Programme Details, 10th October 2008 (Friday)
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Maand
Vocal recital by Parveen Mirza, Rehana Mirza (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
(Chowkelao Gardens, 7.30 PM) |
The Festival begins with a brief but very special recital of songs in the courtly tradition of Rajwaadi Maand, brought to life by Parveen Mirza, and her sister Rehana Mirza. Maand is a style of singing that originated and flourished in Rajasthan and is a legacy of the courtesans that were patronized by the royal families. It's an art form that's passed down generations of the same family. It wouldn't be far fetched to say that it's difficult for anyone who's not born into it to replicate, as it's something artists grow up with
From Ajitgarh village in Sikar district, Rehana and Parveen Mirza were born into a family of traditional musicians and are the two leading Maand singers of Rajasthan. Rehana is the senior most Maand artist in Rajasthan and possibly the country considering Maand is something that's intrinsic to Rajasthan. Both sisters trained under the able guidance of Ustad Bhure Khan Gothnadi of the Kirana Gharana, who was a singer and tabla player at the Shahpura Darbar. After his death Rehana and Parveen were taken under the wings of their mother Malka Begum and aunt Liyaquat Begum, both legendry singers of their time..
55-year-old Rehana has participated in a number of Musical concerts and shown her singing prowess across many cities of the country including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad to name a few. Rehana has a unique way of singing and her repertoire includes Maand, Ghazals and Bhajans.
Parveen started singing at the tender age of 7 and hasn't looked back since. The 45-year-old has released more than 100 cassettes, LPs and CDs with HMV. Both sisters are veteran All India Radio and Doordarshan artists.
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Vocal recital by Padma Shri Shubha Mudgal (New Delhi)
(Chowkelao Gardens, 9:00 pm)
Taking her inspiration from its varied vocal styles, Shubha Mudgal presents an ode to Rajasthan’s traditional balladeers, developed and arranged in her own inimitable style. From the Bhajans of Mirabi to the praises of Nathadwaraji, Shubha brings to life the evocative words of Rajasthan’s greatest poets and songwriters.
As a young girl, Shubha learned Kathak. She then switched to Hindustani classical music, where her first guru was Pandit Ram Ashreya Jha in Allahabad. Later she continued her education with Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Naina Devi and Pt. Kumar Gandharva.
A recipient of the Padma Shri (a national award given for distinguished contribution in the awardee’s sphere of activity), Shubha is an internationally renowned and versatile performer, equally at ease with Hindustani classical, Thumri, Khayal, or pop and semi classical. A passionate champion of the rights of artists, she now manages an independent label ‘Underscore Records’ with her husband, tabla maestro Aneesh Pradhan.
Programmes may be subject to change
For more information, email info@jodhpurfolkfestival.org
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Programme Details 11th October 2008 (Saturday) |
Mystical High
Vocal recital by Qawaali by Zakir Ali and party (Ajmer, Rajasthan)
(Old Zenana Courtyard, 8.30-10:00 pm) |
Once a year, the 15th century Dargah at Ajmer Sharif has a special five-day celebration at the
time of Urs, where a ‘khas mehfil’ or special gathering sits. The Diwan of the Dargah now sits where Khawaja Garib Nawaz Mohinuddin Chisti used to sit and receives offerings from devotees and followers. It was at these gatherings that Garib Nawaz introduced (and regularly patronized) the Qawaali, as a spiritual expression for all.
Zakir Ali always performs at the Dargah, and the occasion is very special to him - and has been ever since he played alongside his father and guru Babban Khan ‘Diwana’ in Ajmer Sharif. A third-generation Qawaal, he received his early training under the guidance of his father and his grandfather, Janab Mehbob Khan Saab of Rae Bareilly.
More a style of singing than a form of poetry, the Qawaali still maintains the special interchanging function of the solo and choral singers. And Zakir Ali is amongst the few artists who still perform in a paramparagat (traditional)manner.At Jodhpur RIFF, Zakir Ali gives us a taste of the early compositions of Sufi poets Amir Khusro, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Garib Nawaz and others.
