Music is not a profession but a lifestyle for them. They are not taught in schools but are born with this inexplicable talent that sets them apart. Being raw and unexplored is their forte and lacking commercialization is what works for them – these are the traditional Rajasthani artists and giving voice to them is a festival that picks them from distant villages and puts them on a global platform. The Jodhpur Riff, a music festival that has among its patrons legendary Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger and His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur is what we are talking about here.

To be held from October 12^th to 16^th at Mehrangarh Fort that stands a hundred feet in splendour on a perpendicular cliff, four hundred feet above the sky line of Jodhpur, this year will be the fourth edition of the festival that started in 2007, but had to take a break the very next year, owing to a “calamity that resulted in many deaths” says Divya Kumar Bhatia, the director of Jodhpur RIFF.

“First year was 2007, but in 2008 there was a calamity in the fort and we had to cancel it just 10 days prior to its scheduled start. So pretty much we had to restart the festival in 2009” he adds.

The Jodhpur RIFF brings together more than 250 musicians and performing artists from across Rajasthan and around the world to celebrate their musical heritage and create new sounds through innovative collaborations. It is a partnership project involving two heritage trusts – Mehrangarh Museum Trust and Jaipur Virasat Foundation – JVF. The festival has also been endorsed by UNESCO as a “Peoples’ Platform for Creativity and Sustainable Development”.

Not only an interesting platform for traditional music in contemporary world space, Jodhpur RIFF also lays emphasis on their core focus, which is to get livelihood for the traditional artists of Rajasthan. Last year eight Rajasthani artists who had performed at the festival in the previous years got a chance to show their prowess at the 6^th London iTunes festival. Not just that, this year three traditional artists have been invited by the Edinburgh International Festival!

“This is the first time ever that Rajasthani folk artists are presenting a folk performance at this international festival. Never ever have Rajasthani artists performed there, so it’s a big first and it came across because the festival director witnessed the performances at Jodhput RIFF last year” informs Bhatia.

Selecting the artists for the festival is not a piece of cake though. For a five-day festival, a whole year of research work is required. Bhatia explains the process – “We have regional festivals, which we organize in villages with local artists. That platform is for us to identify local talent as well as to encourage them to perform. We document artists too. We already have over 1200 artists whom we have documented in our database. So basically we have a fair amount of research activity taking place throughout the year.”

“Then we undertake technical developmental workshops for the artists, where they get familiar with equipment, which they otherwise won’t get a chance to. Also, international artists are invited to collaborate with these artists. Though they can’t speak each other’s languages, they understand each other’s music. Some of these collaborations have performed at Amsterdam, London, Mumbai and Delhi, etc.” he adds.

This year there are many firsts that the festival has added to its list of artists. Till now they have shortlisted 175 musicians, but the final count will be close to 145 before the main event begins in October.

Among their proud discoveries, is the Bhil community, a tribal community in Udaipur, “who have some of the most interesting and unusual instruments and have a peculiar and distinct way of celebration that combines music and dance.”

Recently, the Jodhpur RIFF had a preview session at Blue Frog in Mumbai to create awareness about the festival and give a sneak peek into what the festival will be all about. The night showcased some of the best performers from Sarangiya Langa community of Rajasthan. The evening experienced the magic and vibrancy of some popular songs and music performed by this amazing community. The musical heritage was brought alive by artists like Nek Mohammad Langa, Mubarak Langa and Kasam Khan Langa.

The Langa community consists of some of the better known traditional folk singers of the desert state. Both the Surnaiya Langa (who play the Surnai, an aero-phonic instrument) and the Sarangiya Langa perform on special occasions for the ‘Sindhi Sipahi’ community, who have been their traditional patrons for centuries. Even today, the Langas receive remuneration in the form of cash and kind from their patrons; camel or cattle are highly valued gifts.

It is incredible that in spite of rural poverty and the influence of media, some within the Langa community have managed to retain their traditional verve and charm and continue to stay connected to their roots. The spellbinding performances only left more to be desired. So if you wish to treat your ears, you know where to head this October!

Article by Ruchika Kher

Shikher Chaudhary tracks the musical journey of this Canadian Band to find out what sets them apart

Triple Juno award recipient and prolific singer/songwriter Montreal native Sam Roberts is often described as the definitive voice in a collection of American and Canadian bands centered on 70’s classic rock nostalgia. But in reality, this former hockey player has so much more going for him. Through three albums of passionate and infectious folk-rock and power-pop tunes, many of them built around a percussively strummed acoustic guitar, Roberts has breathed new life into a very dry, dull Canadian music scene. By means of odd references to Canada in many of his songs (even singing in French for a few verses of ’No Sleep’) he maintains a staunch national identity but that certainly doesn’t limit his appeal to a strictly Canadian audience.

