Anjuli Bhargava gets a taste of more than music at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in.
Startling lung poweris not something you’d associate with an 108-year -old. Yet at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) 2011, Nemi Baba with his algoza (a unique wind instrument) played his last tune before an audience that practically held its breath till the final strains. Can someone who looks every bit his 108 years actually complete the feat? Well, he did and, as if to protest the end, a small baby in the stunned audience started to bawl.
Would the Baba play another tune in response to the never ending encore he received? Well, he couldn’t because Nemi baba in fact plays only that one single tune. At the age of 55, the baba renounced his family and previous life and has spent the next 53 years playing the algoza to his Lord. If the Lord is tired by the monotony, he’s managed to keep it a secret from his most ardent follower.
As the sun slunk in to witness the Living Legends at Mehrangarh Fort’s MotiMahal, the audience — mesmerised into a stupor — struggled with the heat while watching the play of shapes on the ceiling formed by the sun falling on the palace’smyriad coloured glass windows. Can there be a better venue to listen and absorb Rajasthan’s unbelievably rich musical heritage? I truly don’t think so. It’s an otherworldly experience.
But if you think RIFF 2011 is only about Rajasthan and its music and cultural heritage, you wouldn’t be further from fact. Each evening the old zenana courtyard comes alive with music and dance from across the world. Last year the Russian polkas and the Spanish Flamenco dancers had everyone riveted. This year the audience was divided between the hip-swinging tunes of Davy Ricard from the Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and the San Fransisco band of Rupa and April Fishes — the latter as much a delight to the eyes as to the ears. But I was entranced by the Band of Brothers from Australia that subtly blended their guitar and percussion instruments with a few Rajasthani artists to lull the audience into a mellow silence.
RIFF is quite demanding from music lovers is evident in the energy of its performances through the day. The Fort is alive through the day with puppet shows, behrupiya shows, dance and music performances in every corner. And the lucky ones may get to see some talented jugglers, tricksters and conjurers who can balance, juggle and create a miracle out of nothing but the dexterity of their fingers. Audiences watch with their mouths open and it's hard to tear the children away.
This year a unique dance on live coals (the dancers also eat the coal pieces, for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why) was performed by seven to eight Rajasthani dancers who stepped on the coals after a fairly elaborate prayers, which is understandable. Again, the venue for the dance was carefully chosen to heighten the drama of the moment.
I can continue writing on how rich the festival leaves you for a few days but let me end here by saying this : RIFF is also special because of the absence of corporate India with the usual Airtel, Vodafone and any other banners screaming out at you. The four days of flawless execution makes you feel a proud Indian amongst a primarily foreign audience. It’s a pity Bollywood-obsessed Indians can’t get out of it what hundreds of foreigners seem to be doing rather effortlessly.
