Feeling blue?

Ehsaan Noorani with Loy Mendonsa

At a Blues music competition set to be held today, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa will serve as judges to promote young talent. "Judging can be tough because sometimes you'll receive a video from a band, but when you search for them online, you'll notice that they are a heavy-metal band only submitting a Blues track to be part of the competition. We are looking for pure Blues performers," says Noorani of the Mahindra Big Blues Band Hunt.

Asserting that both he and Mendosa have been passionate about the genre, Noorani says, "When they got in touch, we were happy that they were going to promote talent. Many of these artistes have made it to [global] stage. Blues music has fortunately survived. It may not have been centre-stage, but it has survived. It is the kind of music that is enjoyed live. If an artiste can become part of the global scene, that can do a lot for both him, and the genre."

The composer, who has enjoyed a long-lasting career as part of the musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, admits that surviving as a Blues artiste is "tough".

"Internationally, it's still possible for artistes to travel and play all over. Here, it doesn't logistically make sense. Clubs need to give more space to them. Eventually, people need to practice Blues, but also do something on the side to survive, like create jingles [for commercial purposes]. It is not enough to make a living, but in some cases, opportunities for corporate shows [are available]."