‘We are hoping for more platforms like the Coke Studio where artistes like us have the freedom to create music without losing their identity,’ Rais Khan of Barmer boys tells Nishant Singh
The world is full of music and lyrics and it is the different flavours of music which make it something to be appreciated and cherished. It’s the roots which keep the essence alive like a narrow passage to heaven in the midst of chaos. The folk fusion band Barmer Boys, who have their roots in Rajasthan, are the epitome of this different kind of music.
The Barmer Boys is a collective of Rajasthani folk musicians, who were brought together by the Delhi-based recording label Amarrass Records in 2011. In their short career as a ‘band’, they have performed with internationally acclaimed artistes like Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Toure and Bombino from Niger.
Taking forward the legacy of Manganiyars, a community who used to sing in exchange for alms as the name suggests, they use a wide variety of instruments like the rounded Kamancha; the sarangi; Algoza or double flute; the tiny, but potent morchang – held delicately in performer’s mouth, its taut reed is plucked to produce twangs that talk; then there is khartal – just two pieces of wood, held in each hand, that are made to converse in the intricate language of claps by gravity and the magic in the palms that hold them.
From different villages in Barmer district of Rajasthan, the Barmer Boys have been musicians for almost their entire lives. Yet, it is a new experience for them to be part of a ‘band’. As Ashutosh Sharma of Amarrass Records says, “It is probably the first time that traditional Rajasthani instruments such as the morchang, khartaal and bhapang are being mixed with beat-boxing and DJ sets.
The percussionist of the band, Rais Khan, is quite satisfied with the thought of learning new things like beat boxing and to learn playing different instruments. For him, touring and collaborations with different artistes is the main source of learning. He wants to teach whatever is possible to share through his traditional music.
“When we go abroad, the people always look at us with respect and they enjoy our music and this is the biggest reward for any artiste that his art is being appreciated and reaching to every corner of the world,” says Rais, who just came back from a gig in Hong Kong with the band.
Platforms like Coke Studio are playing a vital role in promoting their art and to expand their reach to the masses. Folk artistes from different parts of India are getting known for their talent and social media sites like YouTube and Facebook are also doing wonders in terms of providing them an audience which is fond of such kind of music.
“We have got a huge fan base through our song on YouTube, which we created with music director Clinton for Coke Studio season-8. We hope for more such platforms where artistes like us have the freedom to create music without losing our identity,” shares Rais Khan, who was recently in Delhi with his band for a performance at the Groghead Café. The Barmer Boys are open to all sorts of musical collaborations, including music for Bollywood. However, they are quite clear that if approached for film-music, they will only perform folk music that they create themselves.
The article also got published in The Pioneer Newspaper – http://www.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/fusion-from-barmer.html
