rais
about
rais khan
Ustad Rais Khan is renowned professional percussionist and folk musician based out of Rajasthan. Rais is one of the world’s foremost performers on the morchang, or the jaw harp, a folk instrument from Western India. Using his voice, breath, mouth, and the morchang, he creates unique rhythms, sounds, and sonic patterns. Besides morchang, Rais Khan also plays the khartaal (Rajasthani castanets), bhapang, and beatboxes. He has shared the stage and recorded with artists such as Barmer Boys, Mumford and Sons, Vieux Farka Toure, The Gypsy Allstars, Rupa and the April Fishes, and has been featured on MTV Coke Studios alongside artists such as A.R. Rahman, Clinton Cerejo and Amit Trivedi.
Bio
Biography
Ustad Rais Khan hails from a community in the Thar Desert of Northwest Rajasthan that has been historically tied to the performance of music and keeping of history. His music reflects a blending of desert folk traditions with ancient traditional Sufi songs, put through the lens of a modern soundscape incorporating beatboxing and world music influences.
Rais is part of a generation of players that have taken folk instruments such as the Morchang, with a traditionally limited repertoire, and transformed them into powerful musical forces by integrating elements of classical Indian percussion, world music, and electronica amongst a variety of influences. Although a skilled instrumentalist, Rais is also hailed as an “MC”, getting the crowd to be a part of the performance.
Rais is comfortable as a performer and a teacher, and has shared his style with many students that continue to evolve the sound. He has also taken the stage alongside a variety of musical styles, continuing to evolve and create a sound with its origins in folk traditions, creating a new path for the music.
rais khan
About Rais Khan Project
Rais Khan Project is a new group committed to musical exploration within and beyond the Rajasthani Folk Genre. Rais Khan seeks to push the boundaries of what folk music can sound like and what it can mean.
Harbha, the new album, is an experiment in bringing together a worldwide group of musicians with diverse backgrounds to live and make music together deep in the remote desert, producing a sound reflecting the deep connections forged during the experience.
Rais Khan Project has also previously partnered with government and industry to create a musical and cultural experiment advancing the nationwide Clean India Mission. He also contributes to electronic production duo Tech Panda and Kenzani.
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