The ultimate Blues battle saw three major Indian bands compete at the True School of Music in Mumbai today. The competition, which seeks to unearth new and original Blues talent, received an overwhelming response with entries from bands across the country. In its final stage, the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt saw live performances judged by highly acclaimed music directors, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. The bands included Polly Wants a Cracker, a Blues, Reggae & Rock n Roll band based out of Bangalore who play their own versions of covers and compose songs blending various genres, BLU, a one-year-old Delhi-based band that plays the Blues, Country, Soul and RnB and NOKNOK, a trio from the capital city offering a fresh perspective on the Blues and alternative music.

Speaking at the event, Loy Mendonsa said, "There is so much talent in India and I am glad to nurture it and guide it in the right direction." Ehsaan Noorani added, "The Mahindra Blues Festival is a truly international festival and it gives me great pleasure to be able to enable a band to perform on that platform."

BLU, having won the Band Hunt, will go on to perform at the festival on Day 2 of the 7th Mahindra Blues Festival, Asia’s largest blues festival. Slated for the 11th and 12th of February 2017, the festival will see a star-studded line-up of artists, including three-time Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland, ‘blues prodigy’ Quinn Sullivan, Americana soul singer Janiva Magness, Mumbai-bred Blackstratblues, vocal-powerhouse Grainne Duffy, and The Supersonic Blues Machine featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame, and blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales.
 
Jay Shah, Head of Cultural Outreach at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, "Through the Mahindra Blues Band hunt we focus on unearthing the most exciting unknown talent in the world of blues. By nurturing these budding artists we not only bring forth exceptional skills but also help continue the long legacy of creativity and celebration in the world of music. Mahindra’s philosophy of 'Rise for Good' spreads the message of a positive change of any sort in the society, and the strength to empower people and communities to explore their passion, to Rise, to grow."