Kesaria Balma… Padharo Mare Desh Re – one of the most popular authentic Rajasthani folk songs, opened the sixth evening of the Times Ahmedabad Festival on Thursday.
It was an evening dedicated to Ila Arun. But before that six Rajasthani folk artists added spice to the royal Rajasthani flavour with a recital of classic folk number ‘Nibuda chhota chhota nibuda’ (Hum dil de chuke sanam). A noticeable shift in the performance came with the entry of the four Rowdy Rajas playing funky jazz.
Arun’s son-in-law Dhruv Ghanekar, who is one of the busiest jazz composers in Mumbai today, perfor med with Louiz Banks’s son Gino – an innovative jazz guitarist. The four jazz artists are part of the 11-artist Rani and Rowdy Rajas band. The throbbing beat thrilled the receptive Amdavadi audience. The crowds communicated their acceptance with roaring applaus and loud whistles. Fresh fusion of folk and jazz appealed to music lovers and connoisseurs alike.
Royal entry of the one and only folk queen Ila Arun after rendition of folk and jazz, seamlessly merged these two genres into one. “I believe in sticking to roots and maintaining the dignity of the distinct music forms in fusion,” said Arun. “I am a pure folk artist trapped within jazz,” she added jovially. “I am here to reach out to the youth with funky folk.” This was Arun’s first public performance in Ahmedabad.
‘Holi aavi re’ was her first fusion item of the performance. “Ahmedabad is Gandhiji’s home,” she said while dedicating a song – ‘Charkha dhoom chalavo re’ – to the Father of the Nation. A rendition of Gandhiji’s favourite bhajan – ‘Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye’ – in a perfect fusion transported the audience into an ecstatic state. To end the show on a Gujarati note, Arun also sang garba for the audience.
