MUSIC, MAGIC, DANCING SNAKES AND FAKIRS FROM THE GYPSY MOTHERLAND OF RAJASTHAN

Indian music opens the gates to ecstasy. Master musicians, colourful costumes, beautiful dancers and fakirs neglecting fire and gravity will lead you beyond the edge of reality. Musafir's leader, the tabla player Hameed Khan, used to play with Lakshmi Shankar and the Gipsy Kings' Chico Bouchikhi, his band performed at the prestigious Rudolstadt, Roskilde, and Womad festivals and in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

A musician sitting cross-legged on stage plays a fabulous melody with his Jew's-harp, accompanied by the rhythm of the dholak, welcoming the pilgrims, who are Musafir, travellers since centuries all over the Rajasthan. They are on pilgrimage to Baba Ramdev's temple, the great Saint of Gypsies. The Saints are worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims, yet their interpretations are very personal. The Sapera, known as the snake charmers, belong to the most ancient Gypsy tradition.
Hameed Khan's father and forefathers were musicians, exponents of both folk and classical Indian music. In 1984, Hameed, a tabla player in the University of Rajasthan, decided to settle in France. He proved his versatility and played with Indian classical artists, folk dancers and European musicians including Lo'Jo, the Breton singer Erik Marchand, and the Gipsy Kings' Chico Bouchikhi.
In 1995 he started Musafir with a goal to introduce the full spectrum of Rajasthani styles, including qawwali singing, Bollywood songs, Arabian influenced pop, and Hindustani classical music. His aim was to show music within its context, including the rich visuals. Indians don't have boundaries between art disciplines, the Hindu word sangeet means simultaneously music, dance and drama.
Musafir is a colourful mix of performers coming from all corners of the Thar desert in the North West Rajasthan: the sedentary Langas and Manghanyar and nomadic Sapera. The Sapera (from the word Sap, snake) specialize in curing snake bites and in snake charming.

Discography:
Gypsies of Rajasthan (Blue Flame/BMG) 1997
Dhola Maru (Sounds True) 1999
Barsaat (Blue Flame/BMG) 2002

Personnel:
Hameed Khan (tabla, leader)
Khatu Sapera (dance)
Bal Chand (fakir, dance, fire-eater)
Sadik Khan (sarangi, castanets, vocals)
Sawan Khan (vocals)
Sardar Khan (vocals, harmonium, sarangi)
Chugge Khan (castanets, jew's harp, bhapang)
Lom Nath (flute)

Web:
www.musafirmusic.com
www.musik-aktion.de

Music(mp3):
Banna
Ali Mullah feat.Transglobal Underground and Natacha Atlas

Video:
www.dellamore.it/musafir/musafir.mov

Downloads:

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