Damn right, she’s got the blues

“Yeah, I will find me a bar and turn my sorrow into a song and I will make love to the blues, all night long ” go the lyrics of The Road — a song by Mumbai-based blues rock group Kanchan Daniel & The Beards. The simple line articulates how the genre is connected to the mind and soul. “When I am singing, I can express what I am feeling,” says Kanchan, the vocalist and songwriter.

Blues and music share a profound relationship with Kanchan’s existence. The 25-year-old is a cancer survivor. “There are some songs that connect to my brush with cancer, some talk about different phases and experiences I have gone through,” adds Kanchan, who will be on stage with Lal And The People on the second day of Mahindra Blues Festival 2016 starting here on February 13.

Kanchan, a resident of Shivaji Park, was diagnosed with the malignant disease at the age of 17. Fresh and energetic in her teens, the young girl didn’t know she had a tumour in her body.

“During the chemotherapy sessions, I used to listen to one song — Heart of Life by John Mayer. Thankfully, I was allowed to keep an iPod in the Intensive Care Unit. That song summed up my situation perfectly. It said the heart of life will eventually be good in spite of all the bad things that are happening,” she says with a smile. However, she fought tooth and nail, held her ground and came out stronger.

At the start of her second innings, she decided to follow her mind and took up music professionally. That’s not all, Kanchan is also a clinical psychologist. “After my experience with cancer, I wanted to study a discipline through which I could help people going through the same situation,” she says.

As a survivor, Kanchan feels she communicates with her audience better on the microphone. “It is about how I express myself to my audience. We should both feel the same emotion,” she asserts.

As a Mumbaikar and a blues afficionado, she is delighted having a festival in the city that celebrates the genre. “Blues as a genre is not that well known; it is a fading genre. The festival is doing its bit to revive the blues. The fact that they are bringing down blues artists from all over the world is a big step,” adds Kanchan, who is also on the verge of releasing her first album with the band.

The band also comprises Kush Upadhyay (guitar), Mukesh Lobo (keyboards), Anand Kamath (bass) and Varoon Aiyer (drums and percussions). “We are looking at a March release. Blues is the core of our music and we are trying to tie up blues with different genres, that is the overall mood of the album. I would call it neo blues,” explains Kanchan, who is a self-taught vocalist.

“Music and blues came naturally to me. I am learning through every step, I like to learn my own way,” says Kanchan, also an ardent fan of Warren Mendonsa’s blues outfit Blackstratblues.

Best of the blues When often asked by people, why they chose the Blues their answer has been “we didn’t choose the Blues ..the Blues chose us!” We bring to you Top 5 performances to look forward to at the Mahindra Blues Festival. This weekend, head on down to Mehboob Studios for some bluesy riffs and rhythm!

Joss Stone: Prepare to be amazed and delighted by Joss Stone. The free spirited English soul singer has been on an incredible journey, metaphorical and literal, artistic and geographic, absorbing influences and making music. She has sold over 12 million albums worldwide, her American success paving the way for a new generation of British female soul singers.

Soulmate: Inspired by the roots and groove sounds of the Blues, Blues-Rock, Soul, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Funk and R&B, Soulmate was formed in Shillong, in October 2003 when Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar decided to form a band dedicated to playing the Blues and spreading awareness about this important genre of music.

Keb Mo: Three-time Grammy winner Keb Mo is more than just a musician; he is a visionary roots-music storyteller. Often described as “a living link to the seminal Delta blues that travelled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America”. His post-modern blues style is influenced by many eras and genres, including folk, rock, jazz and pop.

Heritage Blues Orchestra: Witness a live performance by the Heritage Blues Orchestra, as old African-American musical traditions rise up to meet you, you’ll recognise this group as something breathtakingly new. How can something so firmly rooted in the past still seem so adventurous even audacious You’ll sense it when their driving Chicago backbeat suddenly gives way to a stark, a cappella work song by Bill Sims, Jr. You’ll feel it when their bold, brass-fuelled New Orleans stomp sets up a stunning solo vocal by Chaney Sims.

King King: A dynamic, soulful Blues and Rock band from Glasgow, King King are on a roll. Equipped with an army of fans and armfuls of awards, it’s hard to believe that Alan Nimmo (vocals/guitar), Lindsay Coulson (bass), Wayne Proctor (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keys) have come so far, so fast.