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Almost five hours after leaving Delhi, my car glides through the grand gates of Fairmont Jaipur, and, instantly, the mood shifts. The welcome is quintessential Rajasthan, with musicians in traditional Rajasthani attire filling the air with the beats of dhol and nagada, while, inside, the strains of a violin add a more intimate note to the grand arrival. Familiar Rajasthani melodies are played; I recognise a few and find myself quietly singing along in my head.
Mala Sekhri, founder of Muse Music and the driving force behind India Music Retreat gives me a warm welcome. After an effortless check-in, I head to my room, where I find a detailed itinerary for the next three days with an impressive roster of artists and a series of concerts featuring names I would hardly expect to find sharing the same stage.
India Music Retreat just doesn’t simply assemble the biggest names in music. The platform celebrates established maestros while also shining a light on artists who deserve far greater recognition.
The first evening begins with musician and composer, specialising in the sarod, Soumik Datta’s Raag Malhar, an evocative opening that sets the tone beautifully. A jugalbandi between maestro, Indian classical vocalist and Carnatic music singer, recipient of the Padma Shri award, Aruna Sairam and Soumik follows, and when the final note eventually fades, the applause doesn’t.
Night is reserved for another kind of maahaul (atmosphere). And so, it is time for O Gaanewali, a unique show spotlighting the music and history of women artists, performed by Avani Patel and Rujuta Lad as lead singers, alongside their talented ensemble.
As expected, the evening is a celebration of the women who have given voice to thumri, dadra and ghazal. And as an audience, we make no apologies for interrupting, now and then, with a wholehearted “waah”
As Sekhri rightly shared with us earlier, there is no real break in the maahaul. The night may have ended with ghazals, but the morning began in glory, with the incomparable Hindustani classical music vocalist Ashwini Bhide Deshpande taking over the reflective pool with her team.
She gently woke us to the day with the classics she is so renowned for and, at our insistence, even treated us to a beautiful Meera Bai classic, a moment none of us wanted to end.
Swaying to her voice with the majestic Raffles in the background, birds chirping overhead and a gentle breeze reminding us that this was exactly what we needed, we eventually made our way to breakfast. And, much like every meal thoughtfully curated for us, it was a celebration of flavours from the different corners of the country we proudly call home.
The afternoon was dedicated to two of Indian music’s most celebrated voices, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, with A Tale of Two Sisters, led by poet, music and cinema scholar, and recipient of the National Film Award for Lata: Sur-Gatha, Yatindra Mishra, alongside singers Rujuta Lad and Avani Patel.
Mishra took us through the many stories and memories he gathered over the years with the two legendary sisters, while Rujuta and Avani brought those memories to life through their beautiful voices.
We all have our personal favourites, and the next session was certainly one of mine, Jadunama, featuring actor Divya Dutta, screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar, and singer Deepali Sahay.
My admiration for Javed Akhtar meant I reached the ballroom nearly 30 minutes early, only to find it already packed. That, in itself, is the magic of Javed Saab. As Deepali brought some of his most memorable words to life through songs, Divya drew him into the stories behind them, and with his wit, he had the room laughing, listening, and, by the end of it, wanting more.
While celebrated Carnatic singer Sandeep Narayan began the evening solo, captivating us with his magical voice, moments later he was joined by Amaan Mohammad of Bandish Bandits fame from the audience for a jugalbandi, and they came together for the classical favourite Garaj Garaj.
Later that evening, Sitar maestro Shahid Parvez Khan held us completely spellbound during The Art of Sitar. There was pin-drop silence through much of the session, the audience almost holding its breath as his fingers moved effortlessly across the strings. And then, as he reached a crescendo, the silence would break with appreciative applause.
The third morning began with rudra veena maestro Bahauddin Dagar, whose meditative music gently woke us to a morning that felt just right for my last day at the retreat. There was something deeply calming about starting the day this way, a kind of peace I already know I’ll crave for days to come.
When Divya Dutta speaks, you want to listen, and that was the magic she brought to her noon session, Meri Laadli. With her words, stories, and warmth, she held the room completely.
The evening began with Hindustani classical vocalist and playback singer Siddhartha Belmannu singing live for us, bringing us closer to the beauty of both Carnatic and Hindustani traditions with his mystical voice.
From the Kirana gharana, classical vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi took the stage next, in another session that brought us all closer to the soul of Hindustani classical music. His voice, steeped in the richness of the gharana, had the entire room listening with attention.
And the grand finale had to be grand. Celebrated Punjabi artist Jasbir Jassi had us on our feet, dancing along to his infectious tunes, before his jugalbandi with maestro Aruna Sairam became one of the highlights of the night.
My heart broke a little when I finally left. But I leave with something to look forward to, returning next year - for the artists, the stories, and moments I’ll keep replaying in my head until I am back at the retreat next time.