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Jodhpur RIFF’s dawn sessions take place with Mehrangarh Fort in the backdrop. Photo: Courtesy of Jodhpur RIFF
Mehrangarh Fort lights up with music this week for the upcoming edition of Jodhpur RIFF between Oct. 16 and 20 in Rajasthan.
Now in its 17th year, the festival held in the 15th Century venue has been a big draw for Indian and international attendees for programming homegrown and globally renowned artists in settings ranging from dawn concerts to lake-side performances to a massive courtyard setting for energetic sets.
This time around, Jodhpur RIFF will host notable international acts including French electronic/new age music veteran Deep Forest, fusion artist Sona Mohapatra, ghatam veterans Giridhar Udupa and Sukanya Ramgopal, qawwali stars The Warsi Brothers, Indian classical vocalist Chandana Bala Kalyan, Rajasthan’s seasoned voices Dilshad Khan, Sumitra Das Goswami and Meherdeen Khan Langa, Estonian folk duo Puuluup, sega artist Emlyn, Korean fusion act Gray by Silver, Zimbabwean guitarist-vocalist Louis Mhlanga and more.
The festival spans five days and also includes plenty of cross-cultural collaborations, dance workshops and storytelling from around the world. From Kerala puppetry show Pavakathakali to a kathak bootcamp by Tarini Tripathi and “Tamasha” Rajasthani theater by Dilip Bhatt, there’s a lot more with music at its core, including film screenings.
The penultimate performance carries on a longstanding tradition of the festival, the jam known as RIFF Rustle, featuring Congolese percussionist Elli Miller-Maboungu, Giridhar Udupa, Rajasthani artists and more.
Festival director Divya Bhatia says in a statement, “Jodhpur RIFF has been at the forefront of the Indian roots music scene for 17 years now. Our commitment to roots music also means that we think beyond silos such as music. dance, theatre or classical, jazz, folk and Sufi and truly explore the wonder that is our collective, living, musical heritage. This year’s Jodhpur RIFF aims to do just that.”
Jodhpur RIFF’s chief patron, HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur added in his statement, “Rajasthani folk artists are equal to the best roots musicians in the world. Not just in terms of their musical heritage but also how some of them are reinterpreting and contemporizing their legacy for the current generation. Jodhpur RIFF is proof of this. The festival exists to provide an enabling environment and superb platform for folk artists. But it also serves to introduce remarkable international performers to our audiences and gives these artists a fantastic opportunity to interact and collaborate with the infinite living treasure that is Rajasthani folk.”
Donor passes for the festival are priced at ₹5,900 (for Oct. 17), ₹7,080 (for Oct. 18 and Oct 19 each), with a season pass selling for ₹17,110. While online sales of passes have closed, tickets can be purchased at festival tents and the box office.
Get more details on Jodhpur RIFF 2024 here.