Festival Report: Business Was Good at the Returning Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai

On American singer Etta James’ famous song “The Blues Is My Business,” off her 2003 album Let’s Roll, the legendary vocalist sings: “The blues is my business / And business is good.” Business was definitely good at the two-day sold-out 11th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios this past weekend. The blues festival was returning to its original home after skipping 2021 due to the pandemic and hosting the one-day Mahindra Blues Special at Bayview Lawns in Mazgaon last year.  

The venue was dressed in everything blues with hoardings of past editions, a sprawling food court area, designated smoking zones and free drinking water. There were also two bars around for those who wanted to indulge in a little tipple.  

Day one opened with Kolkata blues outfit the Arinjoy Trio at the Soul Strat Saloon Stage, led by vocalist-guitarist Arinjoy Sarkar and also featuring bassist Aakash Ganguly and drummer Sounak Roy. The band last played the festival in 2019 where they launched their seven-track self-titled debut album. The group performed material off that record, such as the slow blues offering titled “Nothing Good’s Ever Gonna Last” and the heavy blues-rock track called “Who You Are.” Sarkar was at his bluesy best as he showcased his fret skills with scintillating solos and also shared a few jokes with the audience in between songs. The trio also performed the (American blues artist) Robert Cray-inspired track called “Alibi” as well as a bluesy instrumental song.  

Up next at the Soul Strat Saloon Stage was Argentinian blues musician Ivan Singh. Making his India debut, Singh talked about how it was special for him to be in India for the first time as his great-grandfather was originally from Punjab before settling in Argentina 130 years ago. Although Singh limited his own tunes from his flavorful 2019 self-titled debut album, he did put on quite a show with his larger-than-life personality, sublime guitar skills and silky vocals. His bandmates, saxophonist Gary aka G Funk and keyboardist Samuel Ocean, also backed him up with stellar solos of their own too. Singh and his band also performed covers such as the blues standard “Sweet Little Angel,” Santana’s “Maria Maria,” the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” and even paid homage to guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan by playing some of their riffs. Singh’s showmanship didn’t stop on just the stage; the vocalist-guitarist and G Funk also came down into the audience at one point towards the end of their set and joined the crowd as they jammed out.    

Over at the Garden Stage, the Big Blues Band Hunt winners, New Delhi’s The Karan Mahajan Band, entertained festival attendees just before the event’s day-one headliner was set to go on at the Polka Dot Parlour Stage. The day-one headliner was none other than American blues icon Taj Mahal, who was making his second appearance at the festival.  

Taj Mahal brought his brand of laidback, acoustic-led blues music to the festival. Although the large room that Taj and his band performed in wasn’t the best for his softer sound, enthusiasts there to study his playing were in for a treat. The multi-instrumentalist’s deft ability as a musician is second to none. Hearing Taj Mahal playing, it’s quick to understand that he knows exactly when to play what note; it’s marvelous to listen to. Taj also called out Mumbai-based singer Scherezaad Panthaki to join him for a cover of the blues classic “Mustang Sally.” Fans were also treated to some of Taj Mahal’s hits such as the delicate “Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes,” the jangly acoustic song “Everybody Is Somebody” and the soulful “Queen Bee.” With that, day one of the Mahindra Blues Festival came to a close.  

Day two of the Mahindra Blues Festival opened with 24-year-old American blues artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram making his India debut at the Soul Strat Saloon Stage. The musician was backed by bassist Paul Rogers, drummer Chris Black and keyboardist Deshwan aka D Vibes. Kingfish’s fiery solos were totally on show during his 90-minute set as he performed tracks off his two albums, Kingfish and 662, including “She Calls Me Kingfish,” “Fresh Out,” “Another Life Goes By,” “Empty Promises” and “That’s What You Do.” Mid-set songs included “Your Time Is Gonna Come,” “Something In The Dirt” and “Not Gonna Lie” before the vocalist-guitarist closed with “Outside of This Town,” “Long Distance Woman” and “662.” Kingfish also called on Sarkar – who performed on day one – to join him on stage as the two exchanged guitar solos.  

As soon as Kingfish wrapped up his set, attendees began lining up from the Soul Strat Saloon Stage all the way to the other end of Mehboob Studio at the Polka Dot Parlour Stage waiting for its doors to open for the festival’s day-two headliner. But before that, there was a short 15-minute performance by the Beatz Crew and the Nanhi Kali Choir as part of the Blues in Schools initiative at the Garden Stage where they sang a beautiful rendition of the blues classic “Sweet Home Chicago.”  

Coming back to day two’s headliner, it was the blues legend himself, multi-Grammy award-winning American artist Buddy Guy. Currently on his Damn Right Farewell Tour and making his sixth and final appearance at the Mahindra Blues Festival, Indian fans were very, very eager to get a final glimpse of the great man.  

Not one to be phased by a few technical glitches at the start of his set – Buddy Guy’s microphone kept buzzing before it was quickly changed by his stage crew – the ace musician carried on like the pro that he is without missing a beat. He quickly apologized to the audience and got on with his thrilling set. There was banter from Buddy, guitar tricks with a drum stick, cloth and his own teeth as well as a heartfelt speech about love and humanity. The songs he played showcased his mastery. Buddy performed the slinky “I Just Want To Make Love To You,” the poignant “Five Long Years,” the classic “Hoochie Coochie Man” and the emotional “Skin Deep” for which he offered credit to his drummer and producer Tom Hambridge for writing the song. Buddy Guy also entertained festival-goers with plenty of solos and also threw in a few famous riffs in between his set, such as “Voodoo Chile” (Jimi Hendrix), “Sunshine Of Your Love,” “Strange Brew” (both by Cream) and “Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes). Towards the end of his set, the 86-year-old musician invited Taj Mahal, Singh, Kingfish and Sarkar onto the stage to join him in the traditional Mahindra Blues all-star jam to close the festival.  

A one-of-a-kind event in India, the Mahindra Blues Festival’s niche audience definitely went home a happy bunch knowing that their favorite festival was back, alive and kicking. While the fest has also been hosted at Buddy Guy’s club Legends in Chicago over the years, host Brian Tellis announced that the event will now even take place at the Lincoln Center in New York City later this year. As the 11th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival came to a close, there’s definitely a sense that the appetite of Indian blues fans is only growing and we can’t wait to see what the organizers have in store for next year’s event in Mumbai. Also, au revoir Buddy Guy, congratulations on a great career and for gracing our Indian shores over the years. 

You are truly loved in these parts. 

All photos courtesy of the Mahindra Blues Festival.