Root-ing for Rajasthani Folk

IN ITS 17TH EDITION, THE JODHPUR RIFF FESTIVAL WILL SPOTLIGHT RAJASTHANI FOLK ARTISTS, ALONGSIDE A BEVY OF GLOBAL MUSICIANS

- Geetika Sachdev

Over the past decade and a half, the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur has served as the perfect backdrop for roots musicians from across India (particularly Rajasthan) and the world to showcase their creativity. This year is no different, with the 17th edition of the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) offering a stage to stellar art practices to shine.

From October 16-20, over 280 artists from France, Norway, South Korea, Zimbabwe and Mauritius, as well as legends from India, will entertain audiences with genre-agnostic music, dance and other cultural performances. The festival, supported by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, includes a lineup featuring French electronica artist Éric Mouquet, who co-founded the Grammy-winning music project Deep Forest; the Manganiyars of Marwar; Kutiyattam maestro Kapila Venu from Kerala; GABBA from Norway, who won the Spellemannprisen; singer, composer and lyricist Sona Mohapatra; and emerging Rajasthani roots music group SAZ, among others.