C&L_August 2017 (2)

18th Annual CIO&Leader Conference
Knowledge, Fun & Royal Experience
After a long day of sessions and workships, the CIOs were ready to unwind. Decked in orange turbans, they
settled down in anticipation of a great, engaging evening. The Manganiyars are professional Muslim folk
musicians belonging to Jaisalmer, Barmer, parts of Jalor, Bikaner and Jodhpur districts in Western Rajasthan.
Like other hereditary caste musicians, they cultivate a close relationship to their patrons. The performance
begins in complete darkness — light bulbs faintly illuminate 36 human-sized rectangular boxes on a large
four-tier set. Then the sound of a khamacha, an Indian stringed instrument, breaks the silence. Slowly, lights
come up on one of the boxes to reveal the musician sitting cross-legged, dressed in white with an orange turban.
The performance went on for an hour. It was interspersed with a Leadership talk by Srihari Gopinath,
Head of Marketing - Enterprise Group, HPE India, followed by dinner after the performance.
An evening to
remember in
the City of
Lakes, Udaipur:
The Manganiyar
Seduction. The set was decked with
the performance from Rajasthan
entertainment by The Manganiyars.