Jodhpur RIFF 2026. Venue: Zenana Courtyard. Entry: Full Festival pass/ Day Pass. Musicians of the Langa community of western Rajasthan have, for centuries, been historians, poets, storytellers, musicians and genealogists. At the heart of their music is the sindhi sarangi, a most unusual, handmade traditional instrument unique to the Sarangiya Langa community. The Sindhi Sarangi was built to follow the human voice so closely that it could be mistaken for one. With up to 28 strings, and a playing technique unique to the Langa tradition- using the cuticle and the back of the finger underneath, it produces a sound that has become the identity of the Langa community. Today, it is an extremely rare instrument, with few practicing musicians, and fewer makers left. In honor of this extraordinary instrument, Jodhpur RIFF presents some of the best sindhi sarangi players of their generation. The Book of Queens (Malekeh nâmeh in Persian) A celebration of female figures from Europe, India and Iran: heroines, warriors, saints, mystics, poets and composers, from medieval times to the present day… from Malek Khatoom and Rabea Balkhi to Hildegard of Bingen and Barbara Strozzi, from Gordafarid to Forough Farrokhzad, from Mirabai and Lal Ded to Akka Mahadevi, their voices transcend centuries to speak of love in all its forms: carnal, mystical, spiritual, forbidden, imagined, or sacrificial Artistically led by Camille Bordet, a Persian-speaking opera singer, this project explores the often historically marginalised place of women within artistic and cultural heritage. Originally thought as an Iranian-European dialogue, it has now expanded to include an Indian voice, transforming "The Book of Queens" into a space of encounter between three worlds where scholarly traditions, oral transmission, poetry, spirituality, and contemporary creation intersect. The Book of Queens is a poetic and musical journey across time and culture — an invitation to let forgotten female voices resonate and to weave new forms of dialogue between India, Iran, and Europe. The music emerges from the encounter between the artists themselves: musicians rooted in written classical traditions as well as oral transmission and singers and instrumentalists whose languages, cultures, and artistic practices differ. Built around collective creation, the project combines improvisation, reinterpretation of ancient repertoire, and original composition. Each artist brings their own story, sensitivity, and music to this shared work. Joining Camille Bordet on The Book of Queens are: Hamin Honari - Iranian-Canadian hand drummer and specialist on the Persian tombak and daf; renowned Canadian string instrumentalist Madeleine Owen on lutes & historical guitars, Saeed Kamjoo on the Persian kamanche; Maryam Tazhdeh on the tar; the accomplished Hindustani vocalist Smita Bellur, among India's first female Hindustani vocalists to be accepted into a lineage of traditional Qawaals who draws from the spiritual poetry of the subcontinent; young kamaicha maestro Kode Khan Manganiyar from the heartland of Rajasthan, the Thar desert. Co-commissioned and co-produced by Jodhpur RIFF, "The Book of Queens" is the festival's tribute to the women of Marwar and their role in the history of Rajasthan. This is the Book of Queens' premiere appearance in India. Emilia Lajunen ft. Asin Khan Langa Emilia Lajunen is one of the most captivating voices in contemporary folk, her expertise being the keyed ancient five-string fiddle- Biancospino, Kontrabasharpa, and their most modern variation- the 16 stringed Nyckelharpa. Her music is earthy, hypnotic, and full of emotion, drawing listeners into a landscape where the old stories still know how to sing. This is perhaps why she's been famously described as playing “like a village full of haunted fiddlers.” This year marks her third appearance at Jodhpur RIFF, and it comes with a glimpse into Emilia's first Finnish-Rajasthani Folk project in collaboration with the young maestro Asin Khan Langa on the Sindhi Sarangi. A traditional instrument unique to the Sarangiya Langa community of western Rajasthan, it is considered to be the only string instrument in the world having a sound quality that comes closest to the human voice. A collaboration driven by curiosity and a shared love for strings, Sadiq Khan and Zakir Khan Langa. This collaboration is a Jodhpur RIFF commission Puuluup There are bands that cross borders, and then there is Puuluup - with their music that has made borders entirely irrelevant. This nu-folk duo, Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson, return to the Jodhpur RIFF stage, oscillating on the border of tradition and modern music styles, flirting with world music, underground and pop. At the heart of the music Puuluup brings to Jodhpur RIFF is the hiiu kannel or the taal harpa - an ancient bowed lyre revived from the edges of extinction, run through effect blocks and loopers, layering electronically amplified echoes, knocks and scrapes over the soft hiss of its strings. What results is dance-pulsating grooves and something cinematic and dark - post-folk, neo-zombie, punk-referencing and entirely their own. Puuluup controls the vibrations of hiiu kannel's strings through effect blocks and the looper using alternative playing techniques and sound generation options. Finalists of the Eurovision song contest, the men themselves say modestly about their work: “Our main message in the context of folk music is that, look, you can do all kinds of things with the hiiu kandel, learn the instrument and make your own music.”