 | | Miranda Boord
My initial and varied introduction to Indian music was working in a safari lodge in central India. From weddings where the local village would come alive with music and dancing to long drives to the nearest town to get supplies where we would listen to the driver’s favourite Bollywood classics. We even drove for six hours one day just so that we could go to a nightclub to dance to the Bollywood beats. Since those days my education in Indian music has progressed and having travelled through much of India I have learnt to differentiate between the styles of each state and see the importance of music in everyday life. There is such incredible diversity; lorry drivers blare out their Hindi Bollywood classics as they pass through villages whilst the elders are sitting around teaching the young the folk tales through music and dance. I have visited RIFF for both years that the festival has been running and it is difficult to believe that there can be a more magical setting for a festival. Getting up early in the morning and taking a tuk tuk up to one of the monuments to sit as the sun rises above the blue city of Jodhpur, sipping chai and listening to the musicians singing in a trance like state are memories never to be forgotten. My favorite sets have always been the collaborations between the various artists; flamenco dancers with local Rajasthani musicians and dancers; beat boxer Jason Singh from Manchester creating incredible sounds with the villagers or Sivamani in a percussion extravaganza playing along with artists from Rajasthan and abroad. The vibe is incredible - you just have to warn your driver that you won’t be finished until late into the night!
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