How Mick Jagger Inspired Abhimanyu Singh Alsisar To Pursue His Passion For Music And Hospitality

At the peak of winter in December, Ranthambore hosted a three-day mindful luxury retreat that was a coming together of cultural heritage, conservation, and immersive artistry, Durbar by Godawan Estuary Premium Water. Conceptualised, curated and hosted by Abhimanyu Singh Alsisar, better known as the mastermind behind the famous electronic music festival Magnetic Fields, at his sprawling luxury property, Nahargarh Ranthambore. The experience brought together the best of food, art, wildlife, music and folk culture.

Despite the weather gods’ fickleness with off-season rains, the meticulously planned evenings went on without a hiccup. Over the two and half days, culture vultures who thronged Ranthambore witnessed the different styles of music and artists come together in perfect harmony. Saxophone player David Goren serenaded audiences with his jazz funk sounds while folk musicians of Rajasthan kept everyone enthralled with their musical wizardry. DJ Hamza Rahimtula did a one-of-kind jugalbandi with Rajasthan Folkstars, a group of renowned Rajasthani folk artists from the Manganiyars community, combining deep house music with folk percussions that reverberated through Darbar Hall of Nahargarh Ranthambore. There was also lyricist Sameer Rahat weaving words that touched the soul.

On day two, Hathikund, a Rajasthani step-well-inspired amphitheatre, also the piece de resistance of the property, was the stage for Arko Mukhaerjee, a Kolkata-based urban folk artist and his band featuring Gaurab Chatterjee, who enthralled the gathering with his mash-up medley of reggae, qawalli, baul and more. The second half of the evening’s musical presentation was Beatroute, helmed by Roysten Abel, director and playwright, and drummer Ranjit Barot. The duo worked with 10 percussionists from Kerala and Rajasthan to create an unparalleled musical journey.

Apart from the extraordinary line-up of musical acts, Durbar also played host to much-needed conversations on wildlife conservation, especially around the Great Indian Bustard or Godawan, the Caracal and the main attraction of Ranthambore National Park, the tiger. Gautam Pandey and Doel Trivedy’s documentary, Look for Sultan, on the missing young tiger from Ranthambore, was screened. Few lucky ones caught glimpses of the striped feline during early morning safaris, while others heard from experts such as Dr. Shravan Singh Rathore, Veterinary Scientist, Great Indian Bustard Conservation Breeding Project at Sam, Jaisalmer; Dr. Dharmendra Khandal, Executive Director and Conservation Biologist at Tiger Watch; and wildlife photographer Oliver Sinclair.

The immersive days and nights were studded with curated meals in collaboration with Nikhil Merchant, food and beverage expert, consultant, writer and the Royal Family. The libations were catered to by Godawan whisky and Godwan Estuary Premium Water

The first edition of Durbar by Godawan Estuary Premium Water was held fresh off the back of the 10th anniversary of Magnetic Fields. Alsisar’s pioneering music-meets-travel-meets-culture concept has become a bucket-list event for electronic music lovers in India. Alsisar has built a unique legacy for himself that brings two distinctive niches together: heritage hospitality and contemporary music. Alsisar, next in line to the throne of Khetri—a town in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan—found the inspiration to pursue his calling in a chance meeting with iconic British rockstar Mick Jagger.

“It all started in 2012 when I attended Jodhpur RIFF at Mehrangrah Fort, Jodhpur. The Maharaj of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh ji, who everyone fondly calls Baapji, invited me for the Sharad Purnima dinner on the ramparts of the fort. And that’s where I met Mick Jagger,” he reminisces. As most midnight musings go, Jagger, Baapji and young Alsisar were sitting around a fire, cognac in hand, when Jagger asked about the distance between Alsisar and Delhi. “I said it’s about 230 kilometres. ‘You should do a music festival there,’ he told me. I looked at him awestruck, comparing Mehrangarh to my small palace. He said, ‘It’s not about the place; it’s about the heart you put into it.’ That is what got the ball rolling.” Alsisar worked with Delhi-based restaurateur Smita Rathore, who, despite her initial hesitation, believed in his vision to sow the seeds of India’s most successful and cult electronic music festival along with Munbir and Sarah Chawla and Kunal Lodhia as co-founders.

