Three days of traditional music from across the world was about to end at Jodhpur RIFF, a folk festival that was held in the Sun City last week. Gene Peterson, a drummer from Australia, was entrusted with bringing the curtains down, with a segment named RIFF Rustle. His job was enviable. Peterson had been absorbing all the global sounds on offer at the fest, making notes while at it, and curating a jam session behind the scenes that was meant to be a cross-border collaboration. And he eventually shortlisted an Iranian band, a group of singers from Spain, a couple of musicians from Reunion Island, and around a dozen Manganiyar artistes playing their indigenous songs.

 Donn Bhatt