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Phoebe Legre – piano, vocals and accordion (North America)
Guru Rewben Mashangwa - Tingtelia and vocals (Meghalaya, India)
Saka Mashangwa – percussion (Meghalaya, India)
Jackson Scott – Gypsy guitar (UK/ Spain)
Club Mehran (Chowkelao Courtyard, 10:30pm-00:00am)
Our first ‘club’ night is an unusual one as it features three virtuoso artistes, from three very different traditions, on the same stage
- Phoebe Legre, is a dynamic performer on piano, accordion and Native American flute, with a four and half octave vocal range. A highly gifted Franco-Canadian-Cajun, she has a unique and versatile approach to mixing jazz, classical, rock and Native American music.
- Guru Rewben Mashangwa and his son Saka, hail from the hill district of Ukhrul in Meghalaya, northeastern India. Rewben is a tribal singer, musician & composer, researcher & guide of tribal/ folk music and is the leading exponent of Hao music of the region. He performs on the Tingtelia, a violin-like instrument that took him seven years to modify to suit his music, as well as the modern acoustic guitar and harmonica.
- Jackson Scott was always destined for a musical existence and moved to London from Spain in his late teens to follow his dream of being a Gypsy guitarist. Since then he has worked with established artists ranging from Bill Lovelady to Pearl Lowe whilst performing live both as a solo singer/songwriter and with an eclectic mix of bands. Jackson’s most recent and talked-about project, Mano de Dios, is a rugged blend of flamenco, punk, rumba and samba.
It is very likely, that the evening will end with the artists sharing the stage together, in the time honoured, Indian tradition of a musical collaboration, the ‘jugalbandi’.
Programmes may be subject to change
For more information, email info@jodhpurfolkfestival.org
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Programme Details 12th October 2008 (Sunday) |
Voices, words and melody
Living Legends of Rajasthani Traditional Music
(Moti Mahal, 5.00 pm) |
Jodhpur RIFF 2008 presents a special evening concert featuring the breathtaking musicianship of distinguished folk music maestros from the Langa and Manganiyar communities.
The Langas' repertoire includes a great number of Hindu devotional songs (they are Muslims), and they are well-known internationally for the quality of their musicianship. Musical instruments specific to this community are the Algoza, Shehnai and Sarangi.
The Manganiyars are from western Rajasthan (from areas adjoining the Indo-Pakistan border). Manganiyars were traditionally purveyors of music to local feudal families as well as patrons in other communities. The songs they sing are transmitted from one generation to the next. Musical instruments specific to this community are Khamayacha, Morchang and Khartal.
- 60-year-old Darra Khan Manganiyar is a resident of Mianyazlar village in Jaisalmer district. Darra Khan is a senior vocalist of Nirguni and Gorakhnath Bhajans. He devotes much of his time to a trust in Khyala village of Bapji Badalnath.
- Luna Khan Manganiyar is a musician as well as a poet. A specialist of old Manganiyar songs, he also plays the Khamayacha – the key string instrument of the Manganiyar community. He is also 60 years old and lives in Bhadali village in Barmer district.
- Nihal Khan Manganiyar is a specialist of old Manganiyari folk songs and Bhajans. The 50-year-old plays the Harmonium beautifully despite being blind by birth.
- Like most folk communities in Rajasthan, Manganiyar women are very traditional and sing only within their own community. Smt. Rukma Manganiyar, from Ramsar village, Barmer is a path-breaker in this regard - she performed at festivals and concerts in India and abroad and has also been richly appreciated and rewarded for it.
What started as a means to earn a living has become an integral part of her life. The 50-year-old has performed in festivals in London, Italy and Australia. Arguably the senior most female singer of the Manganiyar community, she was given the prestigious Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi award and has been felicitated by the Madhya Pradesh Government. Rukma Manganiyar will be accompanied by two of her family members Smt. Dariya Manganiyar and Smt. Sanifa Manganiyar, who will be performing for the first time ever at a public event at the Jodhpur RIFF 2008.
- Brothers Akhi Muhammad Langa and Saleh Muhammad Langa are blessed with wonderful voices and are specialists of the Langa folk songs. Aged 60 and 50-years-old respectively, they live in Raneri Kanaseri village in Jodhpur district.
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Stirring
Vocal Recital by Ustad Sultan Khan with Lakha Khan Manganiyar (both on Sarangi)
Anwar Khan Manganiyar (vocal)
Main Stage (Chowkelao Gardens, 8.00-10:00pm)
Ustad Sultan Khan is the undisputed king of the classical Sarangi, a string instrument that sounds almost like a human voice, and one that finds its origins in the erstwhile administraive districts of Rajputana and Sindh.
