JFG: Fusion of Rajasthani folk artists, global gypsy sounds

Music binds people together, and the ongoing Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy festival is a perfect example of it. The second day of the festival, being held at the majestic Mehrangarh Fort here, showcased distinctive gypsy sounds from across the world with a fusion of mesmerising performances by Rajasthani folk artistes.

The three-day festival, jointly organised by Mehrangarh Museum Trust and CRN productions, continued to retain the magical aura of day one by bringing in the soulful melodies and captivating tunes with performances by artistes from Rajasthan, Turkey and Spain.

Opening the evening on Saturday with a breathtaking performance was Desert Strings -- a team of world renowned Rajasthani musicians from the Langa community. Featuring the magical voice of Shakoor Khan Langa, the troupe is known for celebrating the rich heritage of Rajasthani music.

Hosted at Moti Mahal, the largest period room of the Mehrangarh Museum, the performance by Desert Strings left the audience mesmerised.

"The notes of my Algoza (instrument) found the melodies of the Spanish gypsies it was a beautiful collaboration," said Shakoor Khan Langa, the face of Desert Strings.

What followed next was even more delightful.

The centuries-old Meharangarh Fort was jazzed up with the performance by Turkish Gypsy legends, including singer and guitarist Berk Gurman, percussionist Gurkan Ozkan, violinist Serdar Pazarcioglu, singer and performer Onur Gugul and clarinet exponent Alaattin Kabaci, who shared the stage with the Kalbelia dancers and gypsy musicians of Rajasthan.

The performance won a lot of hearts.

There was also a fusion of flamenco player El Bola, singer El Indio, percussionist Pablo Dominguez, bassist Javier Colina and flamenco dancer Daniel Navarro along with Desert Strings. A highpoint of the performance was the spellbinding dance moves by Navarro, whose flamenco performance left many in awe, especially young girls in the crowd.

The sequence was also an apt example of classical flamenco culture, Spanish musical aura mixed with soothing folk music.

Last but not the least, dancer Karen Lugo created magic at the main stage area. Her performance was unique in its own way as she was seen grooving with Rajasthani artists on stage. Others who joined them for the performance were vocalist Naike Ponce, guitarist Jose Manuel Leon, violinist Victor Guadiana and drummer Israel Varela, also sharing the stage with Footprints of the Desert featuring Abdul Rashi Khan and Abid Khan.

While the Indian folk artistes presented their timeless old-world songs, the young artists from Spain left entranced the audience with their colourful combination of dance, vocals, drums and guitar to create a harmonious stir of soulful music.

(The writer's trip is at the invitation of the festival's organisers. Nivedita can be contacted at [email protected].)

--Indo-Asian News Sevice

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Copyright  IANS

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