A musical extravaganza

01 September,2013 09:49 AM IST |   |  Kaveri Waghela

Planning a trip to Rajasthan this October? Be sure to be at the Mehrangarh Fort then, to immerse yourself in soul-stirring melodies at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) in Jodhpur that features a mix of traditional Rajasthani compositions along with global musical collaborations from October 17-21


The Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) held in Jodhpur, which has for years lured both music enthusiasts and cultural aficionados alike, will be held at the Mehrangarh Fort this year.

The five-day cultural programme, which is in its seventh year, will include devotional concerts, club nights, musical collaborations between Rajasthani and Nordic, British, West Asian and Australian artistes, folk and classical sessions.


The programme will include devotional concerts, club nights and folk and classical sessions

Divya Bhatia, festival director says, "Attendees look out for something new and exciting every year. When we started out, people wondered whether a cultural festival in Rajasthan would attract the crowd. Now people come from all around the world which is very encouraging."

This year, the festival is focusing on the Manganiyar community of Rajasthan, known for its traditional musical history.

Bhatia explains, "The vocal repertoire of the Manganiyars is vast. Four generations of the community will perform."

The research for the festival is an ongoing process but the conceptualisation starts one year in advance and is done by the Jaipur Virasat Foundation. "We travel to the interiors of Rajasthan to trace the best musicians. It is an interactive process, sometimes we ask them to perform, at other times they show us what they are good at," Bhatia adds.

He is visibly excited about the event. "Next year, we will host it in a different venue in Rajasthan and hopefully, also have some new international collaborations," he concludes.

The passes for the Jodhpur RIFF festival are available online at www.jodhpurriff.orgu00a0

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