Divya Bhatia, the director of the Jodhpur RIFF Festival, is a busy man right now. Jodhpur RIFF will turn 18 this year and preparations are in full swing. Set to be held at the Mehrangarh Fort from October 2nd to 6th, it will attract performers not only from various parts of the country but also from around the world. But his eye is on the local.
“For the Jodhpur RIFF Festival, the motto has always been about supporting local artists and their art,” he says. “To enable this we have included artists from across the world. An artist evolves in many ways. Playing with artists from other styles/ genres pushes a folk artist to dig deeper into their own repertoire, to try new compositions, to play differently, resulting in their musical growth. Hence, this cultural mix is important for us.”
As the festival grows older, the aim is also to build and ‘grow’ the audience. The focus on school children, intending to develop a music taste among them, is one such strategy. “Jodhpur RIFF’s Bal Mela Morning introduces traditional Rajasthani music and performances to over 4,000 school children of Jodhpur, our audiences of tomorrow,” he says. He adds, “A variety of rare forms of folk music are presented throughout the festival for audiences of all ages. Legends of Rajasthani music are presented alongside national and international artists of stature. The whole festival is a platform for the traditional musicians.”
The festival appeals to all age groups and people from all states, including Delhi, as well as foreign tourists. The morning shows attract an audience of 300-400 people. “Later, on the same day, our other programmes, which take place in a much bigger space, get much larger audiences. The city concert on the first night, which has free entry, receives an audience of nearly 3,500 people,” says Bhatia.
Setting and time
Other than the list of good artists, what sets Jodhpur RIFF Festival apart is its timing. The festival schedules programmes from five am in the morning to three am late night.
“Music can be presented right through the day/ night. Doing this enables the audience to experience different kinds of music at all hours of the day - at dawn, at moonrise, at midnight, in a variety of settings. This brings the audience closer to the music - they experience something different, something heightened, appreciating better the nuances of each artist and form,” says Bhatia.
Primary attractions
This year’s festival list of artists include Layla Tazhibayeva, a virtuoso Kobyz player from Kazakhstan, Gulzoda Khudoinazarova, one of the soulful voices from the heart of central Asia, Ghewar Khan and Darre Khan, players of the kamaycha, accompanied by their brother Feroze Khan, a dholak player in Rajasthan, and many others. The list also includes sarangi player Lakha Khan.
"Rajasthani bhajan singer Mahesaram Meghwal’s performance at dawn and those of the artists from Central Asia are this year’s attractions. The performances by the maestros of the Langa and Manganiyar communities, the variety of styles and regions represented by women artists, the immersive show ‘en route’; and many more will fill the hearts of the audience with joy,” Bhatia says.