For Joyce Arora Partner at StarKonnect Events & Promotions, music is a passion. Arora simply loves the sound of classic rock, retro, blues, country, swing / big band jazz. But the Blues we’d say, is her all time favorite music genre. It’s no wonder then that she has taken on the onus to bring to Mumbai the concert series ‘Simply the Blues’. With the lack of venues in Mumbai, high entertainment tax and dozens of permissions required to hold live concerts, Arora has painstakingly taken the initiative to organize a blues event in the heart of the city, giving blues fans some memorable moments to take home.

The third edition of Simply the Blues is due on 8^th December 2013 and features Mumbai based Samantha Edwards. But the big rocker for the night is legendary British singer, song writer, and blues musician Dana Gillespie with acclaimed boogie-woogie pianist Joachim Palden. Dana has been nominated 3 years in a row, as the Top Female Blues vocalist in UK and an inductee into the British Blues Hall of fame, with over 60 albums to her credit. Joachim is a hot favourite on the European circuit and brings his special blend of boogie-woogie to the mix as well. 

Dana Gillespie has performed with music legends Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Ian Siegal. She says she has a karmic connection with India, and is often fond of quoting Max Mueller “What India cannot teach me, I don’t need to learn”.

In a free - wheeling interview with Verus Ferreira, Joyce Arora (mother to Malaika and Amrita Arora), shares her views on her concert series ‘Simply the Blues’.

When did you decide to take on a music festival such as Simply the Blues?

I am passionate about music and a sucker for Live Music acts in Mumbai. You will see me at most music events. The Blues are a genre that I love, as its simple music, which touches the soul. We found that even though Blues appreciation has increased in India, there is still a serious dearth of live Blues concerts in Mumbai, even rest of the country. The idea of Simply The Blues was born out of this need and we felt that the way forward was having Blues concerts on a monthly basis.

When did you form Star Konnect? What was the idea behind it?

Starkonnect Events & Promotions is a 3 year old company, with services ranging from Celebrity engagement for corporate and private occasions, to events and promotions. The intent was to craft events with a sense of style and class and provide the right connect of celebrities to these events.

The Mahindra Blues Festival is another blues fest which is done on a very large scale. You have just begun and are bringing amazing acts too. How do you go about getting these acts to sign in?

We have been speaking to lots of Blues musicians across the country and the common refrain we heard was the need to have Blues music concerts on a regular basis. This is the way forward to spread awareness for this beautiful art form. These bands are enthused with our concept of having one Blues concert every month in Mumbai, something that has not happened before. They connect with us on our commitment to provide a platform to young talent sharing stage with seasoned pros.

What is the deal between you the organiser and the artists?

There is no deal between us and the artists – we are merely a platform for these talented musicians to be in the spotlight.

In these days of tight budgets, have you tied up with any corporates to offset costs?

Majority of the funding for the concert series is through our own internal funding as we wanted to take this event off-ground, and show that it takes but a small initiative to turn and idea from an acorn into an oak tree. We have tied up with some sponsors and partners to offset some of the costs, and we are thankful to all of them. We need more corporates coming forward and supporting such fledgling ventures.

How do you decide on which bands to select for your concerts?

We have an internal discussion with Luke Kenny, who is our Festival Director. Basis band availability, artistes line-up, set-list, style of play, we take a call. We take on one band from Mumbai and one band from any other city. We are trying to showcase other Blues talents into smaller segments, by having them jam as Special Guests

What music genres do you as a person love to listen to? 

Classic rock, retro, blues, country, swing / big band jazz.

This is the third instalment to the series. What has been the response so far?

We have had a fantastic response to the first event. Most of our guests were amazed at this initiative by a small company such as StarKonnect Events & Promotions. The bands always get a standing ovation at the end of the evening. We have people asking us for an encore performance by Blues Conscience from Chennai sometime back.

Who are the bands that are signed up for future shows? 

You already heard it the great blues musician Dana Gillespie.

Do you plan to bring in any more International artists too?

Yes, we would love to have more international acts at some stage, but that would depend a lot on the sponsorship support we get.

Do you plan to release a CD of each show or similar compilation to promote the Blues?

We shall be releasing video footage of the concerts on our Youtube channel, for general public viewing.

What is your aim / goal in having this Simply the Blues event?

To spread awareness for this beautiful genre of music in India, provide a platform for Indian blues musicians, and we as a company grow in the live event space.

What do you think of the Dana Gillespie show?

Simply The Blues provides our musicians an opportunity to play alongside some of the best international artists. Hence we have our very own Benny Soans from Mumbai, backing Dana Gillespie and Joachim Palden. Benny has been on the Mumbai music scene for decades, playing alongside Indian jazz legends such as the Johnnie Baptist Big Band, Louis Banks, and alongside international stars Herbie Hancock and Chico Freeman.

The title Simply the Blues is from a music fest held in US which began in 2004. Is it coincidence?

No coincidence at all. Simply The Blues means nothing BUT the Blues.

-          Interview by Verus Ferreira