MUMBAI: India has become a hub for International artistes with music festivals mushrooming in every city and town. This has made the music scene even more interesting for the music lover in the country, but the recent repetition of artistes has made it all too dull.  Early 2017 was all déjà vu but things are about to change with two-time Grammy-nominated artist Beth Hart flying down to India.

Los Angeles-based blues singer-songwriter, Hart is being brought to India by Total Environment Music Project. Here she will be performing at St. John’s Auditorium, Koramangala on 22 April 2017. The concert has been organised by co-founder and chairman of Total Environment Building Systems and Total Environment Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Kamal Sagar.

Sagar happens to be an architect, designer, real estate developer and restaurateur, but music is something that he is extremely passionate about. “My attempt is to enrich the culture of Bengaluru. I have been organizing concerts since, 2013 but I started bringing in international artiste in 2014,” stated the businessman.

Sagar has brought in Ken Peplowski, Anat Cohen, Stephane Wrembel, William Gallison, Saskia Leroo, Ben Sollee, Pokey LaFarge at his music venue Windmills Craftworks in the past and he wants to continue doing this on a larger scale. He has also brought and presented the jazz legend Ahmad Jamal at Chowdiah in 2014 and this time he brings in Beth Hart. 

Talking about her first visit to India, Hart said, “My sister has been to India many times. She’s gone to India for spiritual work and to learn from various people and she loves India so, I’m very excited about my trip. I’m also a big foodie and I believe that a wonderful way to connect with different people is by eating the food that they love. I look forward to that.”

Hart’s Indian fans too will be extremely excited to see her. We are sure that they are waiting to learn more about her performance in India. Therefore, we asked the musician about her set and she revealed, “Whenever I go to the venue I am performing at, be it a festival, a theater or a club, I first like to sense the vibe of the place and the audience we can expect. I then create my set list based on this vibe. My band already knows all my record which add up to over 100 songs. I also create my set list based on how I am feeling or on the kind of song people prefer in that place. Sometimes, Bianca who heads my organization gives me her inputs on the kind of songs I should be playing and I incorporate those in my set list.”

Well, most international artiste try adding an Indian song or two to their setlist but not Hart.  The singer does not know much of Indian music but she is looking forward to being introduced to it. “It would be neat to explore Indian music and learn what it’s all about.” And we are sure that Sagar would be of great assistance here as he also happens to be huge music collector. “My father had a huge music collection and I keep picking music from different parts of the world, each time I travel. I also make it a point to share it with the artistes that come down,” said Sagar who bonded with Ahmad Jamal the last time over music.

Furthermore, the singer-songwriter is also looking forward to being invited to Indian music festivals in the future and shooting a music video here. “If the label I’m working with allows, I would absolutely love to shoot a music video in India,” ended the singer.