The second edition of the India Music Retreat held at Fairmont Jaipur from September 18 to 20 showcased a diverse range of music including Hindustani and Carnatic classical to ghazals and contemporary Bollywood.
“99% of songs have a tune first, and then words. it will also travel to a new venue in Chennai in March 2027 While the third edition of the Retreat will return to Fairmont Jaipur in September next year. Another Muse Music festival, Kinare Dariya, will travel to the Hooghly in February 2028.
Because i didn’t expect an immersive festival with music in every corner, “It was a different kind of experience,. To get some of the best artists in the country together in one place is amazing. Sairam then sang a Tamil folk song traditionally sung by village women during festivals. Drawing on episodes from the life of Lord Krishna, some of its lines were also translated into Hindi. Then, Datta and Sairam presented a musical journey through the Bhakti movement, beginning with compositions of Shaivite saints from the sixth to the ninth centuries before moving to the 15th-century Kabir ( Jheeni Jheeni Beeni Chadariya ), 16th-century Guru Nanak, 16th-century Mirabai ( Payo Ji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo ), 18th-century Tyagaraja and the Bauls of Bengal. “There are many experiences in life. Music is one dimension, community is one dimension, food is another dimension, beauty of the space is another dimension. This is not a one-sided experience. After dinner, Avanti Patel and Rutuja Lad performed O Gaanewali , which traced the history of the courtesan tradition and its music. Through songs associated with Nirmala Devi, Rasoolan Bai, Begum Akhtar and Gauhar Jaan, the duo celebrated the lives of these maestros while also highlighting their contribution to India’s cultural history and freedom movement. Post lunch, the Jadunama session had poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar talking to actor Divya Dutta about the stories behind some of his celebrated songs like O Paalanhaare , Saare Sapne Kahin Kho Gaye , Tum Ko Dekha To Yeh Khayal Aaya , Pyar Hua Chupke Se , Phir Dekhiye and Kal Ho Na Ho . Many of the songs were simultaneously performed by Deepali Sahay. In the evening, Sandeep Narayan and his ensemble began with Tulsidas’s Ganpati Jagvandan followed by Raga Kuntalavarali, and Raga Abheri. Then came the Tamil song Oru Murai and the Kannada song Madeva . Narayan concluded with Garaj Garaj Aaj Megh from Bandish Bandits , which he sang alongside its original singer, Mohammed Aman, who was in the audience. “People look for an experience. What’s going to bring them out of their homes, and off YouTube? The final day of the retreat began on a meditative note with Bahauddin Dagar on the rudra veena, accompanied by Sanjay Agle on pakhawaj and Ipsita Bichkar on tanpura. Absolutely transported, many in the audience closed their eyes and surrendered themselves to the music. After breakfast, Divya Dutta presented an emotional session titled Meri Laadli , in which she narrated her mother’s story while reflecting on her own journey – from being a doctor’s daughter in a small town in Punjab to facing rejection in Mumbai and eventually winning accolades as a National Award-winning actress. She also read out poems written by her mother. By the end of the talk and Q&A, many in the audience were visibly moved.
For the audience too, to be in the midst of people who are discussing music so seriously is a great experience,” Srinivasan said afterwards. It’s a multifaceted experience with a lot of soul,” said Sairam. Good writing is not stating everything; it exists somewhere between the writer and the listener,” Akhtar said even as he entertained the audience with witty observations. As musicians, we do our part, but if organisers elevate the whole experience, then this will ensure that these parts of our culture will not just survive but thrive in the future,” Narayan said afterwards. “We try to dissolve the distance between the artist and the stage, and between the artist and the audience,” said Mala Sekhri, Founder, Muse Music, which organised the festival. “The idea is to allow each place to give us a new musical possibility; to look at the place with admiring musical eyes, while keeping the same underlying belief in immersion, discovery, intimacy and great music,” Sekhri said.
