After a mystic opening in January, Amarrass Records and Amarrass Society hosted the second edition of “AMARRASS NIGHTS” at Delhi’s green lung – Bagh-e-Azeem, Sunder Nursery on Saturday evening.. Following up with the grand success and of the first Amarrass Nights, the 2nd edition of Amarrass Night featured the living legend and National award winner Lakha Khan and accomplished folk group from Rajasthan “Barmer Boys”. Following the tradition of Amarrass Nights, Morchang, one of the oldest instruments known to humankind was showcased at the event. It is used in folk music in Rajasthan and is a wind percussion instrument played with the mouth.
With the moon taking over, and the sun beginning to fade away, Amarrass Nights kick-started with master musician Lakha Khan’s sterling performance. Accompanied by his son Dane Khan on Dholak, Lakha Khan with his Sindhi Sarangi presented Krishan Bhagwan’s Bhajans and Sufi Kalaams depicting the ancient stories and oral histories of his region. With a robust and melodious voice that perfectly complimenting his 27-string Sindhi Sarangi ,Lakha Khan along with his son, performed a mesmerizing repertoire, showcasing the richness of the musical traditions of Rajasthan.
The Father-son duo performed songs including “Tera naam rasool e arabi har rang vich vasda” Jhini Chadar and “Tidiya re Laal“ .Lakha Khan while sharing his views on performing in Delhi said “Performing in Delhi has always been my first love, I have performed at various countries but performing here, speaking our mother tongue and interacting with the audience in Delhi gives us a serene experience and most importantly Delhi feels like home”
The stage was then taken over by Barmer Boys, sustaining the centuries-old musical traditions of the Manganiyars. Dressed in black jackets and colourful turbans, Barmer Boys stormed the stage with their unique sound and instrumental aesthetics. The trio featuring Manga khan on Vocals, Magda Khan on Dholak and percussionist Rais Khan presented an image of the musical fringe that they have occupied during the years through their International Tours . Rais Khan played several folk instruments and also beatboxed while playing the Khartal and Morchang leaving the audience craving for more. Along with Rajasthani folk songs, Barmer Boys also performed popular Hindi songs including Nusrat fateh ali khan’s Ye jo halka halka” and famous sufi song “Dama dam mast kalandar” making the audience dance.
The Instrument highlighted in the second edition of “Amarrass Nights” was Morchang. Known by various names and found around the world, In India, it is used in folk music in Rajasthan, in Carnatic Music in South India and Assam. With skills honed over generations, the art of instrument making is in real danger of becoming extinct. A blacksmith by trade, Mohan Lal Lohar is one of the few remaining master craftsmen to hand forge these instruments made of steel and brass. Amarrass Records has been working with the Lohar’s family to get over 200 of these high-quality hand-crafted instruments into the hands of music lovers across the world.
Note to the Editors
About Amarrass Nights and Amarrass Records
Founded in 2009, Amarrass has been striving to create sustainable ecosystems that preserve, promote and nurture folk and traditional forms of music and arts. A part of this initiative, ‘Amarrass Nights’ emerged as an integral platform to showcase young artists, as well as living legends.
Amarrass Records and Amarrass Society for Performing Arts consider Amarrass Nights culturally significant series performances held monthly at iconic locations across Delhi, including Lodi Gardens, Qutab, and now at Sunder Nursery – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Delhi’s first arboretum.
Over the past five years, Amarrass has produced over 40 world-class events in Delhi/NCR, and at RRAP Museum and Hub space in Jaipur (in partnership with Jaipur Virasat Foundation). In line with our mission to introduce urban audiences to folk and traditional forms of music, and showcase known and not so well-known artists, we have organized concerts by Barmer Boys, Charanjit Singh and his 10 Ragas to a Disco Beat project, Rehmat~e~Nusrat, Ghewar & Firoze, Lakha Khan, Gabacho Maroconnection, Madou Sidiki Diabatè and more.
Amarrass Records is a New Delhi, India and Madison, Wisconsin (US) based multi-faceted independent DIY record label, artist management, booking and events production company. We are committed to the production of quality music in a sustainable way and are guided by the principles of fair trade. Our non-profit initiative Amarrass Society for Performing Arts works with artisans to revive the traditional art of instrument making and provide workshops with master musicians. With 14 albums released, the label and artists we represent have been featured in the UNESCO 2013 Creative Economies Report, The New York Times, NPR, BBC, received the prestigious ‘Top of the World’ Songlines Album Award and outstanding reviews. Our initiatives include the culturally significant Amarrass Nights events, artist collaborations, and the revival of vinyl production in India.
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