AKI KUMAR

DATE: Jul 18TIME: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
VENUE: Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts, San Francisco, CA
PHONE: (415) 543-1718
COST: Free

www.akikumar.com

“…breathtaking…”- Living Blues Magazine
“Check it out. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.” – Charlie Musselwhite
“Kumar is on the cutting-edge of blues today.”- Michael Kinsman, San Diego Blues Festival

About Aki Kumar:

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. Kumar’s 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.

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.

“(Kumar) has a natural propensity for the music, with a rich, deep tone and a sensitive, economic style that emphasizes feel over flash.”
Jonny Whiteside, LA TIMES