Jodhpur RIFF 2024: Our Favorite Performances

Steadily, India has been entering a new era of music festivals. There have been international IPs that have seen the value of setting up in India, while the established ones running for over a decade continue to evolve and find a way to sustain.

Jodhpur RIFF – which took place between Oct. 16 and 20, 2024 at its home in Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur – seems to operate on a different level. They no doubt have enough status that people make plans to attend regardless of the lineup. In their 17th year, however, how do they keep things fresh for the regulars and themselves?

Amid that growth comes the influx of newer, younger audiences, whether anyone likes it or not. Indeed, there were times when the festival organizers – including director Divya Bhatia himself – went over etiquette before nearly every performance. That included prohibiting long phone video recordings (since they may obstruct the view of audience members around) and even incessant photography.

The seemingly nonstop festival flow of music, dance and theater meant that you barely have any time to take a bit of rest in the core three out of five days that it runs, bringing artists from around the world for what are often exclusive performances and rare on-stage collaborations. At the end of the festival, it was clear that Jodhpur RIFF have tried to find ways to draw a crowd that’s committed to art and not just there to populate their social media feeds and leave without absorbing anything.

Here’s a look at just some of the standout performances at Jodhpur RIFF 2024.

Puuluup

Jodhpur RIFF really did save best for last, although Estonian duo Puuluup did also perform a short set at the festival’s opening night on Oct. 16. Among the final three acts at Mehrangarh Fort on Oct. 19, Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson wielded their talharpas and loopers like rockstars.

They kept things buoyant from the get go and after fusion/pop artist and playback singer Sona Mohapatra’s high-energy set. Dressed in suits, they immediately got the crowd going, with humor dialed up to maximum levels, including Veisson speaking in Hindi and Marwari. From teaching a bit of choreography to running around the massive courtyard area, Puuluup were the unmissable act of Jodhpur RIFF, because they didn’t take themselves seriously but they took their music very seriously.

Gabba

Norwegian act Gabba brought tales of Yoik from Scandic and Russian traditions on Oct. 17, with the Sámi ensemble. They were likely picked for RIFF simply because of the power of their vocalist John André Eira. Sure enough he was singing in a foreign language, but there aren’t even lyrics, more like sounds going over psychedelic, jazz, reggae and groovy music. Gabba’s happy-go-lucky tunes covered some wedding and love songs. Eira injected plenty of humor between the celebration and somberness, all in a way to remember his grandfather who had passed down the oral tradition, from soothing lullabies, an a cappella performance and a tribute to mothers.  

Chandana Bala Kalyan

On Oct. 18 at the Jodhpur RIFF Dawns, vocalist Chandana Bala Kalyan’s stylistic range took over with a backdrop of Blue City. The tanpura droned over Aazan and with stars still lingering above, the artist began her own varnam in Sarasangi raag. From a Kutcheri atmosphere to welcome, the moonlight slowly dissipated to welcome a clearer horizon behind Kalyan and her artists, violinist Vaibhav Ramani on violin and mridangam artist Admaya Ramanand. From a meditative offering on Tanam and Anantam and a Kannada devotional song by saint-poet Purandaradasa, Kalyan’s repertoire ranged from classical to Carnatic to devotional.

Emlyn

Mauritius artist Emlyn and her troupe were all about bringing sega music from the island in the Indian Ocean to more audiences. The band members entered the stage clapping in unison but a power outage set their performance back by about 10 minutes. When they finally got started, the group brought strings, Indian percussion elements like kanjira, ghatam and tabla, plus the fusion in Mauritian traditional music. From brooding, bass-heavy songs about finding a soul sister to more expectedly fast-paced sega, Emlyn oozed soul in every second of her performance at Jodhpur RIFF.

Natig Shirinov Rhythm Group

Azerbaijani percussive veteran Natig Shirinov got a huge response as soon as he was introduced. He didn’t need to say much – although his manager/daughter was off stage translating some banter for the Courtyard audience – because rhythms are the most surefire way of waking anyone up if they were planning on calling it a night. With a trio setting, they picked up the pace and were a perfect fit for RIFF, simply because he believes, in his own words, “If there is rhythm there is life.” The dexterity in his fingers, the ability to vocalize his beats (which would recall konnakol to some) and even nodding to Indian rhythms, there was a point where the group sounded so in-sync that it sounded like an electronic beat.

The Warsi Brothers

Right from the start, it was certain that the Warsi Brothers were going to be a big draw at Jodhpur RIFF. From their powerhouse vocals to captivating performances and of course, unmatched wit and poetry delivered in couplets, the act were on fire at the Courtyard stage. It was arguably a masterclass in qawwali, in that they spent very little time building up momentum and just going straight for the hits, from Khusrau’s “Ali Maula” to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Sanson Ki Mala” and “Kali Kali Zulfon Ke Phande Nah Dalo.” Soon enough, a good number had vacated their seats to dance up front and shower their praise on shayaris, with the Warsi Brothers providing both, entertainment and soul.  

Deep Forest

Preceded by an old-school vinyl set by Colombia’s Chonta DJ aka Alejandra Gomez, Club Mehran at Jodhpur RIFF went to another level thanks to producer Deep Forest aka Eric Mouquet. It was only apt that the seasoned artist took to his synths and DJ decks to play “Deep Forest,” the title track which may have sounded familiar to many because it was copied into the Bollywood song “Gupt Gupt” in the Nineties. Mouquet clearly leaned into this sense of familiarity, soon fast-forwarding into his newer material from the album Burning. Tasked with keeping the energy levels high at even 2 am, Mouquet brought heavy house music with synths and intriguing samples, often jumping, jogging and clapping his hands. He still knows how to dictate the pulse of a dancefloor.

Louis Mhlanga

Another day and another RIFF Dawn session brought a Zimbabwean guitar veteran Louis Mhlanga to the festival for a serene start. Billed as an India exclusive performance, Mhlanga’s laidback jazz and African guitar work, with repetitive refrains on “Zvinoshamisa” signaled a time of gratefulness. “It’s a miracle we’re here,” he told the audience who were, no doubt, smiling in agreement. Elsewhere, on “Gumbo Muchochocho,” he sang about how the present is always “moving from one place to another.” There are songs about love, dreams, friendship and family, but even if some of that was lost in translation, Mhlanga’s guitar and bass combination was all about being a steady player more than being a virtuoso. It takes a few attempts before the crowd gives him a singalong that he’s convinced about, but he jokes it’s better than the bhajans from the temple nearby.

Sona Mohapatra

The final evening proceedings of Jodhpur RIFF bombarded the senses with intense dance and theater crossover performances by the likes of Kuttiiyattam by Kapila Venu and Kathak-Rajasthani collaboration with Tarini Tripathi & SAZ. Then, there was the RIFF Rustle as well led by Bengaluru percussionist Giridhar Udupa and Canadian/Congolese percussionist Elli Miller-Moboungu which drummed up quite a tempo.

When it came to unfiltered music and storytelling, however, Sona Mohapatra was there to deliver. Compacting her three-hour set into a festival slot, Mohapatra and her band went from heavy Vedic rock to “Ai Giri Nandini” to the more gentle fusion of “Mann Tera Jo Rog Hai.” Having played RIFF 16 years ago, it was clear that Mohapatra was making the most of her time on a stage shared by stalwart fusion and folk artists. From the movie song “Jiya Lage Na” to Assamese, Bengali and Odia traditional songs, Mohapatra’s approach was plenty of medleys. She even went into a “chill section” bringing in ghazals like “Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo” and her own song, “Abhi Nahi Aana Sajna.”