With tune crafting skills which have the ability to stand up well next to early Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney material, Sam Roberts’ first full length LP ‘We Were Born in a Flame’ presents a lush and enjoyable listening experience.  Along with compelling and inquiring lyrics, Sam Roberts is also an interesting musician who decides to play all the instruments except for percussion on this album. A risky move no doubt, he manages to pull it off with conviction with the record ending up sounding grander and richer than it ought to be.

The album is rich in instantly memorable hooks which will find you tapping your feet within the first 30 seconds of ‘Hard Road’ – the opening track. Along with the uber-catchy clap along ‘Brother Down’ and the gorgeous and seductive orchestral pop of Beatle-esque ‘Taj Mahal’ which makes the most of Roberts’ talents as a violinist, ‘Hard Road’ is a stand-out track and contains some gripping and intelligent lyrics, something of a rarity in today’s formulaic music world. Roberts writes with eloquence about the universal human effort of finding the easy life and avoiding the bumps of the real world. When he opines, “There’s no road that ain’t a hard road to travel on”, he is able to chronicle the troubles of life in this fallen world without offering therapeutic platitudes like “believe in yourself” or something similar. On this record, Roberts chooses to narrate the problems of humanity and creation rather than offer solutions and in doing so manages to escape falling into a moralistic outlook blatantly prevalent in popular media and music. ‘Paranoia’ finishes off this pervasive album, starting out as an acoustic piece before ending as an upbeat, driving instrumental. Overall, an impeccable combination of guitar, percussion, and piano makes this CD worth multiple listens.

Released in 2006, Roberts’ second release ‘Chemical City’, with its share of rockers, ballads, and artistic experimentations is a very well rounded album. Backed by a group that would continue onto the next album, Dave Nugent (guitar), Eric Fares (keyboards), James Hall (bass) and Josh Trager (drums) helped craft this album with its folky-1960′s rebellious feel whilst throwing all notions of a sophomore slump out the window. Starting off with the psychedelic rocker ‘The Gate’, the album’s mood soon shifts towards an alternative mode with tracks like ‘Mind Flood’ and ‘Mystified Heavy’. ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ with its sing along melody is an instant classic, while ‘The Bootleg Saint’ and ‘The Resistance’ call to mind mid era Rolling Stones. Chemical City also sports two folkier tunes, the lovely acoustic ‘Uprising Down Under’ along with the emotive keyboards, and the vocals-only heartbreak song ‘A Stone Would Cry Out’.  A much more rough-around-the-edges album, Roberts balances the strong melodies and anthemic choruses with some affecting subtle pieces. There is a strong sense of cohesion among these extremely well crafted songs with lyrics that see him wise beyond his years.

The latest offering from the Sam Roberts band ‘Love at the End of the World’, sees them at their most potent while delivering on the same bluesy hard rock formula, supplied with abundant pop hooks and mixed in with a little psychadelia when needed, as seen in beguiling ‘Lions of the Kalahari’. ‘Up Sister’, ‘End of the Empire’  and the forlorn ‘Waking the Dead’ stand out among other eclectic tracks of the album  ending with a piece featuring off the wall lyrics set to a piano driven tune in the captivating closer ‘Detroit ’67’.

In retrospect, Sam Roberts represents the perfect example of the modern day singer/songwriter. With songs that range from bouncy, fun loving to a mellower sound, combining rock & roll fundamentals with folk influences, he is able to extract old influences and creatively rework them to create a unique original sound and deliver them with the vibrancy and honesty rarely seen in today’s rock n’ roll.

Juno Awards Report Card

• We Were Born in a Flame (2004): Album of the year, Rock album of the year, Artist of the year
• Bridge to Nowhere (2007): Video of the year
• Love at the End of the World (2009): Rock album of the year, Artist of the year

Article by Shikher Chaudhary
Images Courtesy: Cherie Marion, Dave Gillespie

Taking music and arts beyond boundaries in their bid to bring about ‘Culture Immersion’, this desi sounding venture is well and truly global. Divya Srinivasan finds out more about Sound Tamasha.

