folk music – Jaipur Beat

The musical stage at the Jaipur Literature festival 2017.

Jaipur Literature festival or #JLF as it’s popularly known has something for everybody. Not only does the event include interacting with some of the most inspiring writers from across the globe, it is a huge draw for music lovers also. The Literati ‘Maha Kumbh’ of our times in its 10th year brings in the confluence of Music and prose like never before. Prepare to be blown away by an eclectic mix of talent that has descended in the historic and beautiful ‘Pink city’. There truly couldn’t be a more apt setting to this high octane yet soulful unraveling of the most incredible Literature festival on earth.

Here is a lowdown on JLF, the musical just for you. Plan your morning and evenigs so that you don’t miss out this incredible treat!

19th January 2017

9.15 AM / Diggi Palace, Front Lawns

Shillong chamber Choir : After Winning India’s got talent, this talented group went on to win 3 gold medals at the World Choir games. Equally adept at Western Classical, Hit-rock, Khasi folk Music and opera, they are indeed a treat to watch.

Nathu Lal Solanki : He hails from the legendary ‘Pushkar Sangeet Gharana.This master percussionist and his Nagara are a part of Rajasthan’s musical heritage. He is a master of ‘Kuchmani Khayal’ and his performances are mesmerizing and unforgettable.

7.30-9.45 PM / Clarks Amer

Rajasthan Josh : Who doesn’t know Chugge Khan and band, also called Rajasthan Josh. They fill in this incredible space which brings together Rajasthani, Punjabi and Sufi influences of Music together.They come from the tradition of ‘Bhakti’ and ‘Sufi’ wherein the each musical piece is a guftagoo of deep divine love between the almighty & the mortal soul.

Kabir Cafe : Neeraj Arya will be the Voice of Kabir. Over last 8 years, he has taken his poetry across the country. Mir mukhtiyar and Prahald Tipanya and their folk music together with poetry of Arya is Kabir Cafe.

20th January 2017

9.15 AM / Diggi Palace, Front Lawns

Swanand Kirkire : The multi-talented writer, poet, lyricist, actor, music director, singer and theater personality is here at JLF. You have heard him on Coke-studio and Dewarist, collaborating with Zeb and Haniya on the exceedingly soulful ‘Kaho Kya Khayal Hai ?, you have heard his ‘Bande Mein Tha Dum’ from Munnabhai MBBS, ‘Behti Hawa sa tha woh’ from 3-Idiots and ‘Manjha’ from ‘Kai Po che’. You can’t give him a miss.

Ankur Tiwari & Ghalat Family: He is a playback singer and Music-director from the Indian music industry. Through his 10 year journey from a hotel trainee to music can be nothing but a story of passion. He is actually a storyteller who is just narrating his beautiful simple stories through music.you have heard his ‘Galliyan’ from Ek Tha Villian, ‘O-Yara’ from Bin roye‘ and ‘Sun raha hai na tu’ from Aashiqui -2.

7.30-9.45 PM / Clarks Amer

Bombay Bassment : The first Indian hip-hop band to perform at the prestigious ‘Glastonbury’ , members of Bombay Bassment are two Goans, one Mumbaiker, and one Kenyan. Together, Levin Mendes (drums), Ruel Barretto ( bass), Chandrashekhar Kunder and Bob Omulo aka MC Bobkat make tunes that brings together hip hop, drum ‘n’ bass, and elements of funk and reggae.

Inna Modja : she is a Malian-french singer.With hits like Mr H, La File Du Lido and French Cancan. She is a singer and song writer who expresses her music based on Motown Soul, Sahel Desert Blues, Mandinka guitars and Kora meets hip-hop.

7.30 / Ganesh Pole, Amer Fort

Rhythm and Rhyme : will be an evening of poetry readings held at Amber Fort, Jaipur on Friday, 20th January at 7.30 PM. Bringing together voices from two sides of the globe, the session will witness readings by celebrated American poet Anne Waldman and the renowned Bollywood lyricist Swanand Kirkire. This will be followed by Sarod Recital by Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at the Amber Fort.

21st January 2017

9.15 AM / Diggi Palace, Front Lawns

Padmini Rao : Classical Singer Padmini Rao has quite a lineage. From the North Indian Classical Gharana of Kirana‘, she has trained under ‘Padmabhushan’ Dr Prabha. She has learnt Sitar from ‘Padmini Dagar’ and Drupad & Veena from Diwangat Maestro Zia Moinuddin Khan Dagar‘.

