Chicagoans can get a glimpse of India’s biggest blues festival later this month when Buddy Guy’s Legends hosts The Mahindra Blues Weekend, Oct. 16-17.
The two-day event will be the first international extension of the annual Mahindra Blues Festival, known as Asia’s largest blues festival, held every February (since its inception in 2011) in Mumbai. The Chicago event will showcase veteran local guitarists Mike Wheeler (Oct. 16) and Carlos Johnson (Oct. 17). The concerts will also be streamed live via BuddyGuy.TV and will include video clips from this year’s Mahindra fest.
“So long as I’m here, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep the blues alive, and I want to thank Mr. Anand Mahindra [Chairman of the Mahindra Group] and the Mahindra Group for helping me keep that promise,” Guy said in a statement.
Over the years, the Mahindra Blues Festival has featured international Blues legends such as Guy, John Lee Hooker Jr., Taj Mahal, Walter Trout, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jimmie Vaughan, Lil’ Ed, Zac Harmon and Doyle Bramhall as well as a host of Indian Blues bands.