Culture Must

The Sound Tamasha has been initiated by a group of friends (from India and abroad) in Delhi. “It all started with a DJ friend of mine from Berlin, Germany (22ROCKETS) who wanted to come to India and perform over here. As a group of friends we are very fond of Indian traditions, culture and heritage. Personally I’ve been coming to India since 1996 and have spent more than 6 years here. Throughout the years we’ve witnessed changes in the cities and new trends that emerged, such as electronic music which is the sound we grew up listening to in the places where we come from. With our enthusiasm and passion for Indian culture, we

Shalom Peace Experiments

always thought that we would love to fuse parts of Indian tradition with the arts from our own cultures. Everyday people in India celebrate weddings, religious festivals and many other occasions. We wanted to combine the Indian way of celebration with the music we love, connect people from different backgrounds, share our emotions and create anatmosphere open to everyone. In the traditional Tamasha, tolerance, secular thoughts and unity of religion is always highlighted. Through Culture Must (a division of Knowledge Must) we promote that vision of bringing people together, discovering new cultures and enjoying our planet’s great diversity. The name of the city preceding the words ‘Sound Tamasha’ shows the origin of its artists. At the moment we have Delhi, Goa, Tokyo, Hamburg, Berlin and Lisbon Sound Tamashas” informs Peter Braun, one of the founder members of Knowledge Must. To know more about this unique venture, visit.

DJ KRICK

DJ KRICK

Ever since his first mixing and scratching experiences in 1998, DJ Krick has always been interested in improving his sound by searching for musical influences from the past as well as present. Starting with Hip Hop and R&B he began to intersperse House and Dance classics which got him DJ residencies in clubs all over his hometown. He moved to Berlin and together with his mates, he founded the DJ crew Edelmut Berlin. With legendary DJ Sets at the notorious Bar25 they became a vivid part of Berlin’s club scene for playing a funky, minimal tech-house sound.

DJ ANDRE GARDEJA

DJ ANDRE GARDEJA

A legend in the German and European electronic music scene, André Gardeja started his early DJ career in 1992 performing at Berlins’ house club ‘Walfisch’, known as the world famous ‘Sage Club’ today. His early gigs were followed by regular DJ sets mixed for the unexcelled ‘Studio B’ underground parties in and around Berlin.

22ROCKETS

22ROCKETS

For almost eight years now, 22ROCKETS has been a vital part of the techno and house scene in Berlin, Germany, the city where he was born and grew up. 22ROCKETS works as a DJ, producer, promoter, club operator, event-manager and entertainer on different projects – solo or with other artists and friends. 22ROCKETS loves a wide range of music. In the early days he played electro-disco sound and later moved to deep-trance techno. These days he’s been playing warm & sunny house-music.

Article by Divya Srinivasan

I have always been passionate about music and have written and composed songs since I was 6 years old. Since my upbringing was mostly in American schools in Europe and my influences in music were all the classic bands such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, etc., most of the music and lyrics that I wrote were in English and of western style.

Visionary - Aditya Bhasin

On moving back to India I joined rock bands in school and college, took some training from Delhi School of Music and also learnt informally from my friends. But even though I had this hobby which I loved, I never thought I’d make it my career. So I got busy with professionally educating myself and joined the field of hospitality management. I managed hotels here in India and in US, but after 8 years of work and an amazing promotion waiting for me back in Mumbai, I realized something was missing. This instinctual feeling coupled with angry guests and the whole corporate scene altogether forced me to realize that my underlying and nagging problem was that I needed a change.

It was at that time that I met up with good family friends – John and Faith Singh, who had successfully run a contemporary hand block printing company – Anokhi, for 30 years and had spent the years of their retirement working in the field of heritage conservation. They’d started an NGO called Jaipur Virasat Foundation along with running the Jaipur Heritage International Festival.

Potful of talent: Some artists forming Rajasthan Roots

After one meeting with John, discussing the possibilities of working with thousands of artists from different communities of Rajasthan, the scope for experimentation, production, freedom of expression, and thus empowering them and providing a stable livelihood – seemed like a mission and a vision that I just couldn’t walk away from. So without any job confirmation with the foundation, I came back to Delhi, turned down my promotion, quit my job and went on to settle down in Rajasthan.

The next few years were a crash course for me in every sense – a new language – Marwari, songs and traditional beats I’d never heard before with many different instruments and sounds. Vinod Joshi – the anthropologist who worked with the foundation was a storehouse of knowledge and a genuine grass root contact. We would get a call at any random hour, informing us that there was something happening in some remote village like storm chasers, etc. Vinod and I would jump into John’s SUV and drive off into the countryside. Sometimes it would be all night Jagrans, an opportunity to meet Jasnath Ke Bhope – dancing barefoot on burning embers of coal, or a whole village of Tejaji ke Bhope – dancing with hundreds of defanged cobras and sometimes it would be Momasar – where on every Holi, for 3 days everyone dresses up in drag, in unimaginable characters and they dance, act and perform street theatre.

Also an effort to discover the best artists of Rajasthan was made by JVF, organizing talent hunts and regional festivals in small villages. The response and outcome was tremendous, attracting hundreds of undiscovered artists and thousands of spectators. All this ground work was a seed which spawned the collective and soon many of these artists began performing in concerts in Jaipur and all over India.

