Famous Indian House music producer Hamza Rahimtula has co-wrote Origins with Rajasthan Folkstars, a groundbreaking 10-track album that blends the hypnotic pulses of home music with the rich textures of Rajasthani Folk. The collaboration debuted this time marks a new chapter in the Indian electronic music industry, celebrating intercultural musicality and deep-rooted traditions.
Host musicians Jaisa Khan (Khartal), Firoz Khan (Bhapang), Bhutta Khan (vocals), Bhawru Khan (Sarangi) and Shakoor Khan Langa (Algoza Flute, Morchang), Origins is an ancestor tapestry, the modern tapestry is modern. From the spiritual intensity of ISHQ Laga Mainu to the festival of Ghumar, the album has a seamless conversation between the original folk expressions and the club-ready grooves.
At the heart of the origin is a deep respect for the spoken tradition of Rajasthan. Hamza’s collaborator Manganese Factory is known as Thar Desert’s live archives, with hundreds of years of ballads, devout songs and intergenerational knowledge. “In our family, when the kids are born, they cry,” the book in their community says. Speaking of the album Hamza, “Thanks a lot for our vision of integrating the indigenous sounds of Rajasthan with family music, we were very lucky to release our album “Origins”, which took 10 years in production, and our journey was far away compared to the best journey in the world, which is something new for us in this new unsatisfactory situation. It is a feeling of successfully implementing our thoughts, I guess!
The album begins with Earth, a percussion tribute to nature, likening the Earth to a bride decorated with jewelry. Hamza evokes it as a rhythm and emotional synthesizer of African tribes to evoke reverence and awe. Sky takes on majestic Sarangi lines and a driving groove to accurately capture the poetic folk spirit with the dance floor.
On Algoza, a prominent moment was a vocal sample of Nelson Mandela, which reinforced the theme of in-depth listening as the double flutes stepped onto the center stage. Meanwhile, Morchang Love shows Hamza’s favorite instrument – an ancient chin harp with original, acid-like resonance – and twists with vocal cord textures to create hypnotic calls and responses.
Tracks like Baras Baras and Kanudo ni Jaane explore piety and mythological themes, weaving spiritual family music with the playful love of Rain Gods and Radha-Krishna. The former uses Sarangi instead of vocals to echo prayer yearning, while the latter draws inspiration from Brazil’s rhythmic structures to give the album a relaxed touch.
The Gypsy Trail traces the historical journey of Rajasthan musicians across continents, combining Bhapang and Flamenco to pay tribute to their cultural imprint in Spain. Finally, Lavar Jivida ends the album’s eternal love with a soft Sufi metaphor, which conflicts with the exciting Afro-Latin Groove, providing an emotional solution to the record’s sound arc.
Hamza Rahimtula originated from its origins, not only a bridge genre, but also established a new space where folk authenticity meets global chamber music. The album is both a tribute and a transformation that elevates traditional sounds to connect culture with reaffirming the eternal power of music.
