Music from the countryside is certainly not kindred to one that’s mainstream; the former has deeper character and captures the essence of hinterland. Delhi- and Wisconsin-based Amarrass Records and Amarrass Society for Performing Arts—a not-for-profit organisation that creates sustainable livelihoods for folk musicians and craftspeople—aims to bring to the forefront our country’s folk artists through their monthly initiative, Amarrass Nights. For their second edition of 2023, which is all set to take place at the Sunder Nursery later tonight, the team have an exceptional line-up of talent including Jumme Khan and Group from Alwar, Rajasthan; The Tapi Project led by Swati Minaxi from Gujarat; and Rehmat-e-Nusrat, a qawwali group from Uttarakhand.
On a mission
A multi-faceted independent record label, Amarrass Records is also an artist management company that produces and promotes music. The label works on putting emerging and lesser-known rural musicians in the spotlight by helping them create, revive, and sustain their music. Amarrass also helps keep alive the traditional art of instrument making.
Amarrass was a product of “general frustration for music,” as shared by co-founder Ashutosh Sharma. Sharma mentions that he was utterly through with existing quotidian music, and yearned for something fresh and original. “There isn’t much in the classical and folk space,” shares producer-director Sharma, adding, “Everything is unknown because most of the time, the musicians are presented on a regional platter. It’s always ‘a musician from Rajasthan’ or ‘music from the hills of Himachal’. We started creating each musician’s identity.”
Initiated by the co-founders Sharma and producer-director Ankur Malhotra in Rajasthan in 2009, Amarrass Nights is a platform that works on getting music from the villages on urban stages. The idea is to help musicians create portfolios and amplify their sounds so that it reaches people who can take this music forward. “They were really down the food chain,” mentions Sharma, as he talks of the musicians the project collaborates with. With their first release in November 2010, Amarrass has released 11 albums till date that feature 11 dynamic artists from the nooks and crannies of the country.
Front and centre
Apart from giving rural musicians a platform, Amarrass Nights also helps build their presence in people’s hearts. Jumme Khan and Group is one of the folk talents that will be showcased in tonight’s event. One fine day, when Amarrass was organising an event in Jaipur, Jumme Khan—who is part of the the Jogi family from Rajasthan’s Pinan Village—walked up to them and said, “Main bhi kalaakar hu [I am also an artist], and the rest is history. Known for improvisatory poetry, Jumme Khan epitomises the spirit of Mewar through his music. When asked about his performance, Jumme Khan replied: “Hamari sab taiyyari hoti hai. Hum toh public ko dekh kar gaate hain [All our preparations are done. We just look at the public and sing].”
Derived from Indian folk and contemporary elements, The Tapi Project will also be performing tonight. Speaking about their set, Yogendra Saniyawala (music, lyrics, and instruments) concluded, “Tonight’s performance is an invitation for the audience to dive deeper and question the nature of reality. It is centred on powerful vocals and woven intricately to create a sonic experience to ride the enquiry, in essence to shake the conventional and erase the boundaries.”
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: Amarrass Nights@Sunder Nursery
WHEN: Today, 5pm onwards
WHERE: Sunder Nursery Amphitheatre, Nizamuddin West