A  Music, Dance, and Spiritual Journey in Rajasthan, India
February 16 – February 28, 2016

with

Yuval Ron and Members of His Ensemble

Photographs with Commentary by Debra Jan Bibel

Prologue

Yuval Ron, I am glad to say, is a friend. He is a composer of modern music for film, television, dance, documentaries, and healing; an oud musician and director of an ensemble that focuses on music of the Middle East; and foremost a peacemaker who applies music to bring people of different, often antagonistic religions together in common effort. I was a member of the touring group who accompanied him and fellow musicians. I participated because of a lifelong passion with music, be it classical of all periods, jazz, psychedelic rock, blues, and especially world (both traditional and popular).  My broad amateur ethnomusicological studies have spanned Central and East Asian, African, Native American, and east Mediterranean and Levant cultures and focused on music as a spiritual vehicle within the main traditional religions, chiefly Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism of Islam.  India is the origin or a center of these religions, and Rajasthan (and the Punjab) are homelands of the Romani people, Gypsies. Of a family of Jewish Kohens and, until recently, a long line of rabbis, I am a scholar, scientist, and also mystic, indeed, a practicing Korean Zen Buddhist. Already well familiar with the various musical styles of this land from recordings, I traveled once again with Yuval Ron to experience Rajasthani musicians and witness dances to the infectious, fast rhythms. Having been in Delhi and Agra in 1985 on my seven-week Asian pilgrimage, this visit also allowed me to see how much India has developed while continuing its cultural traditions. A fan of Spanish flamenco music and dance, their connection to Rajasthan soon became evident.  The Romani diaspora has influenced the musical culture of many lands. The excellent documentary musical film Latcho Drom (meaning Safe Journey), which covers their movement across North Africa and Europe, begins in Rajasthan.

Organization and Viewing / Copying/ Saving/ Sending/ Printing

Clicking each tour day will lead to a web page containing thumbnail images and commentary of that day. Clicking on the small photographs will cause an enlargement of the image to appear. I have sized them to 7 inches wide or high.  In order to copy, 'save as', email, or print these images for your own use, right-click your mouse and choose from the pop-up menu.