On Tuesday, Mame Khan, a musician from the Manganiyar community in Satto, a quiet village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, graced the red carpet at Cannes as part of the Indian delegation led by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. Adorned in a vibrant fuchsia kurta and dhoti, complemented by an intricately embroidered navy blue jacket and a traditional Rajasthani pagdi, the folk singer’s ensemble was curated by Anjuli Chakraborty, an art and music manager who has been collaborating with Khan for several years. Chakraborty played a crucial role in connecting Khan with the right people and opportunities to showcase his musical talent.

The Indian contingent at Cannes also included actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and R Madhavan, two-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, Chief of the Censor Board Prasoon Joshi, and director Shekhar Kapur, among others. Notably, Deepika Padukone served as a jury member at the festival this year.

In the rich landscape of Rajasthani folk musicians who have left an indelible mark on India’s cultural scene, such as Lakha Khan and Bhanwari Devi, Mame Khan has taken a unique path. He ventured into a solo career a few years ago, opting to collaborate with various musicians instead of being tied to a specific folk group. This departure from the traditional Manganiyar folk group format, coupled with his extraordinary talent, has brought him increased mainstream attention. Consequently, Khan has lent his voice to several films, including Luck by Chance (2009), No One Killed Jessica (2011), Mirzya (2016), Sonchiriya (2019), and Dasvi (2022).

For many years, Khan’s life revolved around singing folk songs with fellow community members at local festivals and traditional events for his patrons, such as weddings and childbirth ceremonies. However, his journey took a significant turn in 2005 when he was invited to perform at the wedding of musician-actor Ila Arun’s daughter. This event led to a Mumbai-based musician introducing him to composer-singer Shankar Mahadevan, ultimately paving the way for Khan’s entry into the Bollywood music scene.

Raised in a musical environment by his father, Rana Khan Manganiyar, a Rajasthani musician supported by generations of landlords and aristocrats, Mame Khan developed his singing abilities from a young age. Despite coming from a family with a rich musical tradition, Khan faced financial challenges for a considerable part of his life. Nevertheless, his solo career and collaborations with renowned composers like Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Amit Trivedi have brought him recognition and success.

While Baawre marked Khan’s entry into Bollywood, his participation in Coke Studio @MTV sessions in 2015 and collaborations with the fusion band Maati Baani further strengthened his position as a versatile artist. Serendipitous encounters in Mumbai led him to theatre director Roysten Abel, who included him in The Manganiyar Seduction, a groundbreaking project inspired by Amsterdam’s red-light district.

Despite financial constraints, Khan pursued his dream of releasing a solo album. In 2015, faced with a lack of interest from music labels, he took the innovative approach of crowdfunding the album with the Manganiyars, making it a unique and community-supported endeavor. Khan’s recent contribution, the percussion-heavy song Nakhralo in the film Dasvi (2022), showcased his deep connection to Rajasthani folk music and garnered attention upon the film’s release.