Jaipur Music Stage 2021 has eclectic mix of leading Indian & international performers in first-ever virtual edition
Jaipur : The power-packed first virtual edition of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival has been ongoingsince 19th February,featuringa stellar line-up of speakers. Jaipur Music Stage, which runs parallel to the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, has a specially curated line-up with spectacular performers. Rooted in the heart of India but flavoured with offerings from across the globe, Jaipur Music Stage 2021features a variety of artistes from the national and international spectrums, showcasing a multi-genre abundance in style, sound and history. Jaipur Music Stageis a music festival like no other, embodying variety, excellence and collaboration.
The line-up includes The Anirudh Varma Collective, a contemporary Indian Classical Ensemble from New Delhi, India, led by pianist, composerand producer Anirudh Varma. Having launched its debut full-length album ‘Perspectives’ in March 2018, the Collective has performed in collaboration with HCL Concerts, Jaipur Literature Festival, Teamwork Arts, Serendipity Delhi, Global Music Institute, Delhi University and Ambedkar University since then. Celebrated Indian folk artist Kutle Khan is also among the star performers this year. The Kutle Khan Project is Khan’s voyage into a world of music beyond boundaries, where he delves into his folk roots and draws from his musical experience and influence of collaborating with musicians from different cultures. What remains is a perfectly distilled blend of musical styles with a strong Rajasthani folk sensibility. He received the GIMA AWARD in 2015 for his composition ‘Moomal’ and was also featured in the IIFA Awards Mumbai in 2019.
Another Indian musical group Rehmat-e-Nusratconsists of young musicians from the hills of Uttarakhand in northern India who bring a fresh new perspective to the timeless tradition of qawwali music. The group presents qawwalis by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sufiyana kalaams by the great poets Amir Khusrao, Meera Bai and Baba Bulleh Shah, ghazals, Kabir’sbhajans, and original compositions. The pandemic has not dampened the band’s enthusiasm, and they have performed pop-up concerts at Museo Camera Museum, Throttle Shrottle, and virtual concerts with Sacred Music Seattle, In2Wild Festival UK, Hothouse Chicago, FabIndia and others. The list of performers also includes Dhruv Visvanath, a singer-songwriter, producer and accomplished acoustic guitarist from New Delhi, India. Having spent a large part of his childhood in various parts of the world like London, Zambia, Hong Kong and Mumbai to name a few, he uses the collective experiences from his past to craft his songs and stories.
The list continues with Belonging: A Belfast-Kolkata online musical collaboration featuring Jason O’Rourke and Deepmoy Day. The idea behind this project was to carry out an online musical collaboration that could be delivered in socially-distanced settings taking into account current and possible future public health restrictions due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Belonging’ project was funded by the UK National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.“I’ve played at many festivals over the past 40 years, but it’s not every day I get to say that I was on the same bill as Noam Chomsky and the winner of the Booker Prize. This dedication to excellence and diversity is why the Jaipur Literature Festival truly is the ‘greatest literary show on earth’, bursting with ideas, debate, and culture. We were delighted to be a part of it this year, bringing the ‘Belonging’ project to a discerning and appreciative global audience. Thanks to Teamwork Arts and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland for making our showcase possible”, said Jason O’Rourke.
The highlight of the Festival was a performance by Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur in which he initiates a live experimental voyage where all the beats and compositions are recreated live. The singer has collaborated with numerous musicians from Rajasthan, India and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.His previous work ‘Junun’ with Jonny Greenwood was recorded and mixed by Nigel Goodrich at a 15thcentury fort in Jodhpur, India.Ben Tzur’s new project is a live music solo performance interwoven with devotional poetries filmed and recorded in the Augusta Victoria Church and on the outskirts of Jerusalem’s sacred landscape. On his collaboration with the Festival, Shye Ben Tzur said, “Happy to be a part of Jaipur Literature Festival’svirtual edition. In this time when all around the globe people are experiencing a year with some forms of lockdowns, I found myself playing music alone at home using loop stations to explore new creative ways to express myself. Halel (Prise in Hebrew) is a glimpse of some inner conversations, reaching out beyond religion, cultural boundaries, and social distance.”
Jack Warnock, a multi-instrumentalist and singer from the United Kingdom, is also among the performers. In January 2021, Warnock was announced as the recipient of a prestigious BBC Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland Young Musician Platform Award in the folk and traditional music category.Warnock recently received a SIAP grant from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, through the National Lottery, to record his highly anticipated debut solo album, due for release in 2021. Sharing his thoughts on his performance at the Festival Jack Warnock said,“It’s an absolute honour to be included on the bill for this year’s online Jaipur Literature Festival. The opportunity for young artists to showcase their music at international arts festivals like this are so few and far between, particularly at present, so I would like to thank the Arts Council for providing the opportunity to get involved. Festivals like this are an integral part of what keeps the world spinning, allowing creators from all types of artistic practices across the globe to connect, collaborate and share their creativity with audiences from east to west. I can’t wait to share my stories, songs and tunes with those audiences, and look forward to being on the receiving end of those experiences too.”
Additionally, the Festival featuressegments from some of the most memorable performances from our ‘Jaipur Music Stage’and ‘I Believe #ArtMatters’ archives. The acts include performances by celebrated Indian musician Raghu Dixit; the legendary percussionist, Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram, along with the support and finesse of his exceptionallytalented sons, Selvaganesh and Umashankar, and grandson Swaminathan; much loved Indian band Advaita; celebrated Indian vocalist Kailash Kher; India’s violin icon Dr L Subramaniam; a music ensemble Trayam, made up of classical musicians BC Manjunath, Praveen D Rao and Varijashree Venugopal; Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan.
