Day 3 | 18 October 2024

J RIFF DAWNS WITH THE SOUTHERN SOUNDS OF CHANDANA BALA KALYAN

5:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Jaswant Thada (outside Mehrangarh Fort)
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass/ J RIFF Dawns Pass Rs. 250/-

Chandana Bala Kalyan presents a Carnatic vocal set that is both serene and vibrant, traditional and unique, accessible and deep. Chandana introduces us to varnam, gana stuti, kriti, devaranama and tillana, presenting special compositions in the rarely heard Bhatiyar, Bauli, Malayamarutam and Vibhas raagas. She will be accompanied by Vidwan Vaibhav Ramani on violin and Vidwan Admaya Ramanand on mridangam. Classical vocalist and educator, Chandana Bala Kalyan’s work traverses across Carnatic, Hindustani, Sufi and Jazz with enviable versatility. Sometimes referred as a ‘vocal gymnast’, she has taken the Carnatic idiom and breathed new life into it, giving it newer expressions in her experiments with different musical styles.

J RIFF DANCE BOOTCAMP I – LAVANI WITH ADITI BHAGWAT

9.00 AM to 10.30 AM
Chokelao Mahal
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

‘Marathi mulgi’ Aditi Bhagwat brings the sensational Lavani to Jodhpur RIFF 2024’s first dance bootcamp. Having trained extensively in kathak from an early age and developed numerous collaborations with jazz and flamenco, Aditi’s heart is in her homeland and her Lavani performances are a treat to watch. Lavani can be both robust, yet delicate and is a folk form of song and dance popular in Maharashtra and in parts of southern Madhya Pradesh. Made famous through V Shantaram’s film Pinjara, the Lavani was traditionally developed and performed by shepherd communities in the 18th and 19th centuries, often for the Maratha nobility. Performed in a ‘nauvari’ saree (nine-yard-long saree) to the beats of a dholki, Lavani gets its name from the same root word as ‘Lavanya’, meaning beauty.

Jodhpur RIFF presents rustic dance ‘bootcamps’, facilitated by noted practitioners and trainers. Short, intense, and rigorous, these camps will give participants an experiential insight into the movements and practice of traditional dance forms.
Please Note:
This is the one-and-only, stand-alone session of this dance form.
Please wear/ bring appropriate and comfortable clothing that allows free movement such as T-shirts, long/
loose shirts or blouses, tights, loose track or harem pants or long skirts.
Do carry your own rehydration and drying material. Be prepared to sweat – it is a boot camp!!

FORT FESTIVITIES

9:45 AM to 5:00 PM
Venues throughout the Mehrangarh Museum
Museum Entry Ticket/ Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Discover the myriad hues of the traditional dance forms of Rajasthan, reflecting its distinctive root traditions, some popular and some rare, including: Chang Nritya– a charming, captivating dance, with men swaying and grooving while playing a round frame-drum called chang; Teraah Taali – known for agility and grace, where women move to and produce the reverberating sounds of teraah i.e. thirteen little cymbals or manjira that are fastened to their waist, wrists, elbows, and hands, simultaneously showcasing their skills of movement, balance and concentration; the Kalbeliya, a dance form that evolved when the traditional snake charmers of the state could no longer work with snakes… And many other forms!

IN RESIDENCE II

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Chokelao Bagh
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

The Tamasha of Jaipur: A 250-year-old social and dramatic form, the Tamasha combines music, acting and movement for storytelling. Following in the footsteps of his father Shri Gopi Bhatt, Dilip Bhatt started being involved in Tamasha from a young age and has been instrumental in keeping the artform alive and evolving. A spiritual soul, a keen theatre performer, and an integral staff member of the Jodhpur RIFF team since 2007, his practice has brought together over hundreds of young artists to revive nukkad naatak, Tamasha and practice contemporary theatre in Jaipur.
In this ‘In Residence’ session, audiences will get a bird’s eye view of the story of survival of this traditional form, through the performance and words of its primary custodian, Dilip Bhatt.

FILM SCREENINGS

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Chokelao Mahal
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

This year we present two unique films on Sufi poetry and music, directed by leading world music journalist, ex-editor of Songlines magazine and filmmaker Simon Broughton. Shot in early 2002, ‘Breaking the Silence: The Music of Afghanistan’ documents the remarkable moment when the country was reconnected
with its musical culture. ‘Sufi Soul: The mystic music of Islam’, written and hosted by historian and author William Dalrymple, brings to life a key message that music is a fundamental element of Sufism and a key to its practice.
Simon Broughton will be at Jodhpur RIFF and will present the films in person.

