The Mahindra Blues Festival is an annual celebration of live blues music, held every February at the iconic Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai. Since its first edition in 2011, the festival has become a landmark cultural event that brings together lovers of blues music from across India and overseas.
“This is the 14th year of the Mahindra Blues Festival, and each year has been sold out given the finite capacity of the venue. We have kept this format intentionally as blues is best enjoyed in intimate settings,” Jay Shah, VP of Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, tells YourStory.
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More than growth, these festivals are about consistency and sustained support of the arts. “Mahindra Blues Festival is all about curating diversity. We have the best of international artists, and there is a balance of styles, genders, ethnicity, age, and geography,” he adds.
Blues music originated in the African-American communities of the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over the years, it has shaped many other genres of music and has a wide following around the world.
The blues is an expressive way to convey life’s deepest sorrows as well as joys. Through emotive storytelling and the use of humour, blues music has become a vessel for personal and collective resilience.
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Buddy Guy
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The blues has also resonated deeply with musicians and audiences in India, thanks to its universal truths, improvisational nature, and adaptable call-and-response patterns. The Mahindra Blues Festival features global torchbearers as well as emerging Indian voices, thus cementing the blues as a living, evolving art form that transcends geography.
Established blues performers over the years include Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Billy Gibbons, Ruthie Foster, Keb’ Mo’, Shemekia Copeland, and the Teskey Brothers. They hail from the US, UK and Australia. The India lineup has featured Blackstratblues, Soulmate, Kanchan Daniel, and Arinjoy Sarkar.
The two-day festival in Mumbai concludes with an All-Star Jam, where the headlining international artists and Indian performers take the stage together. This spontaneous celebration of music and improvisation began as a tradition with the festival’s first headliner, the legendary guitarist-songwriter Buddy Guy.
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The festival has also introduced initiatives like Blues in Schools and the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt. This helps nurture young talent and broadens engagement with the genre. Philanthropic activities include performances by the Nanhi Kali Choir and various school lineups that showcase the social impact of music.
The 2026 lineup this weekend includes multi-Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland, regarded as one of the greatest female blues vocalists around today. Her latest album is Blame It On Eve, with tracks like Tough Mother and Wine O’Clock. The songs featured a mix of gospel, rock, blues, and soul.
Blues guitarist Eric Gales is left-handed and learned to play the guitar upside down. His first record was released at the age of 16, followed by other critically-acclaimed albums suc as That’s What I Am, Relentless, and A Night on the Sunset Strip.
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DK Harrell
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British-born guitarist and singer Matt Schofield is now based in the US. He has toured to nearly 30 countries worldwide, and was thrice pronounced British Blues Guitarist of the Year.
Altered Five Blues Band, a Milwaukee quintet, features vocalist Jeff Taylor and guitarist Jeff Schroedl. The band has been recording for 20 years, with their latest album being titled Testifyin’.
DK Harrell is a youthful blues guitarist and songwriter from Louisiana. His debut album on Alligator Records is titled Talkin’ Heavy, with tracks like A Little Taste, Grown Now, and Praise These Blues.
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Popular Indian band Blackstratblues blends blues, rock and psychedelia. The lineup features Warren Mendonsa on guitar, Jai Row Kavi on drums, Adi Mistry on bass, and Beven Fonseca on keys. They have played earlier at the Mahindra Blues Fest editions from 2012 to 2018.
The festival comes at a time when recognition of the power and impact of the entertainment industry by the Indian government is increasing. “But the real impact will come from structural support,” says VG Jairam, Founder of Hyperlink Brand Solutions, the primary organiser and promoter of the festival.
“Rationalising GST on live events, granting infrastructure status to large venues, and simplifying permissions through a single-window clearance can significantly reduce friction,” he adds.
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Beyond incentives, policy stability is key. “Live entertainment thrives when long-term planning is possible. If treated as a cultural and economic engine rather than a discretionary activity, the sector can generate jobs, tourism, and global soft power for India,” he affirms.
“Indian audiences have evolved from passive spectators to discerning participants. They seek authenticity, world-class production values, and storytelling that resonates emotionally. There is a growing appetite for immersive formats, where sound, visuals, technology, and narrative converge,” Jairam observes, as trends in the music market.
Audiences also value comfort, safety and seamless experiences. “The expectation today is not just a concert, but a thoughtfully-curated moment worth remembering and sharing,” he says.
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The music industry is now expanding beyond traditional roles like performance, production and artist management. “There is growing demand for experience designers, content technologists, sustainability managers, safety specialists, and immersive media professionals,” Jairam explains.
“Live entertainment today sits at the intersection of culture, technology and commerce. It creates career opportunities that are multidisciplinary and future-facing,” he adds.
“Indian audiences are experimenting with their tastes and seeking varied and diverse experiences. Relatively niche offerings like blues and percussion are seeing participation from a diverse range of audiences, which is truly heartening,” Shah observes.
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The world is literally the stage for talented and persevering artists. “The advent of digital content has given artists a unique way to showcase themselves at the start of their careers. They are able to shape their craft with feedback from audiences that know no boundaries,” he signs off.
In sum, for both seasoned blues aficionados and newcomers, Mahindra Blues remains a symbol of music’s power to connect, heal and transcend boundaries.
Now, what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
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All Star Jam – 2025
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(All photographs courtesy Mahindra Blues Festival.)
Edited by Jyoti Narayan
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