Aki Kumar

JUL 28-31 | BLUES WEEK

Jul 28, 2022

Joe Henderson Lab

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This page is an archive of a past production

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Original show description below.

Mumbai-born vocalist and harmonica master Aki Kumar is a visionary artist, blending traditional Indian music with a singular brand of Chicago blues, known as “the only Bombay Blues Man.”
In a story that almost sounds like a movie plot, Kumar left India and moved to Silicon Valley in hopes of working as a software engineer, but upon hearing the sound of American blues, his life changed forever.

Fully immersing himself in the blues scene and culture, Kumar paid dues in the Bay Area’s clubs, fully assimilating the art form with the goal of being seen as a “legitimate” blues artist, when he realized he was denying the influence of his own heritage. This sea change was evident on Kumar’s 2014 debut Don’t Hold Back, but was truly apparent on his 2016 Little Village Foundation release, Aki Goes to Bollywood, fully blending Bollywood pop and traditional Indian elements with the blues.

Kumar’s 2018 follow-up, Hindi Man Blues, further integrated his multiple inspirations with biting social commentary, and he has consistently elevated his live performances, which have included multiple sets at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and tours of Russia and Scandinavia.

For this night, Kumar performs music from across his career including his most recent Sony Music album Dilruba, and the 2021 singles “Tonight With a Fool” and “Zindagi.”

For this night, Kumar performs music from across his career including his most recent Sony Music album Dilruba, and the 2021 singles “Tonight With a Fool” and “Zindagi.”