The rock legend is expected to be present at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival.
The Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) promises to be one grand event Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the five-day festival in Jodhpur that starts on October 10.
“Mick Jagger has confirmed to be the patron of the festival, but his dates are still being finalised,” says Divya Bhatia, the festival director.
Other renowned musicians like Ustad Sultan Khan and Shubha Mudgal have confirmed their participation.
In terms of performance, the main attraction would be sarangi maestro Ustad Sultan Khan. He will team up with Lakha Khan Manganiyar (one of Rajasthan’s most accomplished sarangi player) and Anwar Khan Manganiyar (vocal) for the performance. Sultan and Lakha have spent several days together in Jodhpur, exploring folk themes, listening to each other, and evolving a repertoire designed to surpass other similar crossover attempts.
The other much-anticipated performance is Padma Shri award winner Shubha Mudgal’s vocal recital. She is expected to present an ode to Rajasthan’s traditional balladeers.
Shubha, who can boast of varied vocal styles and her mastery over Hindustani classical, Thumri and Khayal, will belt out songs ranging from the bhajans of Mirabai to the praises of Nathadwaraji during her performance that will echo the evocative words of Rajasthan’s greatest poets and songwriters.
Some other attractions of the festival will be the Qawaali performance by Zakir Ali and his party from the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan and the ‘club’ night. Zakir, is a third generation qawaal who received training under the guidance of his father and guru Babban Khan ‘Diwana’ and grandfather, Janab Mehbob Khan Saab of Rae Bareilly. The ‘club’ night will also feature four virtuoso artistes from three different traditions.
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