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Barmer Boys are the next generation of performers that carry forward the centuries-old musical traditions of the Manganiyars and are the global ambassadors of contemporary Rajasthani folk and Sufi music. The trio melds traditional Sufi and celebratory songs with the acid twang of the morchang (Jew's harp), the staccato rhythm of the dholak (two-headed Indian drum), and beatboxing, creating a sound unique to the band! The band's versatility of styles and bubbling energy infuses each performance - from soulful Sufi kalaams to uplifting wedding and celebratory songs, songs of love and remembrance, to boisterous jams with beatboxing and live DJ sets. The group formed in 2011 and has performed with a host of world-renowned artists including Vieux Farka Touré, Bombino, BaBa ZuLa, and Madou Sidiki Diabaté. They have performed at the Amarrass Desert Music Festival (2011, 2012), The Elders Conference, Escape Festival, Bhakti Samaroh, and more. The group made their international debut in 2014 with shows at Roskilde Festival '14, Borneo World Music Expo '14, a US debut with a coast-to-coast tour in April '14, and have been wooing audiences on television screens, cinema halls, and festivals in India including MTV Coke Studio Season 3, NH7 Weekender '14, IIT Mood Indigo '14, and Jaipur Literature Festival '15. Barmer Boys have since toured Canada, Europe, and Hong Kong, and featured on BBC Radio's Global Beats program.
- Barmer Boys were featured artists on Season 3 of Coke Studio at MTV India (August 2013)
- Debut album "At Home: Barmer Boys" released in Dec 2012 on Amarrass Records (4 Stars - Songlines)
- Performed at Roskilde Festival 2014 with their set between shows by Outkast and The Rolling Stones!
Top 10 Music Festival performances by Barmer Boys:
Roskilde Festival, Denmark (2014)
Mother India Festival, Berlin, Germany (2015)
Winnipeg Folk Festival, Canada (2015)
Distortion Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark (2015)
NH7 Weekender, Delhi, India (2014)
Ziro Festival of Music, Ziro, India (2015)
Music Meeting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (2015)
Feito A Man, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain (2015)
Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival, Hong Kong (2015)
Amarrass Desert Music Festival, New Delhi, India (2011)
Press:
"Creating a maximum groove with minimal means" - MixedWorldMusic.com, May 2015
“4 Stars! Incandescent Sufi voices that incite ecstasy” - Songlines, Sep 2014
“Barmer Boys steal the show... with their unique folk tunes, truly stood out at the festival” - IBNLive at NH7 Weekender Festival, Nov 2014
“Mangey Khan’s voice needs to be heard to be believed” - Hindustan Times, Feb 2012
"The music rose above the repetitive tunes we hear in today’s clamorous folk market and was like a whiff of fresh air" - Indian Express, Nov 2012
Contact AMARRASS RECORDS (amarrassrecords@gmail.com) | 011-4666-1200 (Delhi); 608-334-0583 (International) for artist bookings, music reviews, interviews, and more.
BACKGROUND:
The group was conceived by Amarrass Records in 2011 and their music is a harmonic blend of distinct performance styles and personalities. Starting off as a quartet, the group now comprises a trio led by Mangey and Rais. Manga 'Mangey' Khan belongs to a family of illustrious singers, and with his electrifying voice is equally at home singing traditional Marwari wedding songs or belting out Sufi qawwalis. He also plays the harmonium (similar to the reed organ or the accordion). Rais Khan is a gifted young musician who wields magic with his instruments. He is a multi-instrumentalist and plays the morchang (or Jew's harp), the bhapang (a single-stringed plucked drum), and khartaal. A keen experimenter with sounds, he has also added beatboxing to his repertoire. The dholak (a hand drum widely used in North Indian folk music) forms the percussive bed for the group’s songs, and some of the best players from the region accompany Mangey and Rais for the band's performances. "We absolutely love global music. Indian music is so powerful. The rhythm is great and the melodies are unforgettable. Barmer Boys is an amazing band. We've traveled all around the world, and have met and performed with all sorts of bands, but this one - Barmer Boys - is absolutely amazing. It was a delight to perform alongside them. You know, we could have easily played it all night with them." - Ari Roland Jazz Quartet
- Barmer Boys were featured artists on Season 3 of Coke Studio at MTV India (August 2013)
- Debut album "At Home: Barmer Boys" released in Dec 2012 on Amarrass Records (4 Stars - Songlines)
- Performed at Roskilde Festival 2014 with their set between shows by Outkast and The Rolling Stones!
Top 10 Music Festival performances by Barmer Boys:
Roskilde Festival, Denmark (2014)
Mother India Festival, Berlin, Germany (2015)
Winnipeg Folk Festival, Canada (2015)
Distortion Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark (2015)
NH7 Weekender, Delhi, India (2014)
Ziro Festival of Music, Ziro, India (2015)
Music Meeting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (2015)
Feito A Man, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain (2015)
Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival, Hong Kong (2015)
Amarrass Desert Music Festival, New Delhi, India (2011)
Press:
"Creating a maximum groove with minimal means" - MixedWorldMusic.com, May 2015
“4 Stars! Incandescent Sufi voices that incite ecstasy” - Songlines, Sep 2014
“Barmer Boys steal the show... with their unique folk tunes, truly stood out at the festival” - IBNLive at NH7 Weekender Festival, Nov 2014
“Mangey Khan’s voice needs to be heard to be believed” - Hindustan Times, Feb 2012
"The music rose above the repetitive tunes we hear in today’s clamorous folk market and was like a whiff of fresh air" - Indian Express, Nov 2012
Contact AMARRASS RECORDS (amarrassrecords@gmail.com) | 011-4666-1200 (Delhi); 608-334-0583 (International) for artist bookings, music reviews, interviews, and more.
BACKGROUND:
The group was conceived by Amarrass Records in 2011 and their music is a harmonic blend of distinct performance styles and personalities. Starting off as a quartet, the group now comprises a trio led by Mangey and Rais. Manga 'Mangey' Khan belongs to a family of illustrious singers, and with his electrifying voice is equally at home singing traditional Marwari wedding songs or belting out Sufi qawwalis. He also plays the harmonium (similar to the reed organ or the accordion). Rais Khan is a gifted young musician who wields magic with his instruments. He is a multi-instrumentalist and plays the morchang (or Jew's harp), the bhapang (a single-stringed plucked drum), and khartaal. A keen experimenter with sounds, he has also added beatboxing to his repertoire. The dholak (a hand drum widely used in North Indian folk music) forms the percussive bed for the group’s songs, and some of the best players from the region accompany Mangey and Rais for the band's performances. "We absolutely love global music. Indian music is so powerful. The rhythm is great and the melodies are unforgettable. Barmer Boys is an amazing band. We've traveled all around the world, and have met and performed with all sorts of bands, but this one - Barmer Boys - is absolutely amazing. It was a delight to perform alongside them. You know, we could have easily played it all night with them." - Ari Roland Jazz Quartet
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