Weeks before the festival, fans inquire about the line-up and make sure they have their season passes. Some people travel as far as Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi, Shillong and even Anantapur to Mumbai to attend the Mahindra Blues Festival (MBF) held at Mehboob Studio on the second weekend of February.
“It’s a place where country blues lovers congregate,” says guitarist Arinjoy Sarkar, whose Kolkata-based band The Arinjoy Trio is part of the line-up this time around.
Held on February 11 and 12, this year will also feature blues legends Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal (2023 Grammy winners), the incredibly talented Kristen ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and Argentine guitarist Ivan Singh. There will be a special set of Karan Mahajan bands that won the band hunt contest. Buddy Guy, who is on his seventh tour of India and fifth appearance at MBF, was famously quoted in 2015 as saying ‘The Blues Lives Here’. But blues season doesn’t end with MBF.
The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai organizes Soulful Blues on March 18 and 19. The line-up includes Beatrice Kahl and Natalie Williams, who play a mix of blues, soul and jazz.
Arinjoy Trio – Arinjoy (guitar, middle vocals), Sounak Roy (drums; left) and Akash Ganguly (bass; right) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
indian blues acts
As in many other parts of the world, the style has a niche but dedicated following in India. Some of the world’s most famous blues musicians have performed at the MBF. While Taj Mahal will be appearing for the second time, previous performers have included John Mayall, Jimmie Vaughan, Charlie Musselwhite, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Beth Hart, Larkin Poe, Keb Moe, Joss Stone, Shemekia Copeland and Ana Popovic. The festival has featured Indian blues acts such as Soulmate, BlackstratBlues, The Arinjoy Trio, Saturday Night Blues Band and Overdrive Trio.
Rudy Walang, founder and guitarist of Shillong band Soulmate, says MBF has definitely been a shot in the arm. “The obvious advantage is the number of big acts who have performed here. They also go back and talk about the festival, so that people abroad get to know about the blues scene in India. Arinjoy Sarkar says, “I’ve never seen a more receptive audience.”
Before MBF started, there was the One Tree Music Festival in Mumbai, which featured a mix of rock, blues and funk. The festival traveled to other cities, and also featured non-blues acts. The country has also seen shows by blues artists Jeremy Spencer, Joe Beard, Dana Gillespie and Mudd Morganfield, son of icon Muddy Waters.
Karan Mahajan Band, winner of this year’s Band Hunt. Tanisha Bhatnagar (bass); Gurpreet Kaur (singer); Karan Mahajan (guitar); Ravalli Komanpalli (Keys); and Siddharth Jain (drums). , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The idea to hold an entire blues festival came from Mahindra. Flagged off in 2011, the most striking feature of MBF is its venue – a 70-year-old film studio. VG Jayaram, founder of event promoters Hyperlink Brand Solutions, says, “When we started discussing our concept with Mr. Anand Mahindra in 2010, the first thing we realized was that we needed a unique venue that was unique in all aspects including layout and outlook. be separated from The Mehboob Khan family supports arts and culture in a big way, and they liked the idea of holding a Blues Festival there.
perfect musical setting
“We have two courtyards of different sizes, a garden, bar and an area for concert performances, vinyl record sales and an open-air food court,” says Jayaram. It is a complete experience. Interestingly, two of the enclosures are called the Polka Dot Parlour, inspired by Buddy Guy’s shirt and guitar, and the Soulstrat Saloon, named after the bands Soulmate and Blackstratblues.
Jayaram says that promoting local talent has been one of the priorities of the festival, he adds: “The Mahindra Blues Band Hunt continues to be our discovery platform, and over 100 blues acts have participated. Also started the Blues in Schools project to promote the genre at the grassroots level in 2020. In 2020, 20 girls from the Nanhi Kali choir learned mouth organ for over two months and performed at the MBF Garden stage. Now Kanakia International School K. Felix Haug will coach the choir.
Of course, the biggest challenge is finding the international cast that will be available in mid-February. Often, the organizers start with a list of 60, 70 or maybe 100 acts, and then have a culling process based on artist availability. “At the same time, we look at what’s happening around the world, and look for artists who are popular locally,” says Jayaram.
a MBF display | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This year’s festival is happening after a gap of three years. While blues fans look forward to shows this weekend, the festival has its critics, too. Blues lover Vineet Chugani says, “Not everyone can afford to come from other cities for this festival.”
Although the general perception is that the MBF is a world-class event, musicians and fans alike believe that much more needs to be done to spread blues culture. Festivals such as Simply the Blues in Mumbai and Ode to the Blues in Bengaluru took place over the years, and the Shillong Blues and Jazz Festival and the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival hosted blues acts. However, there has been a slowdown after the pandemic.
lack of sites
According to Rudy, the biggest challenge has been the lack of dedicated venues. He says, “We have a few jazz venues in the big cities, and some of them occasionally have blues acts. But given that there are many talented youngsters, there is a need for more venues. Despite the constraints, the Delhi-based Some bands like Big Bang Blues love to travel and spread the message.Teenagers like harmonica player Rohan Singhal and guitarist Amitabh Gautam have shown hope.
Rudy also points out that a good sign is that there are more young people in the audience today.
Regular MBF attendees have their own stories to tell of how they caught plectrums tossed in the air, grabbed a handwritten set list by an artist, or sang along with Beth Hart. Music lovers Ramon Ryder were lucky enough to meet Shepherd backstage. Raj DSV, who works in Anantapur, recalls how while returning home after two memorable nights at MBF, he was thrilled to meet Buddy Guy at the airport. There will be more such stories this year. The social media blues will be on overdrive for a few days.
Charlie Musselwhite in MBF | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement