Interview | A Folk Trio, A Saxophonist, And The Coolest Musical Mashup You’ll Hear This Month Only At The Royal Opera House
In conversation with the musicians who are playing the sax with khartal at a special showcase of Jodhpur RIFF in Mumbai.
Published : August 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM IST
There are concerts. There are collaborations. And then, there’s SAZ and Friends: When the Desert Plays — the kind of showcase that could only exist in the magical venn diagram intersection of Rajasthan’s musical soul and Mumbai’s maximalism. Taking place on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai in association with Avid Learning, this show is about inheritance, experimentation, and the kind of stage chemistry that no rehearsal can teach. The evening is a showcase of original work commissioned and produced by Jodhpur RIFF.
At the centre of this sandstorm of sound is SAZ, a Rajasthani folk trio from the Langa community. These are not your average fusion musicians. These are generational storytellers, rooted in centuries of oral tradition. Sadiq Khan on dholak, Asin Khan on Sindhi sarangi and vocals, and Zakir Khan on khartal. Together they play music that’s both archival and alive. Add to this melting pot Rhys Sebastian, Mumbai’s very own saxophonist-slash-sound magician, and you get The Cool Desert Project. Inayat: A Duet for Four is an original commission for Jodhpur RIFF, where classical Kathak danseuse Tarini Tripathi and SAZ come together in artistic dialogue. This collab blends Rajasthani folk songs and Sufi kalaam with Kathak in a compelling interplay between four brilliant artists.
ETV Bharat had a chat with the gifted musicians, and here’s what unfolded: stories about childhood obsessions, wind instruments behaving themselves, lost songs found, and the delightful joy of surprising an audience with a sound that feels like both home and horizon.
Love at First Khartal
For Asin Khan, the relationship with music was more monogamous than experimental. “For me, it was always the sarangi. I started when I was 8. Singing only came later, in 2012, on tour in Australia. Divya ji encouraged me. Now I’m one of the few who sings while playing the sarangi.” Zakir Khan, SAZ’s khartal maestro, fell in love early. “I must’ve been 5 or 6. I haven’t let go of it since. I only started singing in 2019 — that’s when SAZ really came together.” Then there’s Sadiq, who says simply: “It was always the dholak.” You don’t argue with a man who plays rhythms like he’s channelling thunder.
What makes SAZ special is not just how well they play, but also what they choose to play. Asin recalls rediscovering Soni Ghar, a forgotten gem passed down by his father. “We thought, why has no one played this in years? It’s so full of emotion. We’ll have our version out soon.” When SAZ tours outside Rajasthan (whether it's Mumbai, Melbourne, or a misty corner of Europe), the questions don’t change much. “They’re fascinated by our instruments,” says Zakir. “They always ask how the sounds are made. The khartal, the sarangi... people want to touch them, hear them up close. They don’t have instruments like these there.”
Fun fact: the Sindhi Sarangi doesn’t have frets. Players press the strings using their cuticles. While most of us were learning to trim our nails, Asin was developing the tone of a thousand aching ballads.
Enter the Sax Man
Now, put a jazz saxophonist into this setup, and you’d expect at least a few sonic bumps. But not with Rhys. “There was less thinking and more listening,” he says, sounding suspiciously like Yoda from Star Wars. “I just let it flow in and out of Asin’s vocals and under the sarangi. The khartal and dholak gave it groove. It felt natural — like a conversation, not a mashup.”
Rhys brought along a full band for The Cool Desert Project: Saurabh Suman on bass, Rahul Wadhwani on keys, and Vaibhav Wavikar on drums creating what he describes as “a more meaningful conversation between musicians, one that can’t always be rehearsed.” If you’re picturing a jam session that feels like Miles Davis wandered into a Rajasthani baithak, you’re not wrong.
What Happens When Jazz and Folk Improv Collide?
Jazz and Rajasthani folk might sound different, but they share one vital trait: improvisation. “I wouldn’t say they’re similar or different,” Rhys muses. “What matters is openness. Reacting to each other. Reflecting ideas. Asking questions through sound. That’s what makes performances like this special; they’re rooted in the moment.” This is not a tightly scripted spectacle. It’s musical theatre, minus the theatre. You’ll hear the dholak solo speaking to the saxophone line, the sarangi lifting a vocal riff higher, the khartal slicing through silence like syncopated lightning.
“They won’t just see us dancing around a melody and rhythm,” says Rhys. “They’ll be a part of it. That’s our aim — to bring them along on this journey.” The musicians are clearly excited. But they’re not just collaborators; they’re fans of each other.
“Jazz musicians are the most receptive,” SAZ admits. “And Rhys is so aware of desi music, so organised, so respectful. We love playing with him.” As for what Rhys has learned from SAZ? “How to empower another musician as a person,” he says. “Because behind every instrument (physical or vocal) is a soul. And that soul comes alive in an environment that encourages empathy.”
In a world that’s always trying to push things into neat boxes — jazz, folk, classical, experimental — SAZ and Friends gently picks up the boxes, rearranges them like khartals, and makes music that feels wild and precise, ancient and new. So, whether you're a jazz nerd, a sarangi stan, or just someone looking for a Friday night with soul, head to the Royal Opera House on August 8. Let the desert play. Let the saxophone sigh, and let yourself be surprised by how well they fit together.
Saz And Friends: When The Desert Plays
Where: Royal Opera House, Mama Parmanand Marg, Mumbai
When: Friday, 8th August 2025 | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Tickets: Available on Bookmyshow at Rs. 499 onwards
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