Event

Aki Kumar

Hailed as a star among the next generation of West Coast blues artists and versatile in many different styles of roots music, Kumar is equally at ease rocking a Jimmy Reed number in English as he is belting out a signature, swingin' re-interpretation of a Bollywood classic in Hindi. Cleverly crafted originals featuring his masterful blues harmonica riffs are a highlight of this charismatic entertainer's live performances.

Indian-born, San Jose-based Aki Kumar, aka "The Only Bombay Blues Man," left his home in Mumbai for the United States with the intention of working as a software engineer. Then he discovered the blues, and his life dramatically changed.

With his Little Village Foundation debut, "Aki Goes to Bollywood", Kumar began integrating elements of Indian music into his musical and visual presentation, making for a multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with its blues foundation. Kumars follow-up album, "Hindi Man Blues", boasts his most ambitious cross-cultural fusion to date, and features liner notes by veteran blues great Charlie Musselwhite. Kumar recently performed at the prestigious Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, has been featured on PRI The World, and has toured in Russia, South America and Scandinavia.

"Really really really hot stuff... Anything you want to call it, it is a barn burner."
Elwood Blues aka Dan Aykroyd