Venice of the East welcomes Music of the World

Family Atlantica udaipur

The city of lakes is in the best of its forms this month. Though the season is ideal if one wants to witness the true colors and alluring spirit of this city, the fascinating Udaipur lake Festival is adding to the charm of the city on the Valentine’s weekend. If the latest Rajasthan tourism ads that are taking over the Internet world fascinated you, its time you visit Venice of the East without a second thought!

First of its kind in the country, the Udaipur World Music Festival, conceptualized by SEHER in partnership with the Rajasthan Tourism, commences on 11th February 2016 and will continue to enthrall the visitors till the 14th of February 2016. The event will began with opening ceremony scheduled at the Fatehsagar Lake at 11:00 in the morning. Spread across the whole city, the Udaipur World Music Festival cuts across several genres of music and will bring together more than 100 global artists and ensembles from over 12 countries including Spain, Ghana, Venezuela, Italy, France and India among many others. Importantly, this festival shall also mark the celebrations of 60 years of the diplomatic relations between Spain and India.

Brainchild of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, the festival was conceptualized with the intention of establishing an annual signature event in Rajasthan and rebrand Udaipur as a major destination for World Music in South Asia. Life-scale, 100 international artists and performers from countries across South America and Africa and Europe shall be catering to all segments of music lovers. To be conducted every year in the same month, the festival will feature captivating live performances with the beautiful lakes and palaces of the city as a background – an amalgamation of cultural diversity at its best.

Mukhtiyar Ali & Mathias Duplessy
Mukhtiyar Ali & Mathias Duplessy

The fact that such diverse music from artists across continents comes together at one of the most sought after travel destinations of India is motivation enough for any music and travel enthusiast. Each of the two venues – Fatehsagar Paal and the Railway Institute training ground – shall stage a different genre of music and is being particularly designed to enrich the inherent beauty of the glorious architecture and culturally rich ambiance of Udaipur. The festival will start with romantic treats in the laid back sunny afternoons, and will end with high-energy youthful concerts in the evenings beautifully reflecting the moods of the season. Apart from the World Music, following the traditional inauguration, sports activities will be happening in Lake Fatehsagar. National Championship of Dragon Boat Race, Canoe Polo with Kayaking, Canoeing and Roving will also be held for adventure lovers.

Oum2

One of the most popular Fado singers from Portugal, Carminho, who has captured the imagination of the West, will be performing for the first time in India. Magical French composer Mathias Duplessy will collaborate with outstanding Rajasthani vocalist Mukhtiyar Ali from the semi-nomadic community called Mirasi from the Thar Desert. The World festival will be complete with the magical Flamenco which is being represented by one of the best Flamenco groups TAMARA & FERNANDO PASO A DOS from Spain. The evening will come alive with instrumental Spanish Flamenco guitar and dance performance and the unique African beat music by Dobet Gnahoré a Grammy award winner from the Ivory Coast. The evening will conclude with the one of the most popular Fusion Rock Bands of India – The Raghu Dixit Project.

 

Day 2 begins with a fusion of Sufi & Gospel music Sonam Kalra &The Sufi Gospel Project promises to hold the spectators under a spell. Moroccan Saharian Soul- Oum, likes of whom have never been seen or heard in India, Afro Beat Venezuelan Cumbia -Family Atlantica from Venezeula & Ghana will be bringing beats from a distant land perhaps been featured in India for the first time. The Festival will conclude on a high note with Indian Rock Fusion Band: Papon and the East Indian Company.

 You can find the line up here:

Stage 1: Afternoon (2pm-5pm)

Venue: Fatehsagar Paal

  1. Artist: Aleksandar Simic, Saskia Rao – de Haas, Shubhendra Rao
    Title/ Genre: Instrumental Trio
    Country: Serbia, Netherlands, India​
  1. Artist: Carminho
    Title/ Genre: Fado
    Country: Portugal
  2. Artist: Mathias Duplessy & Mukhtiyar Ali
    Title/ Genre: Fusion of Sufi & French music
    Country: France & India

 

Stage 2: Evening (6pm-10pm)
Venue: Railway Training Institute Ground

  1. Artist: Tamara & Fernando. Paso A Dos.
    Title/ Genre: Flamenco music and dance
    Country: Spain​
  2. Artist: Dobet Gnahoré
    Title/ Genre: African beat music
    Country: Ivory Coast
  3. Artist​: The Raghu Dixit Project
    Title​/ Genre​: Fusion Rock Band
    Country​: India​

Day 2: 14TH FEBRUARY, 2016

Stage 1: Afternoon (2pm-5pm)
Venue: Fatehsagar Paal

 

​1. ​Artist: Sonam Kalra & The Sufi Gospel Project

Title/ Genre: Fusion of Sufi & Gospel music

Country: India

2. ​Artist: Jose Maria Gallardo Del Rey
Title/ Genre: Spanish Guitar (Instrumental)
Country:Spain​

​3. Artist: Italy Meets India

Title/ Genre: Jazz Fusion
Country: India & Italy

Sonam Kalra-udaipur
Sonam Kalra

Stage 2: Evening (6pm-10pm)
Venue: Railway Training Institute Ground

 ​1. ​Artist: Oum
Title/ Genre: Moroccan Saharian Soul
Country: Morocco

​2. ​Artist: Family Atlantica
Title/ Genre: Afro Beat Venezuelan Cumbia
Country: Venezuela & Ghana

​3. ​Artist: Papon and the East India Company
Title/ Genre:  Fusion Rock Band
Country: India

Papon and The East India Company
Singer- Papon

Imagine perched on the banks of Fatehsagar, being seduced by the melodious manganiyar melodies, feasting on a gorgeous sunset, and then the tunes change into the bittersweet strains of the Flamenco guitar, you know you want to be in Udaipur right now.

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