Over the years, the Puqaar showcase has introduced Fielders to the rich tapestry of traditional art forms from Magnetic Fields’ home grounds of Rajasthan and beyond. Ancient tales of love, longing, gods, and people interweave in music, movement, and more under the dusky skies of Alsisar, transporting audiences to a realm that’s both timeless and of a different era.
This year, we continue the tradition with a diverse array of artists at the Puqaar Stage, exploring folk styles alongside semi-classical music.
Adding a modern twist on Friday, the Global Groove Collective, led by electronic artist Nuqta, merges traditional folk with electronic rhythms, featuring the guitar loops of Hvetter Omry, sarangi artistry from Yash Nirwan, Anuja Zokarkar’s classical vocals, and percussion from Umesh Warbhuwan to deliver a unique fusion connecting heritage and contemporary sounds.
O Gaanewali, a showcase on Saturday will celebrate the lives and music of pioneering women in Hindustani music. Vocalists Avanti Patel and Rutuja Lad, harmonium maestro Nusrat Apoorv, tabla artist Akshay Jadhav, and sarangi master Ejaz Hussain come together with stories, ghazals, and dadra for an enchanting performance that revives the legacy of the tawaifs and gaanewalis.
In a first, Puqaar will feature Qawaali on Sunday night before heading to the desert for a night-long jam session of Rajasthan's folk musicians.