7.30-9.45 PM / Clarks Amer

Soulmate : Inspired by the roots and groove sounds of the Blues, Blues-rock, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, funk and R&B, Soulmate was formed when Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar decided to form a band dedicated to spreading awareness about the Blues genre.

Beth Orton & Sam Amidon : Beth Orton is a singer and songwriter who has released six trailblazing albums, including the BRIT Award-winning Central Reservation, and 2012’s ‘Sugaring Season’, which Vogue described as ‘a beautiful and timely album, filled with melancholy’. Sam Amidon is a singer/banjoist/fiddler/guitarist originally from Brattleboro, Vermont. He has released five acclaimed albums of radically reimagined folksongs on the Bedroom Community and Nonesuch labels, most recently 2014’s Lily-O.

Mujra se Multiplex tak : will take the audience on a journey through the magical realm of entertainment at Hawa Mahal. Coursing through the ever changing world of cultural entertainment, the session will explore how the audiences at entertainment venues have evolved over the years. Writer and musician Vidya Shah will reflect on these changes through song while actor Luke Kenny punctuates them with poignant poetry and quirky banter.

22nd January 2017
9.15 AM / Diggi Palace, Front Lawns

Debashish Day : He is a classical singer specialising in Thumri, Dadra, Thappa , Chaiti and Kajri. He is also well known for his Bhajan style of singing.

7.00-10.00 PM / Clarks Amer

Lisa Hannigan : Lisa Hannigan’s haunting voice has featured on soundtracks for TV series Fargo and Oscar-winning Gravity and she has collaborated with artists as diverse as Ray LaMontagne, Richard Hawley and Herbie Hancock. Her new album At Swim is her most bewitching yet.

Aga Khan All Stars : Aga Khan Music Initiative, a programme of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, is an inter-regional music and arts education programme to preserve, transmit and develop musical heritage in contemporary forms. The Aga Khan Music Initiative Ensemble brings together the Initiative’s leading artists and AKTC’s collaborators of the past fifteen years. These master musicians are not only brilliant performers, but also pioneering composers, arrangers, improvisers, teachers, and mentors. They bring all of these talents and abilities to bear on their work with the Aga Khan Music Initiative, drawing inspiration from the past to create new music, and playing an active role in the Music Initiative’s education programme. Homayoun Sakhi on the Afghan rubab, Wu Man on the pipa, Saxophonist and composer Basel Rajoub, Salar Nader on tabla, Andrea Piccioni on single-headed frame drums, and qanun player Feras Charestan. The Ensemble will perform a newly created repertoire of compositions, improvisations and contemporary arrangements inspired by tradition.

Raghu Dixit : Their infectious, happy music transcends age, genre and language. From playing to over 100,000 people in Karnataka, to Glastonbury and even playing for the Queen of England, Dixit has done it all! Have a great time to their earthy, rooted, vibrant yet simple fun.

23rd January 2017

9.15 AM / Diggi Palace, Front Lawns

East meets Middle East : It’s a confluence of Middle East and South Asian Musical heritage. Subrat bhattacharya (Tabla), Abhishek Lohiri (Sitar), Rony Maili on Barbat and George on the percussion. They will dissolve boundaries as their music will bring together North African, Middle eastern and South Asian nuances of music.

So go ahead, book your tickets here and spend your evening in the company of the musical greats that India and the world is here to offer at JLF.

Rajasthani International Art Fest ‘Rang Rajasthan’ to begin from tomorrow!

The Pink City of Jaipur is ready for the one of its kind theater festival, Rang Rajasthan starting from tomorrow at Jawahar Kala Kendra. The unique festival showcases plays, folk performances and celebrity talk shows, drenched in the colors of Rajasthan.

Rang Rajasthan is a Rajasthan Language Based Theatre Festival which is showcasing a beautiful and interesting array of plays, Rajasthan people exhibitions, International Theatre, Celebrity Seminars, Art Competition and numerous more things. It gives a stage where neighbourhood theatre actors and Folk specialists work with internationally & broadly acclaimed executive and witnesses the works.

During a week long festival-Eight Rajasthani Language Plays and solo performances, folk music presentation, poetry session and Rajasthani tale telling session will be presented in the third edition of Rang Rajasthan organized by Rang Mastaaney Group.

First day i.e.; 6 Jan-Performance of ‘The Mix of Rajasthan Band’ at ‘Krishnayan (Black Box)’ at 5 pm.
And on the same day in Rangayan Auditorium at 7 pm – Esteemed Rajasthani language director from Bikaner – Sudesh Vyas is going to present his play- ‘Dulari Bai’ – A Musical performance at the inaugural day of the festival.

