Jodhpur Flamenco and GypsyFestival: Nomadic rhythms

Pepe Habichuela and Josime Carmona
Hailing from a family of legendary gypsy musicians, Spain's father-son duo, Pepe Habuchuela, 69, and Josemi Carmona, 43, (pictured above), love their music and doing new things with it. While Pepe has helped establish traditional Flamenco music, Josemi is all about adding new elements and creating new flamenco. Pepe, who has also meandered into Indian string music, worked with the Indian orchestra group The Bollywood Strings.

"My intention is to open Flamenco to the world so people all over may experience it," says Pepe, who has also worked with sitarist Anoushka Shankar on the album Traveller. "That was a different kind of experimentation and working with Rajasthani artists in Jodhpur is a new idea," Pepe says.

Ever open to new experiences and experiments, Pepe welcomes invites to perform with artists over the world.

Pepe, who performed at Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy Festival with his son, was struck by the similarities between his family back home and the people of Rajasthan. "We spot someone on the road who reminds us of an aunt or uncle or cousin. Performing in India is special for us and we feel like are among our own people."

Josemi's three-member band Ketama has also been creating waves as it works to bring the youth closer to the traditional art. "Only if you are very confident about the art form can you experiment with it. Before Ketama came on the scene, the youth were not in touch with Flamenco music but we managed to change that," he says.

Born into a gypsy family of musicians, Josemi knew that music was his life even when he was unsure of everything else. "It was not easy to be the son of such a great musician because everybody knows who you are. But my father always told me to find my own way."

"Silence is very important in my music. I felt Flamenco was growing to have too much noise and thus the pauses in my music are very important," says the artist who is charting his own path. His fans must watch out and for the new realms Carmona will take new Flamenco to.

Karen Lugo
Karen Lugo, 27, fell in love with dance at the age of four and chanced upon flamenco when she was 15. There has been no looking back since. The Mexican-born dancer, who lives in Spain, is today known the world over for the modern twist she has brought to traditional Flamenco.

She did not know at the time that she would one day be credited with moulding 'new Flamenco' dance and fusing traditional steps with modern moves. "I had done some jazz but when I performed Flamenco I felt so free that I had to follow it up," she said.

Lugo is a much awarded artist having received the first prize in Almeria's I Flamenco Festival, first place in Finland's Flamenco Festival of Contemporary dance and third place as choreographer of the XVII Spanish and Flamenco dance contest in Madrid.

On a trip to India three years ago, she collaborated with Rajasthani musicians for Flamenco Roots, a music festival organised in Jodhpur. "This time, I am doing it by myself and thus there is a lot of focus on dance," she told dna ahead of her performance at the Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy Festival.

"The musicians are so open to new things that it is really easy to work with them," she said, adding that she has performed in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi earlier. Lugo has performed across the world and this is her fourth trip to India.

In Jodhpur, she swayed in harmony with the Langha singers and matched step with dancers of the Kalbelia tribe of Rajasthan.

Lugo finds the idea of combining Flamenco with African rhythms interesting. "I might even combine it with Russian or Chinese music. "Why not?" she asks with a laugh. Why not indeed?

Augustin Carbonell 'El Bola'
Considered a pillar of the flamenco art form, Spain's Bola, 47, is known for his approach and his experiments with jazz. Having travelled extensively across the world, he has worked with diverse sounds, be it in the Americas or regions in Africa, Asia or Europe.

Originally a gypsy, Bola has an innate understanding of the gypsy connection and music. "My journey has been an important part of my growth as a musician, I feel it is important to take part in other types of gypsy music as it interesting to compare it with my tradition of flamenco from Spain," he says.

Bola has lived in Brazil for eight years and believes the experience influenced his music. "However, the connection between gypsy music from Rajasthan and flamenco is a much stronger one. We understand each other right away and can connect on our similarities… Every time I come back to Rajasthan I feel at home."

At the age of 22, he recorded his first CD with the seal Nuba Records, named 'Bola', which was distributed by the German seal Messidor in more than 30 countries in the Latin jazz catalogue.

But flamenco is the heart of whatever he does. "I come from a traditional flamenco family, so I always carry with me the rhythm and soul of flamenco."

The Jodhpur Gypsy and Flamenco festival, he says, enabled them to showcase to the world the new music being made in Jodhpur. "For example, there is the gypsy festival Hellerau in Germany in 2015 that we have been asked to participate in. This will be an important platform for flamenco and Rajasthan fusion and will become one of the only festivals in the world that is creating new music."