| Mehrengarh fort, which was once described by Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as the eighth wonder of the world is an ancient monument in Jodhpur which remains beautiful and silent for almost every time of the year. But this month, it reverberated to the sounds and movements of hundreds of Flamenco dancers and gypsy singers from across the globe as it provided home for the Jodhpur flamenco and gypsy festival.The idea of the festival this year is to “develop a new definition of folk music and help create a fusion that has the essence of gypsy culture of Rajasthan at its core”, said Roberto Nieddu, the managing and artistic director of the fest. “The second edition of Jodhpur Flamenco & Gypsy Festival is hosted in an endeavour to help preserve and encourage local talents, while creating a collaborative platform for global artistes to develop fresh music,” said Nieddu.The festival continued for three days, starting on the 3rd of April and ending on the 5th. The fort was filled with the magical sound of the gypsy music and the mingling of the different cultures of the world. The ease with which the music, ostensibly from different and remote parts of the world came together, gives a kind of validity to the theory that gypsies, now settled in different parts of the world, migrated from Rajasthan in the 12th century. They moved across West Asia and Europe and Spain, and while their culture changes and morphed, the needed to express themselves through music, and their basic dance moves, musical notes and rhythm retained similarities. There were international performers from Spain, Mexico and other parts of the world performing their best and entertaining their guests to the maximum. |
Just like the sounds of gypsy music ruled the hearts of all the audience who were there at the show, the Flamenco dancers gave a visual treat to them as they have never seen before. World famous Flamenco practitioners, Daniel Nevarro and Karen Lugo, along with the Rajasthani Kalbeliya dancers moved as if the viewers could both see and hear the music. On the first day, even the heavy rain that poured down on the fort couldn’t put down the fire in the heart of the performers and the music lovers who were present in the show. The show was shifted to Moti Mahal, where it continued to portray itself to a large audience, swaying their drenched bodies to the rhythm of the music. The other two nights of the show were peaceful, with clear skies and moonlight that illuminated the magnificent fort.Nieddu, who heads CRN Productions, also talks about how the idea of the show originated in 2008, when a concert at the Jodhpur RIFF he put together fusing Rajasthani and old Italian music prompted another one between Spanish and Rajasthani gypsy music and dance. Today, the JFGF underlines the stark and remarkable similarities between the two traditions, working towards promoting and preserving both.
There is no doubt that whoever visited the show went home with a feeling of uniqueness and their passion for music doubled. |
|
