Report: Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival 2025
Artists from Kurdistan, Chile, Cuba, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Spain among others performed alongside those from India at the event.
Hilly terrain and bright sunshine greets me as I land in the City of Lakes for the seventh edition of the Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival. Held from 7 to 9 February, the event, conceptualized by SEHER, was open to all and featured artists from Kurdistan, Chile, Cuba, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Spain and others performing alongside those from India.
Excited chants of “Kanika” filled the air, as the finale for day one got Bollywood playback singer Kanika Kapoor performing her first proper concert in Udaipur. Starting with some of her all-time chart-topping hits, such as Chittiyan Kalaiyan and Baby Doll, she sang a mix of popular Bollywood and Punjabi numbers, such as Saddi Gali and London Thumakda, among others. The crowd showed their appreciation by dancing along.
Watching the sun rise on the banks of Manjhi (Ambrai) Ghat near the glimmering waterfront of Lake Pichola made for a rather charming setting for soulful early morning music by Rithvik Raja. “We picked compositions that we thought would resonate musically with this ambience, in terms of their meaning or melodic structure,” said the young Carnatic musician who blends classical and modern elements and is accompanied by musicians on the violin, mridangam and ghatam. Starting with the Dhenuka raga, he sang about the grandeur of water, with references to rivers like the Ganga, Kaveri and the Yamuna. Next up was the Delgocha Ensemble from Iran, who played a mix of mesmerizing Persian tunes, consisting of intricate centuries-old melodies and poetry by Khusrau, Rumi and Hafiz.
The picturesque Fateh Sagar Lake made for a majestic background for the afternoon music session that featured Chizai, an innovative pop act from Delhi. The band played interesting original tracks like UKP about their cat, So Far No Good about reality checks, Season 6 Episode 1 about re-parenting oneself, Loop about being stuck and Absence without Official Leave about missing something in one’s life.
Next, Ali Doğan Gönültaş brought the rich musical traditions of Kurdistan and Turkey to life through evocative sounds of the tembûr, acoustic guitar, percussion and clarinet. “Music doesn’t need any language or explanation,” he said, when asked how he adapts his music to India, where he was playing for the first time. The afternoon ended with legendary percussionist Karsh Kale weaving a therapeutic fusion sound along with Swedish guitarist Peter Tegnér. With a distinct lounge vibe, their soothing songs, such as Universe and Return to My Soul had many in the audience tapping their feet, closing their eyes and getting lost in the music.
With just the right amount of chill in the air, the evening music began with renowned Rajasthani singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Kutle Khan, dressed in a resplendent golden suit, performed a mix of folk and Sufi favourites including Padharo Mhare Des, Waari Jaon and Mast Qalandar. Of course, he got the audiences swaying and waving their arms in the air! The evening closed with pioneering rock band Euphoria, who played in Udaipur after a decade. The band, which has been around for more than 25 years, got the crowds humming along with well-loved tracks such as Dhoom Pichuk, Maaeri and Jugni. And then, just when the mood grew soft, frontman Palash Sen dramatically stripped off his jacket and broke into Jooma Chumma De De, followed by Old MacDonald and We Will Rock You!
The final day started with playback singer Sukriti Sen’s classical ragas, followed by Flamenco music by Luis de la Carrasca and Manuel Gomez from Spain. The afternoon had Kavyaraag Collective performing a combination of poetry and music, inspired by Meera, Kabir, Faiz and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Next, Los Calchakis from Argentina introduced Andean folk sounds, and Mumbai-based indie music collective, The Western Ghats, blended indie-folk with pop, rock and electronic music. The evening had Faridkot singing Punjabi folk-rock, and KAIA, an all-girl group from Philippines, performing a mix of originals and popular hits. The festival ended on a high note with Shaan’s Bollywood set. “There’s something magical about singing under the open sky, with people coming together purely for the love of music. This event brings such a beautiful mix of sounds and cultures, and I’m already looking forward to coming back!” he concluded.
A freelance writer based in New Delhi, Neha Kirpal writes primarily on books, music, films, theatre and travel.