Leading global artists to perform at the third edition of The Mahindra Blues Festival

The Mahindra Group today announced the launch of the third edition of the popular Mahindra Blues Festival with a spectacular line-up of performances including some of the best names from the global blues industry, giving aficionados another opportunity to submerge themselves in two days of pure musical euphoria at Asia’s biggest blues event.

The line-up this year includes musicians and bands like Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt a Whirl Band Featuring Lou Ann Barton, Popa Chubby, Walter Trout & The Radicals, Dana Fuchs Band, Big Bang Blues and Soulmate. The jazz and blues veterans promise to take the audience through an enticing musical journey with their enthralling performances at the festival on 16th and 17th February 2013 at the historic Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai.

Speaking about the festival, Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group said, “We are delighted that the Mahindra Blues Festival found a place for itself in Mumbai’s cultural calendar right from its inception. Mahindra Tractor customers in the Mississippi Delta are proud of their culture being celebrated in a country far away; Indian Blues bands are proud to share a platform with Blues legends and Mumbaikars are proud to host a unique festival in a unique venue."
The festival assures something for everyone’s taste with unmatched soulful performances, an inimitable photo exhibition, an instructive workshop on slide guitaring and an iconic venue especially chosen to revive the authentic blues magical atmosphere.

Funk legend, Robert Randolph, who was included by the Rolling Stones Magazine in its list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time will be on his second visit to perform at the festival. He had earlier featured in the second edition of the festival as a special guest along with the legendary blues veteran, Buddy Guy. Robert Randolph & The Family Band will be playing their newest record “We Walk This Road” live, with the hope that it will help bridge the cultural gap between generations by digging into the history of blues music. Four-time Grammy award winner and the older brother of blues’ legend, Stevie Ray Vaughan – Jimmie Vaughan will also perform at the historic event with his band “The Tilt a Whirl” featuring Lou Ann Barton. The ensemble also includes American electric blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Ted Horowitz, better known as Popa Chubby, contemporary guitar legend Walter Trout with his band, Walter Trout & The Radicals, Dana Fuchs Band, The Big Bang Blues and our very own Indian blues maestros, Soulmate.

This festival will also feature a special Blues Workshop by one of the world’s leading Blues slide guitarists and Blues innovators, Michael Messer, who is a master slide guitarist with a natural ability to teach and inspire others. Michael Messer will be holding a one-hour Blues slide guitar workshop at the Mahindra Blues Festival, where he will talk about the history of slide guitar and demonstrate and teach some basic techniques of how to play Mississippi Delta and Chicago-style Blues slide guitar. He will also be the featured artist during the Sunday Blues Brunch.

Another not-to-be-missed element of the fest will be the “Gibson through the Lens” photo exhibition which brings together 77 fine art prints from 30 of the world's most respected music photographers whose images captured legends with their Gibson Guitars. Curated by music photography archivist, Dave Brolan, this will be a truly unique public exhibition of iconic and rare photographs.