Rajasthan International Folk Festival to take place from Oct 27 to 30 

New Delhi: The 16 edition of the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, popularly known as Jodhpur RIFF, will be held from October 27 to 30, the organisers have announced.

The four-day music festival will take place at Jodhpur’s magnificent Mehrangarh Fort and showcase the best of Indian and global roots music, dance, and collaborations between amazing artists, a press release said.

“Every year, we see folk artists amaze us with their talent and skill. And we remain deeply impressed by the regard they have for their heritage and their willingness to pass on this priceless oral legacy to their heirs,” Maharaja Gaj Singh II, the chief patron of the festival, said in a statement.

“We are very happy to provide a platform like Jodhpur RIFF to these incredible artists so they may rightly be recognised and celebrated for their artistry and exemplary musicianship,” he added.

Jodhpur RIFF 2023 has placed a special focus on Rajasthan’s percussion instruments — the dholak, bhapang and khartal.

“With star studded performances and insightful interactive sessions, audiences will be introduced to these lesser-known treasures from the world of Indian roots music,” the release said.

The festival will see performances by legendary vocal quartet Sharma Bandhu, extremely popular for their bhajans and renditions of Nirguni poetry, renowned Carnatic vocalist Mahesh Vinayakram, Estonian group Kuula Hetke, Italian music trio Suonno D’Ajere and Jasser Haj Youssef, a master musician of the Aga Khan Music Program, among others.

In accordance with its mission of introducing Rajasthan’s rich folk music to audiences of all ages, Jodhpur RIFF will continue its tradition of the ‘Bal Mela’ where children from schools across Jodhpur are invited to the colourfully decorated environs of Veer Durga Das Memorial Park, according to the release.

The grand finale of the festival will see a grand jam by three artists — rhythm innovator Miroca Paris, and Australian percussionist Greg Sheehan, supported by Bombay Brass’s saxophonist Rhys Sebastian.