At Jodhpur RIFF, Ustadji combines his skill with one of Rajasthan’s most accomplished Sarangi players in the roots tradition - Lakha Khan Manganiyar. The two maestros have spent several days together in Jodhpur, exploring folk themes, listening to each other, and evolving a repertoire designed to surpass other similar crossover attempts. Ustadji says that in the past, the classical and folk have only been able to combine as a gimmick.
Here, he aims to create a true collaboration. Anwar Khan Manganiyar, a singer of extraordinary range and power, joins them with his vocal prowess, while Hanif Khan (tabla) and Sabir Khan (sarangi) will accompany the maestros.
Ustadji’s repertoire includes hundreds of compositions– classical, folk and the contemporary. As an accompanist, he is the preferred partner for artists such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Pandit Ravi Shankar. He has the rare distinction of being a double recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (The President's Award, India).
Moving between the semi-classical and the folk, this performance promises to be an evocative one… mellifluous sounds that will bring to life the soul of the desert
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Jodhpur Express
Vocal recital by Rajasthani Folk, Bex Mather and Jason Singh (Rajasthan/ UK)
Club Mehran (Zenana Deodi, 10:30pm-00:00am)
We are thrilled to present the Festival’s first collaborative album - ‘Jodhpur Express’ - at Club Mehran this year.
International composer, beat boxer/ vocal percussionist, DJ, producer, workshop facilitator and multimedia artist, Jason Singh (Manchester) wowed audiences with his vocal dexterity and
jugalbandis with Rajasthani artists at Jodhpur RIFF 2007.
This time, Jason and his collaborator Bex Mather (Newcastle), folk/ jazz singer, songwriter and guitarist, have spent weeks working alongside exceptional Rajsathani folk artists to present an evening of electroacoustic sound that will rival the best contemporary lounge, dance and club grooves the world over.
Kutla Khan Manganiyar (dholak), Jaisa Khan/ Bhungar Khan (khartaal), Nathu Solanki (nagara), Raies Khan (morchang), Jumma Khan Mewati (bhapang), Nehru Khan and Jameel Khan (vocals) will all experiment, collaborate and perform with Jason and Bex.
Later in October, this new collaboration will be presented in London and will then tour the UK in early 2009. We are sincerely grateful to the British Council, Annenberg Foundation and the Jaipur Virasat Foundation for their consistent support of this project. |
Programmes may be subject to change
For more information, email info@jodhpurfolkfestival.org
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Programme Details 13th October 2008 (Monday) |
An evening of Rajasthani Folk, Jazz music and Gypsy dance music.
- Rajasthani folk artists with the Yuri Honing Trio (Rajasthan/ Netherlands)
- Thierry Robin (France)
- Parno Graszt (Hungarian Roma)
Main Stage and Club Mehran (Old Zenana Courtyard/ Zenana Deori, 8:30pm onwards)
Jodhpur RIFF presents its first ever evening dedicated to a heady combination of Gypsy, Jazz and Rajasthani folk music.
The evening begins with an unusual collaboration between some of Rajasthan’s most accomplished folk artists and one of Europe’s most interesting Jazz trios. The morchang meets the contra bass; the saxophone plays with the sarangi and the khartal – jazz and folk like never before.
Chota Gazi Khan (khartal), Sumitra and Sajjan Das (vocal, harmonium, tandoora), Darra Khan (vocal), Goram Khan (dholak) and Kheta Khan (morchang) play alongside The Yuri Honing Trio.
Yuri is a brilliant saxophone player, composer, and one of the leading Dutch voices in jazz since the nineties, Tony Overwater, bass player extraordinaire; and ace drummer Joost Lijbaart. The Trio’s album ‘Orient Express’ was nominated for an Edison (Dutch Grammy) in 2003.
These artists will spend more time together, preparing a new repertoire that they will perform together at the Bimhuis Festival in the Netherlands in November 2008. |
Then, Thierry ‘Titi’ Robin takes the stage. A veteran of innumerable compositions and performances inspired by and performed in Rajasthan and an old friend of Rajasthani folk music, Titi is a major force in the world of music today.
In a special appearance, Jodhpur RIFF brings on stage percussionist Hameed Khan, founder of the famous Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, to play alongside Titi. Hameed bhai (tabla) and Titi (guitar) together formed one of the earliest international collaborations, playing for years in local fairs and festivals in Rajasthan and in oriental restaurants across Europe.
