Get ready to shake a leg at ‘We Play’ at Jawahar Kala Kendra

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Who doesn’t love music? And isn’t it even better when you get to hear it LIVE? Jaipur music lovers, get ready to witness a rocking musical evening at Jawahar Kala Kendra on September 20. In collaboration with the renowned Rajasthani Sufi band — Rajasthan Roots and Alliance Francaise, Bangalore, Jawahar Kala Kendra presents a fusion musical evening entitled ‘We Play’.

To be held under the stars at the amphitheater Madhyavarti at 7 pm, the event will see performances of two sponsored artistes of Alliance Francaise, Bangalore – David Walters and Nicolas Letzelter from France along with the lead singer of Rajasthan Roots, Aditya Bhasin and other band members.

Rajasthan Roots, has enthralled audiences across the world with their unique presentation of folk fusion, seamlessly mixing western instruments and beats with the traditional songs and sounds of Rajasthan. They have featured on TV in the top music programmes such as Dewarists on Star World and recently in MTV Coke Studios, with a new flavour of Rajasthan’s folk music which appeals to people of all cultures and age groups. The performance is a mix of popular folk, to upbeat originals as well as a wide repertoire of timeless Sufi.

The lead singer of Rajasthan Roots, Aditya Bhasin tells us that the band has been collaborating with musicians from all over the world. “For instance, we have played with renowned singers like Coco Rosie from Europe, Khaled from Morocco and some Spanish artistes as well. This time we are collaborating with two French artistes — David Walters and Nicolas Letzelter.”

Aditya Bhasin, lead singer of the band Rajasthan Roots

Since the French artistes are meeting the members of Rajasthan Roots for the first time just one evening before the performance, they have no idea what they are going to play for the Jaipurites. “We are certainly going to play some popular Sufi tracks like Mast Qalandar as they are liked by everyone”, tells Bhasin. “The performance is predominantly going to be a mix of ‘blues’, a raag that is common across all cultures, and a fusion of Western and Indian instruments is also in store”, he adds.

Sharing his thoughts on music, Bhasin says that music embraces all languages, religions as well as philosophies. Music speaks for itself. However, it is important to promote the music and musicians in the correct manner. Folk music should not just be limited to weddings or cultural events but should also be played in clubs, he adds. It is worth noting that Rajasthan Roots has played in popular clubs like F Bar and Blue Frog, among others.

Singer , multi – instrumentalist, DJ and a music lover and composer, David Walters has made original soundtracks with the colours of countries that he has visited — United States , South Africa, India, South Korea, Colombia and Cuba. Shedding light on his views on music, he says that music has two objectives — either to hit the charts or to spread a message. While it is important to make music that can fill one’s pocket, it is also necessary to make meaningful music that can aid in working towards a cause. For instance, in South Africa music helped in fighting against apartheid. Similarly, in Columbia music played a pivotal role in the fight against drugs, he pointed out.

Walters also has a passion for photography and making documentaries. Music for him is actually a pretext to go to meet people and witness different cultures. In fact, the story of his tours across the world will also be played in the background during the concert tomorrow.

Walters has given birth to an astonishing repertoire coloured by electronic beats and acoustic folk, all with a strong Afro Caribbean influence. It is a beautiful experience to mix your own music with the local music. Ask him how he copes with the language barrier in the different countries he visits and he responds: “With my ears and heart!”.

One will also be able to see in the performance use of various musical instruments like dotara, Khartal, bamboo flute, drums, guitar, morchang, percussion and dholak, among others. The musical evening will take place on September 20 at 7 pm at Madhyavarti, Jawahar Kala Kendra. The entry to the event is on a complimentary and first come first serve basis.