Year after year, the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt brings Blues bands across the country to the forefront, giving them a platform to showcase their talent. 2018 was no different and saw Kolkata band Arinjoy Trio take the honours.

Consisting of three young lads who share a common hunger for the blues, they perform a wide variety of blues music, from old school to contemporary. The band enthralled the audience with soothing blues numbers which included Sky is crying by Elmore James, Honey Hush by Albert Collins, and an original by the band Cold Cold Cold. Arinjoy Trio is an initiative which brings together three people. The band is led by guitarist Arinjoy Sarkar, Sounak Roy on drums and Aakash Ganguly on bass guitar. 

When they performed at the Mahindra Blues Festival 2019, the band gave off a rousing performance, Arinjoy stole the show. His guitar riffs were something to watch out for. Post the performance, Verus Ferreira met up with the band to know more about their music.

Going back to the early days of the band, can you tell us something how the band formed?

Aakash: Arinjoy and Sounak played together in Jack Rabbit, a Bangla folk rock band that mainly focused on original content. I filled in for a session with them. That was our first meeting of sorts. Nothing really took off really, until Arinjoy decided to pursue his love of the blues and got in touch with Sounak and myself to form The Arinjoy Trio.

Arinjoy: Yes I would like to add that I felt that there was a gap in our creative output that this band wasn't being able to fill. I was really happy with what we were doing, because not too many people have made the kind of Bengali songs that Jack Rabbit did. But the other side of my musical upbringing, the blues influences and the jazz harmonies that I had learnt, remained under-utilized. Eventually, I left Jack Rabbit and in 2015 we decided to form the band.

The band got its name from Arinjoy, but before that did you guys dabble around for some other band name?

Aakash: To put in as simply, no.

Hailing from Kolkata, did you guys sing in Bengali or was it English rock songs and mainly covers?

Aakash: We have always focused on blues tunes in English and began writing own songs since the very beginning.

How did you decide to sing the blues and become a blues band?

Aakash: The immediacy of the blues is what got Arinjoy in the first place. In his words 'according to BB King, ‘the blues is very basic and it's good.' Forming a band is what ensued most naturally. Also, the love of the form and the dearth of its representation was another important factor.

Who were your musical influences that cemented the way for you to move forward into blues?

Aakash: This list is not something new to anyone that loves this kind of music; however it is not just the original bluesmen, but a host of musicians that have nurtured the bands’ palette of the blues. Starting from the 3 Kings (BB King, Albert King, Freddie King) to Santana, Clapton and Hendrix. There is a subtle jazz influence coming in from the world of Robben Ford, T Bone Walker and Larry Carlton. Of course there are many others.

What kind of blues do you usually perform?

Aakash: This is a mixed bag and a somewhat tricky question to answer. The band pays tribute to some of the oldest bluesmen all the way to some of the most contemporary bearers of the flag. There are tunes from T- Bone Walker and there are tunes from Robben Ford and a lot of others in between.

Have you released any albums, EPs, music videos so far, considering that you were once signed onto a music label?

Aakash: The band is working on originals at the moment and plan on releasing an album as soon as we are ready with the material. However, you can get an idea of what we are up to through videos we have uploaded on YouTube.

Do you have a large fan following in Kolkata?

Aakash: There is a healthy following for the band given the nature of the music. The gigs are vibrant and engaging.

You were one of many bands shortlisted to play at the Mahindra Blues band Hunt, how was the competition? Who were you main competitors, so to say?

Arinjoy: The competition allowed the band to forge new friendships and that in itself is good enough.

How did you feel after winning the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt and playing in Mumbai for the very first time?

Arinjoy: Needless to say, the band is over the moon. Meeting stars in person is always something special. The band enjoyed the experience of being at a world class festival. The audience thankfully enjoyed what we had to offer. That in itself is a winning moment of the performance.

Do you think there were other bands that also had a chance to win?

Aakash: There were a lot of bands that had a great chance. The love of the music is the most important aspect and that was there in every competitor. And so yes, everyone had an equal chance.

What do you think made you the ultimate winner?

Aakash: The band did what they do best, which is pour their love into the music and the rest unfolded how it did.

Considering you play more of the classic American Blues, how would you connect with the new generation and draw them to listen to you?

Sounak: The band is 3 years old and loves to spread the gospel of the blues. We believe that if they can connect with the music, then it definitely can happen to anyone. The immediacy of the music is never going to be lost and that keeps people coming back for our gigs. 

Arinjoy: Blues is obviously not a modern sound and so people don't always connect to it easily. It's not as shiny and glossy as other forms of music may be. But then again, whomever I have played BB King to has loved the music. Similarly, Stevie Ray Vaughn is also very popular. So there are some avenues within the genre that suit people of our generation and those after us. And I've generally seen that when we've played at any event, we are successful at getting them to enjoy the music.

So I assume thatall members share the love for the Blues or do you also have other influences?

Aakash: The influences are as varied as can get. The band members listen to a host of music and that is bound to reflect in the playing. So yes, there are a lot of influences that are not strictly blues.

According to you, what is the Blues?

Arinjoy: A lot of thought has gone into answering this question and the first reply is 'it is hard to explain'. The sense of freedom that comes with the music, the ability to bare ones' soul without any fear and the liberation that comes from it emotionally is what the band thinks is the blues. It is a way of life and not just a style of music.

What do you think about the current Blues scene in India?

Arinjoy: I think it is on the rise. I personally feel that the awareness of the music can get to a higher plane and that can happen through gigs, recordings or music education. But it is definitely a lot better than it ever was.

Do you guys have regular jobs besides playing in the band?

Aakash: All of us have separate gigs that keep us going.

What are your future plans?

Arinjoy: The immediate plan is to cut a record. The next step is to map the country and then eventually, if all works, the world.

 Interviewed by Verus Ferreira