MOONRISE

5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Jaswant Thada
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass/ Moonrise Pass Rs. 500/-

If the unfolding of a raga is a journey, then a bandish is its road map. In each era, the world of Hindustani music (north Indian ‘classical’) has been enriched by leading composers, through their contribution of innumerable bandish, some of which traveled beyond the boundaries of the gharana traditions that they emerged from and withstood the test of time to be included in and termed as traditional compositions. In the 20th century one such creator was Padma Bhushan Pandit Chintaman Raghunath Vyas (C.R.Vyas) trained in the Kirana, Gwalior, and Agra gharana who penned more than 200 bandish under the pen-name Gunijaan. And as a tribute to his own guru Gunidas, he started the Gunijan sammelan in 1977.
Each of his compositions reflected unique themes, covering a wide range of subjects including guru bhakti, devotion, spirituality, day-to-day lived experiences, nature, human relationships, love and romance to name a few. A highly sought-after teacher, the list of his students includes singers such as Pt. Jitendra Abhishekhi, Suhas Vyas (his son), Ganapati Bhat, Prabhakar Karekar, and Alka Joglekar.
The highly accomplished, multi-gold medalist in music, Hindustani vocalist Anuja Zokarkar brings the Sharad Poornima moon to Jodhpur RIFF 2024. An ‘A’ grade artist with All India Radio, Anuja learned from her mother Vidushi Kalpana Zokarkar, and her grandfather Pt. Krishnarao (Mamasaheb) Mujumdar, himself an ace disciple of Sangeet Samrat Ustad Rajab Ali Khan Saheb of Dewas. Anuja’s performance at Jodhpur RIFF features another highly accomplished vocalist Kedar Kelkar, along with Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on the harmonium and Prasad Padhye on the tabla. The performance will be facilitated by Shashi Vyas, Founder-Director of Pancham Nishad and son of C.R. Vyas.

STRINGS & BEATS

7:30 PM onwards
Old Zenana Courtyard
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Dayam Khan Manganiyar’s voices from Kotda
Few people know that Dayam Khan Manganiyar is one of Rajasthan’s brilliant vocalists even though he has performed around the world in various groups for more than a decade. A long-time artist at Jodhpur RIFF, his is a key voice in the group Dhun Dhora and their collaboration with the Scottish acid-croft band
Shooglenifty, that burned brightly between 2014-18. After numerous appearances in both Rajasthan and Scotland, and performances at the Commonwealth Games (2014), Celtic Connections, the Edinburgh Festival, the album Written in Water was recorded in the Mehrangarh Fort, co-produced by Jodhpur RIFF
and released worldwide, with Dayam singing some amazing vocals in tracks such as Jog yer Bones, Dhoriye and Bovaglie’s Plaid.
At Jodhpur RIFF this year, Dayam gives us a taste of his amazing vocal prowess and brings to life the traditional songs of the Manganiyars. He will be presenting his own group on the Jodhpur RIFF stage for the first time.

