Spend musical evening listening to Langa music by leading vocalists from Jodhpur

The roar of cars and the incessant flow of traffic in Mumbai might be a far cry from the serene shifting sands of Jodhpur but that has not stopped SAZ from bringing some of their traditional desert melodies to town The threemember group of mdash Sadiq Khan Asin Khan and Zakir Khan mdash have been busy crafting and collaborating ahead of their new project Their performance today at the intimate setting of Ankh studio in Chembur will bring to the city a taste of the new strains of Langa musicldquoMusic always attracts new thingsrdquo says Asin Khan the leading vocalist for the team before adding that ldquoIt is also the same no matter which genre you play mdashfolk or WesternrdquoSadiq KhanBorn in the Langa community mdash based mainly out of Rajasthan mdash the trio are the latest in the line of generational musicians ldquoIt music is always around usrdquo explains Sadiq Khan The villages are music schools themselves ldquoIn the early years we were a little distracted by games In time the elders would sit us down and educate us that this music is our path It is both career and tradition for kids in our lineagerdquo he remarksThere is more than just knowledge about songs and musical structures passed down Asin shares ldquoWe have been crafting music and songs that speak about kings and our patronsrdquo Gatha aur katha he calls it ldquoFolk music is always part of a narrative a story For instance the Dhola maru song is by Dhola This music is based on folk stories and emotions that emerge from the stories Often when people do not understand the language or the meaning of the song we explain it to them The meaning and context of the music is very much a part of the experiencerdquo he elaborates The community traditionally earned by performing their compositions at the request of patrons at weddings or during other celebrationsZakir Khan playing the khartalsThe Jodhpur RIFF emerged as a platform where they could express themselves Yet it was not until 2019 that the trio first performed together ldquoIt was our first tour to China Even then we were just musicians performing together But after the tour we decided to team uprdquo says AsinDivya Bhatia festival director of Jodhpur RIFF and producer of the band in an individual capacity explains ldquoWhile they were not a group back then the response was phenomenal So when they came back with the idea of working together as a team I decided to help outrdquoAsin Khan plays the Sindhi sarangi PicsAishwarya DeodharThus SAZ was born The name is a blend of the first letters of their first names and a nod to the instruments that contribute to their heritage Each musician brings a different instrument to the table While Sadiq Khan plays the dholak Zakir takes on the khartal and Asin plays the Sindhi sarangi named so after the traditional patrons mdash Sindhi sipahisIn the last few years the trio have not just grown but evolved Collaborating with diverse artistes creating and composing new music they are adapting to the modern demands of music Their current visit to the city saw them collaborate with Rhys Sebastianrsquos Saxontoast and Tarini Tripathi to mention a few Bhatia adds ldquoThey are still playing songs from the traditional school but all their compositions are new They are also now creating new songs and structures and developing collaborationsrdquo Among their current projects is an album that the group is currently working on While a date is not set it will feature new compositions saysAsin Khan Back in 2021 they first performed at SOHO House This time they return with a packed itinerary ldquoThrough SAZ the effort is to revive the traditional idiom and take it to people across the worldrdquo he concludesOn August 12 6 pm onwardsAt Ankh Cube beside Cafeacute Coffee Day DeonarCall 9930009821 to RSVP limited seatingFree