Jodhpur, Oct 28 (PTI) Kathak dancer Tarini Tripathi along with Langa musicians Sadiq Khan, Asin Khan and Zakir Khan presented a rare mix of the classical Indian dance and Rajasthani folk music tradition at the ongoing Jodhpur RIFF music festival here.
Tripathi moving with the grace and fluidity of Kathak, with Sadiq on dholak, Asin on sindhi sarangi, and Zakir on khartal tied the evening together with soulful renditions in traditional tunes of the Langa community. The classic dancer and the musician trio are collectively called ‘SAZ’.
The artistes, who were commissioned by Jodhpur RIFF to create the unique collaboration, decided to depict three Rajasthani folk tales through the performance of two distinct dance and music styles.
“We look at folk in a very different way, and not just call it a fusion of classical and folk but where we have both perform in their own way, their original way and somewhere we meet. After a lot of sharing initially, we got into what are the common themes, common rhythms, and soundscapes,” Tripathi told PTI.
The performance started with “Hath me rumaal”, a Langa composition about a groom going to his bride’s house and the latter describes how she bought different articles of jewellery and clothes in anticipation of the groom.
“The bride goes to the market with her mother to buy jewellery, bangles and clothes. She has dressed up for the groom. They go shopping at different markets because her groom is coming to see her,” Sadiq Khan said.
Talking about the collaboration, the musicians said that even thought they had worked with Kathak dancer earlier but their own music never its distinct space in those performances.
“It was new for us. We played our traditional song and Sadiq and Zakir sat with Tarini to understand the movements and vocabulary of Kathak. That is how we managed to mix Kathak and folk in a single performance,” Asin Khan added.
In the other two pieces of the evening – “Kaangli” and “Sorhath” – the group explored the pain of separation in a sister for her brother and the story of a Rajasthani king and queen, respectively.
Tripathi noted that the group had to go through a lot of “trial and error” initially, as in the Langa tradition music is generally event-specific while Kathak can be performed according to a story or event.
“Here we were trying to find that balance how do we bring that attitude together and not look like it’s a fusion but look like this is meant to be. There was a lot of trial and error and came to these three pieces that showcased both the artforms in their true manners,” Tripathi said.
The four-day music festival is showcasing Indian and global roots music, dance, and collaborations between artists. The event will come to an end on October 30. PTI MAH SHD SHD
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