Gifted: Kutle Khan on Kartals

When the work load of touring and performing became overwhelming I had to leave my day job in the foundation and concentrate entirely on production. Soon with support from John and the others, we saw the beginning of Morchang Studios – the production house and Rajasthan Roots – a collective of folk musicians.

We stayed away from the typical fusion – either with western drums or drum beats and allowed for the sound to evolve on its own. By introducing instruments which made the music and tone warmer such as the bass guitar and other melodic instruments such as the bamboo flute, guitar and saxophone, the outcome was an easily palatable sound to people all around the world across all age groups.

7 years went by and we’d showcased performances all over the world. In places like England, Singapore, Japan, Europe, Abu Dhabi and the middle east, as well as prestigious events in India such as the Times Delhi and Kolkata Festivals, blueFROG in Mumbai and Central Park and Garden of Five Senses in Delhi.

Production and collaboration has always stressed upon learning from other world cultures such as Cuban, Latin American and Mali of Africa while collaborating with different musicians such as Idan Rachel and Shye Ben Tzur.  Rodney Branigan from US, Raghu Dixit from Bangalore and many others from France, England, and Middle East provided training, learning and a cultural exchange for all musicians involved. So you will find in our music, traces from different folk cultures and styles. My favorites are the African Blues, the Middle Eastern scales and of course the Sufi traditions.

Rajasthan Roots has been able to promote some of the finest musicians and dancers in a contemporary representation of Rajasthan’s folk culture. The vision is and always has been for the music of Rajasthan to evolve and to represent a current state and emotion. Once the musicians are given the freedom of expression and guided to stay away from songs which have become a stereotype or in some ways a novelty, the new and real sounds of Rajasthan can emerge.

Article by Aditya Bhasin with Divya Srinivasan

From left to right - Prasanth Sumanth (Drums/vocals), Vinod Easwaran (Vocals), Soumyajit Ray Chaudhary (Guitars), Mohit James (Bass), Ashley Murray (Drums) and Sandeep Mittal (Guitars/Vocals)

Why would a music magazine write about a bunch of corporate honchos? We got paid to do it man! Jokes apart, The Second Shift is a band made up of 6 guys (2 bankers and 2 HR guys in the band!) who feel it is necessary to have a creative outlet after a long day/week/month at the office. While the name might implement that it’s just another hobby, for the members of this band, the music represents an alternative way of looking at life.

Gigpad.com founder and guitarist of the band, Sandeep ‘Sandy’ Mittal tells us, “We work fulltime, its difficult to get any time off at all but what started off with a few random jam sessions about a year back, later progressed into regular weekend jams and suddenly we had a good thing going.” Not willing to let his guitar strings rust away, he had been writing and composing songs himself before the others came along. “A lot of the material was already written, which is probably why it happened a bit sooner for us, it was much easier to record and put out a demo CD out there.”

The Second Shift is still finding its feet in the live scene, having just finished their second gig at Not Just Jazz by the Bay, they feel that recording is probably easier! “With the amount of time we get, its difficult to practice, but we forced ourselves into it and this was actually the first time in our lives that we played on stage!” says Sandeep excitedly. However, for these guys their demo album which contains ‘grown up love stories’ in the form of songs, gives the greatest sense of satisfaction. “It is almost an achievement after just a year together, sort of suggests that all our jam sessions has lead to something productive. Like, a full stop you know? Which is good.”

Doing What They Do Best - Performing at Not Just Jazz by the Bay

The album could possibly signify the end of a very small chapter in the bands history as they plan to do more gigs in the near future. “The first gig at Café Goa was fantastic, we’ll probably have this honeymoon period with friends and family coming to a lot of the gigs early on but we’re not in a hurry to get anywhere, we’ll take the next 10 to 15 gigs as a learning experience!” he states enthusiastically. Their song ‘July People’ has already managed to generate quite a buzz, they also play covers of U2, Radiohead, John Mayall, etc. and other songs from their album! “Covers is something we have to do now, considering we can’t play for 3 hours with just 10 original songs off our album. However, we’re not anti covers”, declares Sandeep, “as long as we’re progressing in a direction which would enable us to play an all original set, we’re cool!’

First Step Taken - The cover of their recently released CD album, 'The Second Shift'

The art work on their album CD has a bright yellow background with a circus joker peeking in from behind the curtains tentatively. Upon opening the case, the band’s mindset is conveyed quite brilliantly – that first step onto the stage shown within the case has been taken! “At the simplest level, its bright and eye catching with some good songs inside, people like it!” says Sandeep.

You can mail the band for a copy of the free CD on thesecondshiftband@gmail.com OR listen to their songs at www.reverbnation.com/thesecondshift and also join their Facebook page! Like they state, ‘We’re about the things you do between waking and sleeping that hold you together’. Well, we have our eyes on you !