Second day i.e. 7 Jan – Poem session (Kavi Sammelan) is being presented by famous Rajasthani Poets (Kavis) vi:- Vijay Mishra Danish, Dhanraj Dadeech, Kanhaiya Lal Kanha, Bhagwan Sahay Pareek, and Kalyan Singh Shekhawat in Krishnayan Audi from 5 pm onwards in Krishnayan (Black Box),JKK.
And on the same day at 7 pm in Rangayan (JKK)- From Jodhpur City Rajasthani Director AashishDeo Chaaran is coming with his play – Mhe Raja the praja’.

Third day i.e. 8 Jan- In Krishnayan (Black Box), JKK. At 5 pm- Young Director ‘Yogendra Singh Parmar along with Samar Veer Singh is going to present their play –Sahi Galat Ko Khel’ in Dholpuri Language . And on the same day at 7 pm in Rangayan (JKK)- Esteemed Director Rajendra Panchal from Kota Bundi is coming with his play– ‘Katha SuKavi Suryakamall ki’ which will showcase the dilemma of Kavi Suryamal during the revolution of 1857 and his conversation with himself.

Fourth day i.e. 9 Jan- In Krishnayan (Black Box), JKK. At 5 pm- In the guidance of NSD Allumni Vishal Vijay- artist – Krishna Pal Singh Naruka, Ravindra Pareek, Deepak Gurjar and Ravi Ojha will tell the stories and tale of Rajasthan in Rajasthani to the audience.

And on the same day at 7 pm in Rangayan (JKK)- Director Rajendra Payal is going to present his play- ‘Talwar’ – which is the wholesome of small -small talks and stories use to tell by People of Rajasthan in every rural area.

Fifth day i.e. 10 Jan- In Krishnayan (Black Box), JKK. At 5 pm- Director Mahmood Ali is going to staged his play – Annuti Preet’
And on the same day at 7 pm in Rangayan (JKK)- Director Tapan Bhatt is presenting a satirical –comedy play- ‘Moonji Soorma Laxmidas’ which has a strong moral as a message.

Sixth day i.e. 11 Jan- In Rangayan Auditorium , JKK. At 7 pm- Veteran Theatre artist and Director/playist- Shree Sartaj Narayan Mathur is presenting his Live Musical Play performance –‘Khyaal Bharmali’- written by esteemed Rajasthani Writer Janaab Hammidullah,w hich was awarded ‘Rajasthan Sahitya Academy award in year 1978-79.
On the same day in Rangayan Auditorium , JKK. At 7 pm- From The city of lakes- NSD graduate Young Director Kaviraj Laique will give live musical live performance with his performers and artist to present Naag Bodas’ written play- Khabsoorat Bahu’ in sweet Mewari language- it is a live musical performance with the chorus.

Date	Guest Speaker	Profile	Moderator
6 Jan	Jagdish Chandra Katil	Famoud Media Person	Hemanth Acharya
7 Jan	Mahendra Surana	Tv Anchor(Prasshanottari Doordarshan ) and Radio Singer	Raju Kumar
8 Jan	Chhavi Rajawat	India’s First youngest sarpanch	Himanshi Rastogi
9 Jan	Sabri Brothers	Musicians and singers (kavvaal/kaul)
10 Jan	Chinmay Mehta	Painter, Muralist and Designer	Deepak Gera
11 Jan	Vinod Joshi	Community Director- Jaipur Virasat Foundation	Reema Goyal
12 Jan	Ustaad Zafar Khan & Mohd. Amaan	Tabla Player	Padmaja Gungun

Ranagayan (J.K.K)

रंगायन (जे.के.के)

Krishnayan(J.K.K)

कृष्णायण (जे.के.के)

7:00 pm

5:00 pm

poster-2

Date	Plays	Programme
6 Jan	Dulari Bai By Sudesh Vyas (Bikaner)	Mix Of Rajasthani Band (Folk Fusion Performance)
7 Jan	Mhe Raja the praja By Aashish Deo Charan (Jodhpur)	Kavi Sammelan (Poem Reciting Session) Poets:– Vijay Mishra Danish, Dhanraj Dadeech, Kanhaiya Lal Kanha, Bhagwan Sahay Pareek, and Kalyan Singh Shekhawat
8 Jan	Katha Sukavi SuryaMall Ki By Rajendra Panchal (Kota)	Sahi Galat Ko Khel (Play) By Yogendra Singh Parmar & Samar Veer Singh
9 Jan	Talwar By Rajendra Payal (Jaipur)	Rajasthani Story Reading (Story Reading Session) By Krishna Pal Singh Naruka, Ravindra Pareek, Deepak Gurjar and Ravi Ojha
10 Jan	Moonji Soorma Laxmidas By Tapan Bhatt (Jaipur)	Annuti Preet (Solo Performance) By Mahmood Ali
11 Jan	Khyal Bharmali By Sartaj Narayan Mathur (Jaipur)	WHY DON’T YOU LIKE SADNESS (International Performance) BY Katarzyna Chmielewska) (पधारो जी पावणा)
12 Jan	Khabsoorat Bahu By Kaviraaj Laique Hussain (Udaipur)	WHY DON’T YOU LIKE SADNESS (International Performance) BY Katarzyna Chmielewska (पधारो जी पावणा)

