Udaipur awaits rich musical treat

Music lovers have a treat in store this coming weekend. From classical music, to folk, pop and film, a wide range of genres will be showcased in the Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival, conceptualised and produced by Seher in association with Rajasthan Tourism and Hindustan Zinc Limited. It will be held from 16th to 18th December, 2022, in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

This prestigious event is going to see famous names as well as upcoming artistes among the performers. Besides, music-lovers will get to see musicians from around the world which don't regularly perform in India--hence the novelty also will be a big attraction.

The big draw? The event is free and open to all. There will be live streaming too on social media (Instagram) at a link to be announced later at this website http://www.udaipurworldmusicfestival.com/

The event also has a commendable theme: Preservation and propagation of the forgotten musical instruments and traditions of Rajasthan where the festival will focus on showcasing Sarangi via a Sarangi Orchestra.

Aside from this, the Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival, Hindustan Zinc has introduced the Vedanta Talent Hunt – an endeavour to bring amateur young musicians to the international platform of the festival thus giving much-needed opportunities to budding talent.

The venues are three places in different parts of Udaipur and chosen for their scenic location. The first is the Manji ka Ghat (Ambrai Ghat) which is the main ghat on the shore of the famous Lake Pichola in Udaipur. Ambrai Ghat is located opposite the Gangaur Ghat. The second venue is Fateh Sagar Paal. Located northwest of Udaipur, the Fateh Sagar Lake offers a picturesque location, surrounded by the Aravali hills. It is also the city's second largest lake and is known for its picturesque splendor. The third location is Gandhi Ground.

Giving details of the theme and concept of the festival, Arun Misra, CEO Hindustan Zinc says that they hope to make Udaipur an important centre of music in India and this event is one more step in that direction. He adds: "This edition of the Udaipur Music Festival is special as we are coming back after the pandemic. It is the celebration of the resilience of the people in the country and what better way to do it than music. We are happy to continue our long-standing association with Rajasthan Tourism and Seher through this festival and we at Hindustan Zinc and Vedanta have always encouraged and supported arts and culture."

The big attraction of this fest is Farhan Akhtar, film actor, producer, screenwriter, director, playback singer, and television host. He will be giving a band performance with his orchestra. At the other end of the spectrum is a classical musician, a violinist Nandini Shankar who performs both Hindustani classical music and fusion.

Also featured in the festival are rock and world music band from Kashmir called Parvaaz, Kamakshi Khanna a singer/ songwriter in the Indian pop genre, and pop folk performer Papon as well as Raghu Dixit who is known for his contemporary and Indian folk music. Music lovers can also enjoy the music of Anoushka Maskey, an upcoming singer and songwriter from Sikkim as also that of guitarist Dhruv Vishwanath and Aabha Hanjura who is an Indian folk-fusion singer.

Among the performers coming in from different countries are Abakarao, a Latin folk and pop music band. Here, each member is from Colombia, Chile, Panama and Paraguay and they will all perform together. One can also listen to Srijani Ghose, an Australian performer presenting some of the popular Bhajans and Blessing Bled Chimanga, a singer songwriter from Zimbabwe. Bruno Loi from Italy will play Launeddas, a 3,000-year-old traditional musical instrument while Katia Guerreiro is a Fado music singer from Portugal. Also part of the festival are Albaluna, an ethnic progressive music band from Portugal, and Driss El Malloumi, a Moroccan composer and performer.

Indeed, there is a very varied palette of offerings for connnoisseurs and amateurs alike. Indian and world music, vocal and instrumental, solo performers and bands...there is much to choose from.