Joy of Music: Notes from the Mahindra Blues Festival 2017

With mixed emotions and anticipation came Day Two. Irish Grainne Duffy could’ve been easily dismissed as a white dress wearing popstar with a guitar, but that would have been such a travesty. Duffy exemplified the blues with a voice that lent itself to all variations of the genre. From pure blues to soul, rock and reggae, Duffy was some kind of bluesy apparition with an unflinching hold on a mesmerised crowd. Her bassist won his own fan following that day as he ably supported the superlative range of songs with unmistakable grooves. The second day had begun on a high; would the momentum hold through the evening?

Grainne was followed by Shemekia Copeland, a powerhouse performer with much wit and candour. Shemekia, who opened the first edition of the festival in 2011, had delivered a marvellous performance, one that resonated with the festival-goers as her sultry voice was complemented by the intensity of her stage presence. Seven years later, this extraordinary daughter of acclaimed Texas blues musician Johnny Copeland, had grown in stature, in depth and — if it’s even possible —in talent. Those who were listening to her for the first time this year were consumed by her range and passion, in awe of the magical nature of her vocal chords.

Blu returned to another short performance, word of mouth had already brought in many audience members who forsook their dinner break to catch the band. They were followed by headliners Supersonic Blues Machine, an amalgam of drumming legend Kenny Aronoff, bassist-producer Fabrizio Grossi, and award-winning guitarist-lead singer Lance Lopez. The band opened with a raucous version of The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues, setting the tone for a high-octane blues rock evening. The crowd was on their feet, with air guitars and banging heads coming out of the woodworks. The finale was in full swing when the band invited blues guitarist Eric Gales on stage. Gales, a maestro in his own right, though was a rather crowd-pleasing shredder who thrived on playing to the gallery with gimmicky licks than the promise of some depth. Most of those who had come on the second day were there for ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons’ stint at the finale. Even as the clock ticked and there was no sign of Gibbons, the crowd couldn’t help but soak in some of the supersonic blues that were being played. Gibbons finally got on stage a little after 11 pm and was received with a roaring welcome from an eager audience. He was every bit the ZZ Top man, what with the trademark beard, shades and hat, playing with the style and substance that the band has come to typify. Unfortunately, Gibbons played just a few songs and it was soon time for the finale. But if the MBF pattern over the years is anything to go by, Gibbons looks set for his own set sometime in the near future. Doyle Bramhall II guested with Tedeschi Trucks only to return for a full set the following year. As did Quinn Sullivan with Buddy Guy, only to return this year as a headliner. (Keeping our fingers crossed for Gibbons’ return). 

The all-star jam featuring all the artists who performed over the two days, with the exception of Janiva who had flown back for the Grammys, displayed some of the best talent in the house. But the most heartwarming moments involved a highly encouraging audience, loudly cheering for Warren Mendonsa’s guitar solos, swelling with pride as our boy held his own among some blues luminaries. With characteristic humility, Warren played gloriously without resorting to needless showmanship and won the audience over with his mind-blowing talent and humble nature.

And with that, the two-day festival came to a close, finishing on a high after a tepid start. There have been better editions of the blues fest before, ones with more power-packed performances. Interestingly, some of the most outstanding performances have not been the headliners, but those who take to the stage at 7.30 pm at the Soulstrat Saloon. Whether or not the organisers are consciously doing this is another matter. But it makes perfect sense to keep the most talented musicians to play before the headliner, as most people start to leave before the show ends to avoid crowding at the gates. Be it Matt Schoefield, Shemekia Copeland, Popa Chubby, Thorbjorn Risager or Jimmy Thackery; the headlining act of the Soulstrat Saloon has more consistently been musically rich, leaving the crowd pleasers and pullers to the Polka dot Parlour.

Only impatient concert goers would write off the music festival as ho-hum based on headliners, because although these artists may be worthy of acclaim and applause, the organisers seem to be doing a spectacular job introducing us to a range of musicians who bring enormous cultural capital and conviction to the stage, surprising us with their depth and intensity. And with each passing year, there are more and more young musicians — both local and international — who are gracing the MBF stages. A bit ironic for a genre that is often looked at as being rather geriatric.

When you can do that, and showcase some truly splendid local talent, in a setting with exemplary logistics, you know you have a winning combination…one that is truly rare in the Indian live music space. Because the greatest compliment to the festival is not in burgeoning numbers of people with floral wreath tiaras and selfie sticks who want to be seen at a festival, but an audience who has come purely for the joy of music.