Jodhpur International Folk Festival 2012

RAJASTHAN INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL  JODHPUR 2012

Our Programme 

26 Oct 12 Dep by Rajasthan Kranti  from Gurgaon arr Jodhpur 08.30 hours
Stayed in Army Guest Room.
31 Oct 12 Return by Mandore Exp dep 20.00pm arrival Gurgaon 06.00 Am

Jodhpur U can see these places; 

Mehrangarh Fort. This fort is one of the largest fort in India. The fort is situated at an altitude of about 400 ft and is spread over an area of 5 sq km, with seven gates.

Umaid Bhawan Palace. This immense palace known as Chittar Palace because of the local chittar sandstone used.The palace now runs as a hotel, though, a part of it has been retained as a museum and part as royal residence. 

Jaswant Thada. Close to the fort complex lies white marble cenotaph, built in 1899 .

Mandore. Mandore is located at a distance of 9 km from Jodhpur City. The Cenotaph of Maharajah Dhiraj Ajit Singh, an attraction of this site is adorned with carved elephants.

FESTIVAL Details
Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF), the only experimental folk music festival in the world providing platform to folk musicians of India and abroad.The Jodhpur RIFF has tied up with Celtic Connections, the largest folk music festival in the northern hemisphere.

Day breaks;  5.30 AM to 7.30 AM ,Open to all, Entry free

Interactive Session;  11.00 AM In Mehrangarh Fort Lawns, Rs 750 per day.

Living Legends - 6.30 PM to 7.30 PM  Chkelao Mahal, Rs 900.00 per day.

Dusk Devotions ; 5.00 PM to 6.15 PM ; Jaswant Thada ; Entry free
Main Stage -8.00 PM to 11.30 Chkelao Mahal, Meharangarh Fort , Rs1100.00 per day

Club Mehran - from 11.30 PM onwards, Mehrangarh Fort, Rs900 per day

Except for Dusk Devotions all events are inside Mehrangarh Fort.




27 October: Went to see the Interactive Session,11.00 AM In Residence - Percussion of Rajasthan.

Waiting for Performance

Returned for Lunch.

Went to see Living Legends from 6.30 PM to 7.30 PM  at Chkelao Mahal  by Sugna Devi Kalbeliya and Latif Khan Langa .

Sugna Devi

Latif  Khan Performance

Carried pack dinner and saw: Main Stage Performances -8.00 PM to 11.30 at Chkelao Mahal  Maand; Mark Atkins in collaboration with rajasthani percussionists; Cimarron from Colombia . 

Mark Atkins of Australia

Acknowledged as one of Australia’s finest didgeridoo players, Mark Atkins is also recognized internationally for his collaborative projects with some of the world’s leading composers and musicians. A descendant of Western Australia’s Yamitji people, as well as of Irish/Australian heritage, Mark Atkins is known not only for his masterly playing, but also as a storyteller, composer, percussionist, visual artist and instrument maker. Through Mark’s lips the air blows as a natural desert sound, in old ethnic chants and in polyphonic melodies of astonishing rhythm.

Cimarron is the most accomplished llanera (music from los Llanos) group in Colombia. A seven piece band, led by harpist and composer Carlos Rojas, they have been working for over

twenty years and have performed in Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, Sweden, France, Italy, England and the USA. These musicians are immersed in the sounds of los llanos; they seek to explore and experiment with their rich heritage whilst retaining the essence of the tradition.





Later saw at Club Mehran - from 11.30 PM Ek raat Ghulam Hussain ke Saath (Qawwalli); returned back and did not see  Midnight Global Grooves with MPS Pilot.

28 October: Went to see Interactive Folk Session - 2 - 11.00 AM - The Kathodi of Mewar

Kathodi of Mewar

Performer who has been to over 65 Countries

Tribal Performers

Came back for Lunch and went to see Living Legends 

Chkelao Mahal (Mehrangarh Fort) 6.30 PM to 7.30 PM  Male Khan Langa; Anwar Khan Manganiyar; Gavra Devi Bikaneri

Male Khan

The Main Stage performance was from 8.00 PM to 11.30 at Old Zenana Courtyard (Mehrangarh Fort) of  Desert Souls (sarangi); 

Maharaja Gaj Singh meeting performers

Desert Souls is Single Family Performance

Ganesh - Kumaresh Duo (Carnatic Violin); Burhan Ocal and Istanbul Oriental Ensemble

We came back after this and did not go to : Club Mehran for performance  from 11.30 PM at Desert Lounge. 

Istanbul Orient 

On top of Mehrangarh fort

29 October: Went to see Interactive Folk Session - 3 - 11.00 AM - The Kalbeliya of Marwar

Performer Kalbeliya

Kalbeliya

Came back for Lunch and saw evening Dusk Devotions.

See the Mehrangarh Fort in Back ground

Dusk Devotion; See the Palace in Background

Fort at Night

Main Stage - 8.00 PM to 11.30 Chkelao Mahal (Mehrangarh Fort) Parveen Khan and Rhys Sebastian; 

Parveen, Rhys Sebastian

The Fantastic Performer NADRO Band

Rakitha Wickramaratne and band Naadro , later with Rajasthani Percussionists; 

Rakitha Wickramaratne with Naadro Percussion Band. Rakitha is the founder member of the newest six member drum ensemble of Sri Lanka known as 'NAADRO'. 'A Percussion Ensemble' ably supported by Gayan Manokumara, Nalinda Dilupama, Ranga Nuwantha, Pabalu Wijegunawadene , and Uthpala Iroshan, are all trained under the likes of well known names in the field of music such as Piyasara Shilpadhipathi, Dr Basil Mihiripanna and Ravi Bandu Vidyapathi and all the young musicians are students at the University of Colombo, learning the Performing Arts.

Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson Band from Scotland.

Jarlath has been a three time All-Ireland Champion Uilleann Piper at only 19 years of age. In December 2003 he became the first Irish musician to win the prestigious BBC Young Folk Musician Of The Year. Ross hails from Perth and is a former member of the Grade 1 Vale Of Atholl pipe band. He has since toured with his tutor, the late Gordon Duncan, and was involved in Ivan Drever's band Clueless before more recently playing with Flook!, Dougie MacLean and Salsa Celtica. 

  Also saw - from 11.30 PM  Rustle with Scottish Band, Sri Lankan NADRO with Rajasthani Musicians and surprise guest artist.

30 October 2012. Early morning went to see Closing Dawn Concert 5.30 AM to 7.30 AM at Jaswant Thada (outside Mehrangarh Fort) singing of Sahaja Kabir, suno bhai sadho by Prahlad Tipaniya and Party.A memorable performance indeed.

Prahlad Tipaniya

Back drop of Jaswant Thada

31Oct Went to see Umaid Bhavan Palce,and  its small museam and then drove to Mandore Garden and returned by  Lunch. Mandore Garden can be skipped.It is badly maintained and not worth the effort to go there.

UMAID PALACE

                    

   

Umaid Palace

Mandore Garden

Temple at Mandore Garden

The Rajasthan International Folk Festival is an excellent event for all music lovers.
You can enjoy each and every performance. The performances by local artists are fantastic.
The international performers are exceptional in their field.
It is held on Full Moon of Oct each year.
Enjoy It.
Here is a Clip showing various performers performing in the RIFF.

http://youtu.be/EPVB2Kv79Js