Within a stone’s throw from St. Andrew’s Church, down the Band Stand Promenade to the Portuguese Fort, raw emotion, energy and passion ruled the 11th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival, 2023 at the iconic Mehboob Studios. Held in Mumbai on February 11 and 12, 2023, the resplendent line-up made for an unforgettable weekend.
The significant highlight was the moment when Buddy Guy, in his element, took charge of the Polka Dot Parlour Stage on the final night and kick-started his ‘Damn Right Farewell’ world tour, which marks the 86 year old’s retirement from live music. Prior to that, the anchor Brian Tellis announced that the Mahindra Blues Festival will make its way to New York this year, at a venue no less than the prestigious Lincoln Centre.
The audience at the 2023 Mahindra Blues Festival. Photo: Dipak Chandra Das
Day one saw the winners of the ‘Band Hunt’ – the New-Delhi based Karan Mahajan Band – perform with Gurpreet Kaur on vocals, Ravali Komanapally on keys, Tanisha Bhatnagar on bass, Siddharth Jain on drums and composer Mahajan on guitar. They were judged the winners by a panel comprising Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. The band put up a formidable performance at the studio’s Garden Stage, under the clear blue sky.
“I was there for the first festival in 2011, when Buddy Guy headlined. Buddy and Taj [Mahal] are some of the pioneers of this music and we wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for them, so it was as big an honour as it can get, being on the same bill. We got to speak with Taj Mahal (born Henry Fredericks Jr.) and he was so gracious and generous with his time. We made a lot of new friends …it was an amazing amazing experience for the band,” Mahajan told The Wire.
Apart from the Karan Mahajan Band, day one featured winner of the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt, 2018, Arinjoy Sarkar, Argentinian bluesman Ivan Singh and blues legend Taj Mahal. The 2017 Grammy win for the Taj Keb Mo combination – Taj’s collaboration with Keb’ Mo’ – had brought his Grammy tally to three wins and 14 nominations, and underscored his undiminished relevance more than 50 years after his solo debut.
Day two witnessed performances by 24-year-old American blues artist and Grammy Award winner Christone Kingfish Ingram, the defining blues voice of his generation, at the Soul Strat Saloon Stage. “I am glad to meet my Indian fans and be a part of the rich Indian culture,” said Ingram after his performance.
The garden stage saw a 15-minute performance by the Beatz Crew and the Nanhi Kali Choir as a part of the ‘Blues in Schools’ initiative, where they sang a beautiful rendition of the blues classic ‘Sweet Home Chicago’.
Stylistically closing out the night was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, Buddy Guy.
Moments before Buddy Guy – in his signature black-and-white polka-dot shirt and a pair of blue dungarees – took total control of the packed house inside the Polka Dot Parlour Stage, fans saw clips from the new documentary Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away, filmed in honour of the legend’s 85th birthday by PBS American Masters. The film follows his rise from a childhood spent picking cotton in Louisiana to becoming one of the most influential guitar players of all time. An electrifying performance followed suit, with numbers like ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’, ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ and ‘Skin Deep’, leaving the audience craving for more.
This is the only festival where all the artists who have performed on both days come back with an all-star jam to bring the curtains down. The same was seen in this year’s final act, when Buddy Guy himself invited the artists Taj Mahal, Ivan Singh, Christone Kingfish and Arinjoy Sarkar for the final jam.
The final jam at the 2023 Mahindra Blues Festival. Photo: Dipak Chandra Das
“We have been making it for the festival for many years and it’s always been a delightful experience,” said singer Joi Barua, a resident of Bandra, Mumbai
Over the years, Mahindra Blues has hosted legends like Walter Trout, Robert Randolf, Jonny Lang, Matt Scohfield, Popa Chubby, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, Ana Popovich, Dana Fuchs, Tedeschi Trucks Band, John Lee Hooker Jr. Jimmy Thackery and our very own Rudy Wallang and his band Soulmate. It satisfies a hunger that festivals seldom manage to.
Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan is founder director of the D’Passion Collective.
Edited by Jahnavi Sen.