RIFF unique and special. Our songs are more about stories than ragas, which was brought out beautifully with Tarini jis dance form,” says Asin. “We did not want to fuse the art forms but wanted to keep the identity and yet create something new. We worked together for over a year to create this piece. I had to understand their songs and their meanings, and we met somewhere in the middle and immersed ourselves in our respective art forms to create this storytelling piece, which has never been done earlier,” added Tarini.

A Tale of Two Sarangis

The stage was set for a mesmerising musical duel in yet another one-of-a-kind performance called Marwar Malang with Asin Khan, a master of the Sindhi sarangi, and Dilshad Khan, a virtuoso of the classical sarangi. Asin’s raw, throaty melodies echoed through the ages, while Dilshad’s classical sarangi mesmerised the audience with intricate notes and a rich tonal palette. Speaking about this unheard blend of instruments and giving a platform for such musical interactions, Asin said, “Folk and classical rarely mix, but JRIFF has given us this opportunity to come up with this innovative combination.”

Celebrating Women Power

Unlike other years, this edition saw a strong lineup of women musicians at the Jodhpur RIFF. Sundar, a renowned Rajasthani folk singer, was paired up with her daughter Ganga at the opening night concert. In a rare music and theatre interaction, artistic director Supriya and Surichi Sharma, a filmmaker, got together five women Rajasthani folk musicians in an immersive performance titled ‘Why do I do what I do’ where they sang songs on Meera Bai. Rajasthani singer Sumitra Das Goswami, fondly called the ‘Cuckoo of Rajasthan, ’ amped up the event with her melodious performance, while accomplished actress and choreographer Aditi Bhagwat introduced Maharashtra’s legendary Lavani to Jodhpur. Amongst the other celebrated women performers were Barnali Chattopadhyay, a Hindustani vocalist; Sukanya Ramgopal, the first woman ghatam player in Carnatic music; Hindustani vocalist Anuja Zokarkar, and Sona Mohapatra, the protagonist of rustic, soulful music. Sustaining ancient arts was another highlight of this edition, which was witnessed in a spellbinding performance by Kapila Venu through Koodiyattam, one of the oldest living theatre traditions of the world in Kerala. Among the global female artists was the upbeat Mauritian sega artist, singer, and songwriter Emlyn Marimutu, who got the crowds dancing with the ‘new traditional’ Mauritian sound inspired by nature.

A Serene Finale

As the sun kissed the horizon, casting a golden glow over the serene Jaswant Thada, the musical spectacle of Jodhpur RIFF 2024 drew close. The soulful voice of Kaluram Bamaniya, a Padma Shri, Bamaniya, from Malwa, resonated through the air at the serene Jaswant Thada as he sang his interpretations and compositions of the great poet Kabir. For all those who missed this melodic marvel this year, Jodhpur RIFF is all set to return in 2025 better than ever. Mark your calendars for the next edition.