Jodhpur RIFF blends roots, rhythm and reinvention

Under Sharad Purnima moon, global music and desert traditions merged beautifully.

- MURTAZA ALI KHAN

Under the radiant Sharad Purnima moon, the 18th edition of the Jodhpur RIFF unfolded across the majestic courtyards of Mehrangarh Fort, offering five days of rare collaborations, timeless traditions and unexpected encounters between cultures.

From dawn bhajans echoing Kabir’s verses to Creole dance workshops and shamanic sounds from Central Asia, the festival reaffirmed its role as one of India’s most innovative platforms for root music and global dialogue.

Festival Director Divya Bhatia explained the festival's spirit: “More than looking for connections, I look for what resonates. When you listen to music from Central Asia and then from Bhutan, suddenly the instruments, the similarities and the differences begin to make sense.”

On 5th October, Jaswant Thada’s marble pavilion opened its doors at dawn to mystical soundscapes from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Kobyz virtuoso Layla Tazhibayeva evoked the shamanic, spiritual dimension of Central Asian music, shifting seamlessly between the instrument's meditative stillness and its modern electric power. Uzbek singer Gulzoda Khudoynazarova, accompanied by Doyra, Dutar and Gijjak, infused the centuries-old Shashmaqam with fresh vitality.