Programmes may be subject to change
For more information, email info@jodhpurfolkfestival.org
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Programme Details 14th October 2008 (Tuesday) |
Dawn devotional concert
Prahlad Tipaniya and party (Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh)
(Jaswant Thada, 6.00 am)
On the last morning at dawn, Jodhpur RIFF presents a special devotional concert of Kabir's Nirgun bhajans by Prahlad Singh Tipaniya and party, folk music Maestro from the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.
Born in 1954, Shri Prahlad Singh Tipaniya has been rendering traditional devotional songs for over three decades. He has performed at festivals in his home state since his childhood. A number of young people have been trained by him. He has produced many audio cassettes and CDs of his Bhajans and has been featured in a documentary film titled 'America me Kabir Yatra'. Besides the United States, Shri Tipaniya has performed in the London Mela and at the World Social Forum in Karachi. For his service to music, Shri Prahlad Singh has been honoured by the Madhya Pradesh Government with its Shikhar Sanman in 2005. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the folk music of Madhya Pradesh.
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Dawn devotional concert at Jodhpur RIFF 2007
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Daily Performances in the Fort |
11, 12, 13th October
Folk mornings
(Chowkelao Gardens, 9.00 am/ 3.00 pm)
Every morning at the newly opened Chowkelao Gardens, against the sensational backdrop of Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur RIFF will play host to schoolchildren, their families and visitors at a specially created 2-3 hour variety concert, introducing them to the colourful and vibrant performing arts of Rajasthan
These interactive mornings, facilitated in a dynamic demonstration format, include:
- Folk songs of various artistic communities
- Performances by traditional street acrobats
- Playful and colourful presentations of regional performance traditions
- Lesser-known dance traditions of Rajasthan
- An introduction to folk instruments of the state
- Storytelling sessions
- Through ‘Phad’ (a pictorial, scroll-based, musical storytelling format unique to the Bhopa community)
- ‘rediscovered’ and alternate readings of folk stories by modern writers
A street acrobat in action at Chowkelao Gardens
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11, 12, 13th October
Folk in the Museum
(Mehrangarh Museum Courtyards)
Visitors on tour in the Mehrangarh Museum will witness special performances during the day, as they move from one exhibition space to another. These occasional acts, lasting no more than 15 minutes, will be interactive and include performances such as:
- A musical interlude with a small ensemble of Been/ Pungi players from Bikaner
- A rendition of unconventional, lesser known Kalbeliya songs from Jalore
- Chang dancers from Churu
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11th and 13th October
Sunset devotional concerts
Narayana Ram Meghawal – vocal (Barmer, Rajasthan)
Padma Ram Meghawal – vocal (Kundal, Rajasthan)
(Jaswant Thada, 6.00 pm)
As the sun sets over the city of Jodhpur, visitors and residents will be treated to the ‘nirguna’ devotional traditions of the state – songs by Meerabai and Kabir, to Baba Ramdev and Sufi greats such a s Bhulleh Shah.
Padma Ram Meghwal is the oldest artist attending Jodhpur RIFF this year. The 80-year-old from Kundal village in Barmer started singing bhajans at the tender age of 10 and still diligently does riyaz everyday in a temple in Guddagaon, Barmer.
He trained under Sehja Bai for 8 years, the famous bhajan singer from this region. Padmaji has participated in many concerts abroad and has performed in all the key cities of our country. He was given the Marudhara award in Kolkata for his contribution to Indian music. He draws inspiration from the bhajans of Meera, Sadaram, Kabir, Rohal Sai, Tulsidas and Ramdev and has released a CD called 'Ninad' on Meera bhajans.
Music fascinated Narayana Ram Meghwal ever since he was a little boy. He would walk for miles to attend satsang in the neighbouring villages of his native village Balasar in Barmer.
The late Magna Ram Meghwal nurtured Narayana's interest in music and taught him the nuances of bhajan singing. By the time Narayana was 20, he had started singing regularly, the traditional Veena being his chosen accompanying instrument. Kabir, Tulsidas, Ravidas, Meera, Surdas and Sadaramji, a local saint, are his inspiration. At 31, Narayana is considered quite young, but exceptional.
The concert promises to be a rare treat for aficionados and first time listeners alike. |
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