Soulful Blues returns to Mumbai this weekend

NCPA Soulful Blues two-day festival in Mumbai has become an eagerly awaited event ever since its inception in 2003. The festival has featured award-winning artists such as Demetria Taylor, Terrie Odabi and Thornetta Davis, amongst a few others. Last year, it expanded into a three-day festival.

This year’s two-day festival, being held this weekend on March 28 and March 29, will feature Shakura S’aida on the first day and on day two, headlining the festival will be Grammy-nominated Sugaray Rayford.

Shakura S'Aida is a Canadian blues vocalist, songwriter and actress also known as Shakura. Although born in Brooklyn, USA, she moved to Switzerland, finally settling in Canada.

She has also performed as a backing vocalist for Rita MacNeil and Patti LaBelle, as well as with jazz musicians such as Jimmy Smith and has won numerous blues awards. As an actress, she has acted in numerous television shows as well as theatre. In 2010, she won the ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ at the Maple Blues Awards and in 2013 was nominated for ‘Contemporary Blues Female Artist’ at the Blues Music Awards. She is known for her dynamic and deeply emotional performance style.

Sugaray Rayford is an American soul blues singer and songwriter from Texas and has released five albums to date, winning three Blues Music Awards. His 2019 album, ‘Somebody Save Me’ was nominated for a Grammy Award in the ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album’. Rayford’s vocals have an earthy and powerful old-school blend of soul, blues and funk, with a gospel feel. His album ‘In Too Deep’ released in 2022, was cited as ‘Soul Blues Album of the Year’ at the 2023 Blues Music Awards. He performed at the Mahindra Blues Festival in February 2019 and one is looking forward to his finale concert at the festival.