String instrumentalists discovered an important platform on the thirteenth version of Jodhpur RIFF
String instrumentalists discovered an important platform on the thirteenth version of Jodhpur RIFF
Like an Indian thali, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (Jodhpur RIFF) supplied luxurious sounds from throughout the globe. The dominant one although got here from stringed devices on the five-day competition that concluded just lately. From the folksy kamaicha to the Turkish oud and the classical sarangi, the fretless devices opened up boundless melodic prospects on the competition’s historic venue — the Mehrangarh Fort.
From time immemorial, artistes have had a relentless urge to make their devices match, if not higher, the human voice, and the search continues. The three devices usually are not for many who have simply skilled the primary flush of affection. It is for the romantics who carry scars of their hearts that may very well be healed by the melancholic sounds of those devices.
Ghewar Khan, an exponent of the kamaicha, the folks instrument that defines the music of the Manganiyar group, says its haunting tunes replicate life within the desert.
Ghewar and his brother Darra are carrying ahead the legacy of their legendary father Sakar Khan, who performed alongside Pt. Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin, and showcased the classical prospects of the folks instrument.
The brothers give credit score to the well-known ethnomusicologist Komal Kothari for placing kamaicha on the worldwide stage after he held camps within the villages of Jaisalmer within the Fifties and 60s and rediscovered the languishing musical tradition of Rajasthan. But diminishing patronage and Bollywood affect imply that the instrument stays endangered, with no more than a dozen noteworthy gamers to hold ahead the custom that’s orally handed on within the closely-knit group.
Ghewar and Darra Khan performing on the competition
| Photo Credit: Jodhpur RIFF
Ghewar and Darra recall how Nathu Khan from Ahmedabad used to return and promote kamaichas of their Hamira village. Rustic and soulful, their compositions have a good time the music-nature relationship. “It is a difficult instrument to master and youngsters are not keen to devote 10 years to learning an art that will not give them much monetary benefit,” says Darra. As a end result, kamaicha is being changed by harmonium. “At present, we are holding on but for how long? The sound of the harmonium cannot match that of the kamaicha in high octaves. But for that we need an audience who knows the difference,” says Ghewar.
Made of mango wooden, kamaicha’s rounded resonator is roofed with goat pores and skin. Three of the 17 strings are manufactured from goat’s gut referred to as roda and joda, 5 are manufactured from copper, and the remainder of metal. “The bow is made of horsetail hair and khejri tree wood,” says Feroze Khan, who accompanies his brothers on dholak. “The cost of making a kamaicha has gone up and with hardly any takers, local carpenters are not interested in making them. In the last few years RIFF has provided us with new kamaichas, apart from those that we have inherited from our forefathers.”
Yurdal Tokcan and Dilshad Khan
| Photo Credit: Jodhpur RIFF
According to oud exponent, Yurdal Tokcan, who has been performing for 4 many years, “fretless instruments give you the freedom to explore and experiment on stage.” Yurdal carried out with the favored sarangi artiste Dilshad Khan on the competition. “I relate well to Indian folk and classical music,” says Yurdal. “Our instruments belong to the same family,” remarks Dilshad. Instrumentalists are sometimes seen solely as accompanists however Yurdal feels such collaborations can put them on centre stage. “Accompanying is fine, but we have to prove that an instrumentalist can be a soloist as well,” says Dilshad. “To achieve this, you need to master the tradition and come up with your own style.”
Dilshad, who has contributed to background scores in lots of movies, is eager to venture sarangi as an instrument that may create a mess of moods. “He is happy that it’s seeing a revival and finding dedicated listeners,” says the younger musician.
Source: www.thehindu.com