Music of the deserts

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Amid the stark, burning sands of the deserts thrive some of the sweetest, most lilting sounds of music. Celebrating this is the Amarrass Desert Music festival, the second edition of which recently concluded at the Zorba.
Talking about the fest, Ankur Malhotra, director of Amarrass Records said, “We had 12 bands presenting 14 hours of music over two days.”
Performing for the first time in India, 32-year-old guitarist Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar hails from the Tuareg community in Niger and has led a life of struggles — he was forced to flee his country during the 1990 Tuareg Rebellion.
“I am thrilled to be here. Collaborating with Indian musicians and the other bands has been a great learning experience. Indians are simply so warm and hospitable,” said Bambino.
A collaborative performance of Welsh singer Gwyneth Glyn and Indian ghazal maestro Tauseef Akhtar was another highlight. Glyn and Akhtar hope to create original poetry inspired by the ancient verses of India and Wales.
Speaking about their experience, Glyn said, “What strikes me the most about India is that people here are so open and joyful. It’s hard not to fall in love with the vitality of the place — its colours, the incredible cuisine, the way music is revered; everything is so disarming about the nation.”
Everyone talks about the hustle and bustle of metro cities like Delhi or Mumbai, but there is a stillness at the centre of all that commotion – a timelessness which Glyn finds irresistible.
Turkish psychadelic band BaBa ZuLa shared their legacy with the Delhi audience through their music from Istanbul.
Padmashri Sakar Khan, a 76-year-old kamancha player from Jaisalmer, and Barmer Boys, an upcoming group of young Rajasthani musicians were among the Indian performers at the festival.