Emlyn: Sega world

The young and path breaking Mauritian multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Emlyn is an emerging artist who brings a breath of fresh air into the sega, creole and world music landscape with her soulful vocals and songs resplendent with nature. Emlyn Marimutu is increasingly becoming known for her talent in blending island drums, Sega Tipik, with modern music to create a ‘new traditional’ sound for Mauritian music. Deeply rooted in her traditions and heritage, her music combines African, Malagasy, and Indian music. Initially a dancer and a theatre performer, Emlyn is a committed environmental activist and creates timeless compositions inspired by the traditional music of Mauritius, often making instruments herself from local and upcycled materials. Presenting a mix of energetic spells and boisterous dances, the jubilation of her band is known to be contagious and often turns the audience space into a dance floor.
The Asin Khan Ensemble aka SAZ with Dilshad Khan: Marwar Malang
For the Aga Khan Music Awards 2020-22, Festival Director Divya Bhatia was commissioned to produce a 6.5 min collaboration between a twelfth generation young master of the Sindhi Sarangi Asin Khan of the Langa community from Badnava, and tenth generation Sarangi player from the Sikar gharana (also of Rajasthan), Dilshad Khan – both recipients of Aga Khan Music Awards that year. Showing off the talent and skill of the two winners, the collaboration also revealed the distinctness of each instrument and the magic of their playing together.
At Jodhpur RIFF 2024, Divya now presents this rare ‘coming together’ as a 40 min collaboration. Asin learned from his father and uncle, and then trained under Padma Shri Lakha Khan Manganiyar, considered to be the all-time doyen of the Sindhi Sarangi, while Dilshad learned from his uncle Padma Bhushan Ustad Sultan Khan Sahab, one of the most revered names among Sarangi artists. Both Asin and Dilshad have performed on numerous occasions at Jodhpur RIFF; this is their first time together. As they return to the Jodhpur RIFF stage, Dilshad will be accompanied by the emerging talent Rajan Dwarka of Jodhpur on tabla. Asin plays as part of his trio SAZ with Sadiq Khan on dholak, and Zakir Khan on khartal.
India Premiere at Jodhpur RIFF 2024
Interlude: Dholak
Jodhpur RIFF presents a performance featuring some of the best young folk dholak players from Rajasthan. Led by Firoze Khan Manganiyar, Rajasthan’s foremost dholak instrumentalist.
Natig Shirinov’s rhythms
Renowned percussionist and rhythm composer, Natig Shirinov from Baku, is a descendant of prominent musicians Ashig Shamshir and Ashig Shirin. Keen about drumming since the age of 9 years, his career took off when he was 24 when he joined the ensemble of Alim Gasimov, a celebrated master of mugham, the traditional blend of classical poetry and improvised music. Shirinov revolutionised the nagara (drums), blending traditional Azerbaijani rhythms with global influences, earning recognition as Azerbaijan’s first rhythm composer. In 2001, he founded the Natig Rhythm Group, integrating old Azeri instruments like the zurna and balaban. Shirinov’s innovations and performances have gained international acclaim, and his work continues to inspire new directions in Azerbaijani percussion music. While he is now recognised as his country’s leading wedding percussionist, his group has toured worldwide, showcasing the rich musical heritage of Azerbaijan.
Warsi Brothers: Qawwali
Qawwali maestros and brothers Naseer and Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi return with their group to the Zenana Courtyard for a magical Qawwali night. Accompanied by their humnawas, the energy and charisma the Warsi brothers bring to stage is a feat to watch and listen to. The Warsi Brothers are among the finest qawaals in the Indian sub-continent, hailing from the lineage of the ‘qawaal bachhey of the Delhi gharana’, descendants of the disciples who learned directly from the legendary Amir Khusro, the iconic writer, poet, singer and Sufi mystic of the 14th century. Custodians of his gayaki, students of Padma Shri Aziz Ahmad Khan Warsi (their grandfather) and recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the Warsi brothers present a wide repertoire of sufiyana kalaam in qawaali, many songs which we rarely hear and some popular compositions such as chaap tilak and dam-a-dam mast qalandar.

CLUB MEHRAN

00:00 PM onwards
Salimkot
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Tropical grooves by Chonta DJ
A unique and highly respected artist and producer on the Colombian music scene, ChontaDJ aka Alejandra Gomez is a regular at Glastonbury and at Fuji Rock playing the best modern and traditional music grooves from Latin America. Her music is surprising, uplifting, daft and glorious all at once. She is also the founder and director of Biche, an alternative music production house, cofounder of the collective Todopoderosa for gender diversity in the Latin independent music scene, a DIY publicist, educational agitator, vinyl selector and underground promoter who deeply believes in collaborative and horizontal work.

Winner of both a Grammy and a World award for Best World Music Album for Deep Forest, Eric Moquet, composer, musician and one of the geniuses of electronic music brings his magic to Club Mehran with a live set. Deep Forest made history by becoming the first French electro group to clinch the prestigious Grammy, featuring roots musicians from all backgrounds. With 10 million albums sold and over 100 million streams under their belt, their influence continues to shine on all current generations of electronic music.The live set at Club Mehran will also feature artists from the festival.
Club Mehran then brings on one of India’s most underrated mix masters… synonymous with dance music in the country, DJ Farhan’s sets are a dynamic mix featuring afro, worldbeat, funk, jazz, house, disco, and so much more. Owing to his early training in classical piano, Farhan’s understanding of music runs deep, and he uses it to go across the boundaries of conventional genres. Currently the host of ‘The House of Juju’, Farhan’s is a familiar face in residencies across Mumbai. His groovy beats are sure to keep you off your seats!