India’s favorite blues festival is back with its sixth edition, and blues aficionados are in for an unforgettable experience! Staged to enthral the city of dreams with a bluesy note, the Mahindra Blues Festival 2016 will be held at the iconic Mehboob Studios, tucked in the sea-side hub of Bandra. Leading the annual celebration of the blues, the Mahindra Group announced the line-up of national and international blues magicians, who will be performing for blues fans in Mumbai on the 13^th and 14^th February 2016.

Raising the bar of musical excellence in Mumbai this year will be a star-studded lineup of artists like three-time Grammy Award winning Keb Mo, Joss Stone, the Heritage Blues Orchestra, King King, MalinaMoye, and the national sensation Soulmate.

Headlining the festival this year is three-time Grammy Award winning Keb Mo, known for his joyfully melodic numbers and unparalleled acoustic guitar skills. Over the past two decades, Keb’ has earned a reputation as a visionary roots-music storyteller. Prominent musicians like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Dixie Chicks, Joe Cocker and Robert Palmer, have recorded his songs, while his playing inspired Gibson Brands to issue the “Keb’ Mo’ Signature Bluesmaster” acoustic guitar.

Lovers of the unconventional should watch out for Joss Stone – the 27 year old, free-spirited, English reggae and Blues performer, who has been in music half her life. She won the BBC Talent show “Star for a Night” aged 13, was signed to a major label at age 15, and released her debut album, “The Soul Sessions” at sweet 16. The beauty of Joss’ soulful music lies in her ability to absorb influences from her life and travel experiences and create music that transcends cultures and boundaries. A simple illustration of this is her latest album “Water for your Soul”, which includes the Indian tabla, Bengali lute,  Bansuri flute, African and Asian percussion, plus gospel choirs, New Orleans horns and a full orchestra.

The Heritage Blues Orchestra promises to take you through a euphoric journey of classic African-American musical traditions, through exceptional instrumental prowess and impeccable singing talent of Bill Sims Jr., Junior Mack and Chaney Sims! The band members’ collective experience in blues, jazz, R&B and gospel, make The Heritage Blues Orchestra one of the most exciting African-American roots group today.

Counted among the leaders in the Blues’-Rock scene worldwide, King King are making headlines for all the right reasons with their latest studio album, “Reaching for the light”. Quoted by many critics as “the album of the year”, be ready to groove to the scintillating beats of King King, as they promise to raise the tempo at the festival!

Funk-Blues Rock sensation, acclaimed singer and song-writer, Malina Moye takes pride in having carved a niche for herself as one of the few artists in history to straddle both Rock and Soul genres. Winning the hearts of Blues lovers and critics alike, Malina is known for her striking presence on stage, filled with fire, passion and an unorthodox style of flipping a Fender Stratocaster upside-down.

Back again is our very own Blues-Rock band - Soulmate from Shillong! Soulmate’s pivotal growth in the Blues scene of India is synonymous with the journey of Mahindra Blues Festival, as the Shillong-based band has performed at every edition of the festival since 2011. They will be back this year to entertain their fans with their young and fresh take on Blues music.

Sharing his thoughts about the announcement; Mr. Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group said, "It gives me immense pride in witnessing the rising popularity of the Blues in India and I am glad the Mahindra Blues Festival is leading this trend. It is a sheer delight to see the diversity of Blues fans at the festival each year and to witness them collectively enjoying the music – much like a tribe of followers. The line up for 2016 is very exciting and I am looking forward to the music!”

The Mahindra Blues Festival is noted for being the largest celebration of Blues in Asia. Now in its sixth consecutive year, the festival has been instrumental in bringing international Blues legends like Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker Jr., TajMahal, Quinn Sullivan, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Walter Trout, among others, to Mumbai, while also providing a huge platform to budding local blues musicians, thus leading the promotion of the growing Blues community in the country.The festival’s Blues Band Hunt finale is scheduled for 1^st February at the True School of Music in Mumbai.

Tickets for the event are on sale and Daily passes are available at Rs. 2500, Season passes for Rs. 4000, while students can attend the festival at Rs. 1200 per day. Premium Enclosure passes are already sold out.

The Mahindra Blues Festival is promoted and produced by Oranjuice Entertainment.

Dates: 13th – 14th February, 2016

Venue: Mehboob Studios, Bandra, Mumbai

Tickets: www.bookmyshow.com

Further info: mahindraBlues@mahindra.com

Website: www.mahindraBlues.com

Facebook: Mahindra Blues

Twitter: @mahindrablues

YouTube: Mahindra BluesFestival