From Delhi to Bengaluru, Nagpur to Ahmedabad, the enquiries begin a few months earlier, wondering what the Mahindra Blues Festival line-up will be.
Held at Bandra’s Mehboob Studio in mid-February, the event has become a much-awaited part of Mumbai’s cultural calendar. Besides the sheer musical quality, the ambience and experience have made a difference.
The blues has had a select but devoted following in India, especially among those who follow American music. If biggies like Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Taj Mahal, Walter Trout and the young Derek Trucks have enthralled Indian fans in the past, this year’s extravaganza will feature post-modern blues genius Keb ‘Mo’ and mega-selling British singer Joss Stone.
The former will conclude the opening night, which will also feature roots band Heritage Blues Orchestra and popular Indian band Soulmate. On day two, Glasgow blues-rock outfit King King and singer-guitarist Malina Moye will adorn the stage. Lal And The People, winner of the Mahindra Blues Hunt, will have a short set both days.
Now in its sixth year, MBF is the brainchild of Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of the Mahindra Group. VG Jairam, partner at event managers Oranjuice Entertainment, says the brief was to create an appreciation for the blues in India, and also set up a festival which would be to the genre what the Montreux festival in Switzerland is to jazz.
The first year, 2011, featured the legendary Buddy Guy and young wizard Jonny Lang. Ever since then, there has been a regular buzz over who’s coming. Obviously, selection of artistes is a crucial task. Says Owen Roncon, also partner at Oranjuice: “We try to have a mix of well-known artistes, musicians who are popular in specific regions and some Indian bands. There are many brilliant acts in Europe and the US who aren’t known here. We try and fit in a few.”
The first challenge is to find artistes available in mid-February. Elaborates Roncon: “For our headlining acts, the bucket is vast. We start with 60 0r 70 or maybe even 100 acts, and then start finding out who’s available. Once the elimination process happens, we see who we can afford, or whether someone is performing in Dubai or Singapore around that time. Simultaneously, we see what’s happening around the globe, and look for artistes who are locally popular.”
Jairam points out that while Keb' Mo' has been on their radar for four years, they were luckier with Joss Stone. “Her name came up some time last year, and we are happy she was available this time. I’ll also mention that there are musicians who write to us requesting a slot. Buddy Guy and Walter Trout have played in India often, and given a very good feedback about the scene. Zac Harmon and Quinn Sullivan came here primarily on Buddy’s insistence,” he adds.
The choice of the Indian band is interesting. Says Roncon: “We have two acts which are really international – Soulmate, featuring Rudy Wallang and Tipriti, and Warren Mendonsa’s Blackstratblues. From last year’s festival, we started a Mahindra Blues Hunt. It wasn’t a competition, but we chose one artiste who we thought we could showcase.”
While Aayushi Karnik was chosen for last year’s fiesta, this year’s winners are Lal And The People from Bhopal. They will get a 45-minute segment in the garden on both days. The sheer ambience of Mehboob Studios has also added to the MBF charm. “Nobody had earlier imagined a huge festival could happen at a Bollywood studio. We have two enclosures of different sizes, a garden, an area for the bar and concert display, sales of vinyl records, and an open-air food court. It’s a complete experience,” says Jairam.
What have been the challenges? Roncon says: “We try to do our best, but always welcome feedback which can help us improve.
The first year, someone complained about the portable toilets. So we created a huge structure from the next year. We saw a few queues earlier on, but now we have multiple points, both at the entrance and the bar.” This year, the season passes are for Rs 4,000 and daily tickets for Rs 2,500 – in both cases a Rs 500 hike over last year. Roncon explains: “Costs have risen across the board. There has been a marked change in the dollar rate, and also a rise in service tax. Organising an event of this scale is a mammoth task, but we make sure every musician and crew member is comfortable.”
Building the brandBesides the festival, there are other ways of building the brand. The Mahindra Blues Show With Brian Tellis on Radio One has a large set of followers. Last year, the organisers tied up with Buddy Guy’s Legends club in Chicago for a Mahindra Blues Weekend. “This time, we should hopefully take an Indian band there,” says Roncon.
In the nearer future, this weekend provides a perfect setting for some soulful vocals and gorgeous guitarwork. Get ready to sing along with ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ or ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, or simply appreciate and sway to some great blues tracks you’ve never heard before.
The author is a freelance music writer
