Rajasthan – Music and Dance of the Desert: Rupayan

Peter Jay Sharp Theatre $30; Members $25; Students $18

From the windswept Great Thar Desert in Rajasthan (“the land of kings”) in northwestern India comes the famed Rupayan ensemble with its mesmerizing music. Composed of members of the Langa (”song giver”) and Manghaniyar hereditary groups of itinerant entertainers, Rupayan performs a program of vibrant folk music encompassing driving percussion, ecstatic Sufi songs, and hypnotic sarangi (bowed lute) and algoza (double flute). The ensemble is joined by the Kalapriya Dancers under the direction of Pranita Jain, the “Dance Jewel of Rajasthan.” Rupayan has performed worldwide, and toured for three years with the Zingaro equestrian show.