Jayatisthan
Rajasthan Through Eyes of Jayati
Jayati | 5th March, 2018
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Udaipur World Music Festival
If you transcend to a state of utopia through the harmony of music, you have come toappreciate the significance of it in your life. As humans, we share a strong visceral connection to this soul-food. And no matterwhat the location or the occasion, the moment a recognized song or tune catches your attention, it tugs at your heart strings, taking you back to the timewhen it had firstmade its impact on you. Regardless of what might have panned out since then, the resplendence of music remainsunchanged throughout. Music has always been there in the world; it is only when we got civilized that we learned to acknowledge it better. Gradually,we developed the art of articulating music that was out thereinto more discernible forms;and these have now ingrained themselves into the very fabric of the diverse cultures that we so often appreciate. When you lose yourself in the ecstatic lanes of music, you come to realize that it is not a means to a celebration but the celebration itself. And among the many celebrations of music held worldwide, the fledgling but brilliant Udaipur World Music Festival manages to leave a special mark.
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When the music takes over the City of Lakes
Every year for the past three years, Rajasthan Tourism together with Hindustan Zinc, Wonder Cement and SEHER, a Delhi-based organization founded around visual and performing arts, has been conceptualizingthis three-day musical gala in Udaipur. Organized in the month of February (somewhere in the second week), this music-oriented festival plays host to exemplary musicians, singers and artists from around the world, come together in the City of Lakes. Three editions (including UWMF 2018) of this event have so far been exhibited before the public, and quite remarkably too.
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What’s the play?
Since music is laced so deep into the culture of India, having a festival that is dedicated to music is reason enough in itself. To make matters more awesome is the classy setting of Udaipur which adds zeal and grandeur to this festival. Commencing in the month of February, when the chilly winters gracefully give way to spring, the Udaipur World Music Festival serves as a pleasant opportunity to commemorate the musical diversity within the nation. Besides, this initiative by Tourism Department of the State Government of Rajasthan also strengthens the alliance of the city and its folks with music. As an annual signature event dedicated wholly to music, it exhibits live performances by artists fromvaried musical genres and ethnicities, thus fosteringa cultural exchange through music. Held every year at nearly the same time, this international musical gala emphasizes Udaipur as a major station for World Music in South Asia.
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Looking back at the 2018 Edition
This year’s Udaipur World Music Festival was a multi-venue, city-wide event that featured over hundred global artists and bands from more than 12 countries with France, Italy, Spain, Venezuela, Ghana being a few. Welcoming music lovers of all ages, both domestic and international, to mark their calendar forshowcasing their music on the perfect platform, the Udaipur World Music Festival 2018 was a resonating affair! This third edition ofthe Udaipur World Music Festival was held from February 9 - February 11, 2018 with stages set in three different locations. The venues for the event wereprudently picked and thoughtfully set upto best bring out the best of the inherent architectural beauty and ambiance of the City of Lakes. Accordant to how specific moods and music are allied to various parts of the day, the festival opened up with some soulful and inspirational classical music, bhajans and regional music. These melodies ranged from far off Mediterranean music to that of the bygone Renaissance period. Each day ended with powerful and highly energetic youthful concerts involving rich musical varieties such as pop, jazz, fusion and rock. UWMF 2018 was enthralling and immersive in equal measure; a true unity of musical diversity. If you couldn’t attend this year’s edition, mark your calendar for the next one in 2019,for it is going to be even more spectacular!