The idea of a folk musician is often built upon stereotypes. It portrays an artiste who shuns modern techniques in favour of tradition that has been passed down through generations. “This portrayal needs to change,” folk musician-singer Kutle Khan reminds us. He is already taking the first steps towards it. Having travelled the world and collaborated with musicians of different genres to popularise the form, he is now set to release a new album that unifies traditional Rajasthani folk music with more modern electronic influences.

“It is an effort to present Rajasthani music on the larger stage,” Khan tells us over a Zoom call. The first song of the album, Jhirmir, released in August this year and captures the vibrancy that is typical of the culture. A song about the monsoon, it is mixed and produced by Gaurav Raina of Midival Punditz. Khan promises that the song is the first of many to come. “We are bringing together a fusion of artistes to recreate old Rajasthani songs, which are no longer in the popular domain, with a touch of folk and electronic elements,” he says. The singer and producer have known each other for a long time now; their collaboration on Midival Punditz’s Twilight won Best Electronica Song at the GIMA (Global Indian Music Awards) in 2015.