traditional and ‘rural’ music
- because perhaps it wasn’t
considered ‘sophisticated’ for
an urban audience, which
is all BS,” he says. He likens
it to what many would feel
while watching a rock band
except this was Rajasthani
folk. “It was about trying to
turn the tables and getting
the music acknowledged
for its power, emotion and
intensity,” Malhotra adds.
Even years before the
release of Barmer Boys’
album Kesariya Balm in
2017, Amarrass became a
known name to Rajasthani
folk musicians. When the
duo visited villages to record
early compilations such
as Mitha Bol and Banko
Ghodo (2012), people knew
them as the ones who put
together Barmer Boys. Since
it’s a band that has to come
up material to record, Shar-
ma says the popularity of
other Rajasthani folk songs
like “Padosan” and “Bole To
Mitho Lage” have increased
thanks to other musicians
following suit. Sharma adds,
“A lot of the songs we now
listen to, are musicians
14 | Rolling Stone | July 2019
PRESSING RECORDS
From top: Amarrass Records
co-founder Ashutosh Sharma
cutting a vinyl record at their
workshop in Gurugram, co-founder
Ankur Malhotra at the vinyl-cutting
machine and album artwork for al-
bums by Painted Caves and Barmer
Boys in the process of printing.giving their own rendition,
which is good. All you heard
before was ‘Nimbooda’ and
‘Kesariya Balam.’”
Along the way, Amarrass
have become more than just a
go-to label for Rajasthani folk
music. They’ve signed Pales-
tinian-American psychedelic
band Painted Caves, Mali
artist Madou Sidiki Diabate
(who plays an enchanting
string instrument called the
kora), Indo-Russian fusion
project The Blue Infinity
and more. Up next, there’s
a launch gig for Dubfound-
ed and a release featuring
Lakha Khan and Diabate to-
gether, plus a selection of live
performances of their artists,
cut on LP. ANURAG TAGATCOURTESY OF AMARRASS RECORDS