We spoke to Abhimanyu Singh Alsisar on the sidelines of Durbar by Godawan Estuary Premium Water to visualise the potential he sees in bringing culture to the forefront by creatively using hospitality as a vehicle.

Edited excerpts:

1. Was it a conscious decision to focus on EDM, techno, and contemporary music genres for Magnetic Fields? Why?

It was a very conscious decision because this is what I was listening to, and it was the space I wanted to get in. I met Munbir and Sarah Chawla, and Kunal Lodhia with a singular focus on getting into the electronic music genre. I was also adamant because no one was curating a concert for this genre. Jodhpur RIFF was already an established event that was doing great work for Indian folk and classical music, and I could not compete against the mighty Mehrangrah. All I had was a cute little palace in Alsisar, so I decided to create my cult and a community. It’s a family which comes in together every year for three days and some people have never missed a single edition of Magnetic Fields.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Magnetic Fields Festival (@magneticfieldsfestival)

2. Magnetic Fields just celebrated its 10th anniversary, what continues to fuel your passion towards this unique melange of music, culture, travel and hospitality? 

My festival gave me a path and a road to ride on and to conquer it. I’m a very house-proud kind of a guy and I like to be the best in everything I do, so while I am alive, there won’t be a better festival than mine. Magnetic Fields is very close to my heart. It is where I grew and I discovered myself and realised that this is going to be my journey.

Within the first two years of Magnetic Fields, I understood that this was my calling, and it would be how I make a brand out of myself. I set up my own music company, I started an NGO, Puqaar Foundation for folk music conservation.

3. How did the concept for Durbar by Godawan Estuary Premium Water come about?

The first-ever introduction of Godawan whisky in Rajasthan happened at my home. I fell in love with the bottle, the liquid and the brand instantly because it’s about making your country proud. But most people do not know the importance and our country’s connection with Godawan. Godawan is the Indian name for an almost extinct indigenous bird species, the Great Indian Bustard. It represents the spirit of the desert, while Godawan whisky represents the most preferred spirit in India (chuckles). Warren de Sylva, co-founder, Sponco and I have put together the Ranthambore Festival since 2017, which was basically to educate people about folk music and wildlife. It was a beautiful collaboration that was meant to be. Durbar is nothing like Magnetic Fields, but it will be an experience unlike any other.

4. Now that Durbar by Godawan Estuary Premium Water is successfully underway, what’s in store next for you?

I’m also launching a contemporary art and music residency, Moonshine, in Khetri. As an extension, we are also building an international standard recording studio. The idea is that music producers from all around the world will come here and get the opportunity to work with folk musicians from India. My vision is to make it a one-stop spot for folk music. I am also looking at building a museum where I’m going to display all the folk instruments that I’ve collected over the years from across Rajasthan and Gujarat. If you are a producer and you’ve come down from Berlin or London and you’ve asked me for a Kamaicha or a Suranda or a Khartal or a Bakri ki Masak or a Chikara, I’ll send you the clippings and you’ll decide what instrument you want. You can take these instruments out from the cupboard, use it and put it back.

We are also launching a palace hotel in Khetri that will be twice the size of Nahargarh, Ranthambore. It will be an architectural jewel.

5. As a professional who has straddled the hospitality and music business effortlessly, what gave you the faith that the two can co-exist?. 

My home gave me the faith that yes, I can do something. Even as a child, I used to love hosting parties for my father, planning the menu, and getting into the nitty-gritties. I just knew that I’d be able to pull off something like that. Over the years, I’ve strategically built avenues that allow for cultural showcases to be mounted without difficulty. We have an amphitheatre at Nahargarh that is a focal point during Durbar, but the idea is that it is a space that even future generations will be forced into utilising. I was also getting too bored with the typical hotel room setup.

6. Why do we need to let concert culture flourish in India?

Our job as cultural custodians is to educate people about good music. I am fortunate that with Magnetic Fields and now Durbar I’ve been able to create a community that appreciates culture, and it is only going to grow. But it was a long and expensive journey to get there—for the first five years of Magnetic Fields, there were no profits.

But the good thing is that the interest and demand for good performances is on the rise because people are listening to good music now. People who understand good music are willing to travel far and wide to listen to good music. They are all patrons, patronising the artist. Artists also need people like these; otherwise, how will they survive? If the gig scene ends, why would anyone want to become a musician? And if they don’t make money, why would they go to perform at a gig?