Jaipur Beat is glad to be the Digital Media Partner so as to enrich the culture of our state through this beautiful art fest.

So, Mark the dates: 6th January -12th January’17

Venue: Jawahar Kala Kendra- Jaipur

Pushkar Fair 2014 – A miraculous reunion of Verve, Devotion and Folklore

As the early morning light of 31st October rose over the sand dunes of holy town, Pushkar, the smells of camel feed along with the sounds of belching camels filled the air and embarked the beginning of the Pushkar Fair. The camel and horse traders huddled near the embers of small fires with cups of camel milk chai (tea) in the hands to discuss their plans for the fair while the droves of tourist cars and backpackers started pouring into town. With melding of innumerable hues of color and serene views and raw sounds, the festival took off its 7 day long mesmerizing journey with a flag host followed by a sequel of bustling activities.

Though the woman in rural Rajasthan sits in the confines of her home but the creativity in her hand is truly exceptional, which left many awe struck during the Mandana Competition. The designs, fine lines and beauty of Mandna revealed the unexplored talent of Rajasthan.

Adding to the liveliness of the fair, many tourists were seen in dressed colorful traditional attires with their own personalized twist which reflected their free spirits and energy for not only witnessing the celebration but begin a part of it.

A frenzied burst of activities like football match, Kabaddi match and Wrestling between the tourists and locals heightened the excitement and energy level among the participants and those who cheered their own respective teams.

Everyone has their own distinct & unique personal style to get dressed, true to its meaning some camels were adorned with glittery fabrics with silver bells and beautiful jewellery like mori, tang, mod, payal and ghooghra. While some had intricate motifs etched around their necks and heads in order to win the camel decoration competitions.

From beads, brass utensils, silver jewellery, colorful bangles to leather goods, unique embroidery clothes and exclusive handicrafts the colorful bazaars of Pushkar and Shilpgram situated at the RTDC tourist village had a lot to offer to the Shopaholics visiting the fair.

Other fun filled completions like Mataka Phod, musical chair race, Mataka Race,Turban tying and tilak completion ended a burst of amplified laughter and cheers. The tourists participated in each activity with a great gaiety and in full spirit.

The movement of the crowd during the spiritual walk was like a tide of color with currents of saffron and yellow creating a colorful and heavenly ambiance.

Exploring the beauty of coloufully drenched Pushkar at a bird’s eye view was serene and thrilling. Soaring through the air in a hot air balloon gives you a sense of exhilaration and peacefulness which just not possible with your feet on the ground!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The vivid facial expression captured depict the true emotions of the people, making a natural communication that doesn’t require words.

The spectacular cultural evenings are worth witnessing as when the cold November nights at the Pushkar sand dunes are lit up by the lurid campfires, the Sufi music and folk performances cast a magical spell. Swing to the sounds of high pitched musical instruments which echo in the vast expanse of the tranquil Thar Desert as the folk singers sing the songs that majestically narrate the tales of folk heroes, legendary lovers and their tragedies.

When you witness religious rites being performed during the Maha Aarti at the Pushkar Sarovar with such high reverence and respect, you can feel a humbling of the soul. The sight of the temple priest moving the lamp in a synchronizing manner to the rhythmic chants of hymns and the clang of cymbals during the Maha Aarti is truly a breathtaking experience.

The auspicious day of kartik Purnima marked the ending of the fair, innumerable devotees offered prayers and took a holy dip in the sacred water of Pushkar Sarovar and also a closing and prize distribution ceremony was organized at the Pushkar mela ground. Though this 7 day journey came to an end but everyone carried along unforgettable memories of a rising sun that bathes people before they have taken a dip, filling of colours in the yawning lazy streets and enchanting views of Maha Aarti that will always warm up their souls.

Photo credits : Rajasthan fairs and festivals and Department of Tourism Rajasthan