Greetings!

Thank you for your interest in The Merasi's Hearts with Hope Tours! The Merasi are a community of impoverished, marginalized lower caste musicians (traditionally known as Manganiyar) who live in Rajasthan, a sprawling desert state in northwestern India. They descend from a 38-generation-old musical legacy that is on the verge of extinction due to India's rapid modernization. The Hearts with Hope Tours are produced by Folk Arts Rajasthan, a US nonprofit, that is dedicated to empowering the Merasi community through educational and preservation initiatives. Our objective with the Hearts With Hope tours is to spread awareness about this vital musical legacy, the precarious reality of the artists who safeguard it and, ultimately, raise hope for a more expansive future.

Manganiyar No More, with Big Heart and High Hope,

Karen Lukas
Executive Director, Folk Arts Rajasthan

SUPPORT THE MERASI

Make a secure online tax deductible contribution today to Folk Arts Rajasthan, Inc. (a 501(c)3 nonprofit) to support our fierce commitment to cultural preservation and social empowerment.

 Beat (or click) the drum to support the Merasi today!

Please note that Network for Good, our online giving provider, deducts  4.75% of your gift as a service charge. 

From all of us here at Folk Arts Rajasthan, thank you for your support and enthusiasm.

Visit us on the Web:
www.FolkArtsRajasthan.org
www.MerasiSchool.org

Watch some of our videos on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/folkartsrajasthan

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/folkartsrajasthan

 

Tours Highlights

The Merasi have left the building: Click here to read our last Hearts With Hope 2 Tour Newsletter.

Click here for the Kennedy Center's archived website of the Merasi's April 29th, 2008 performance on the Millennium Stage.

Click here to watch Folk Arts Rajasthan's Youtube channel.

Click on the magnifying glass in the lower right corner of each photo to view a larger version.