Keeping the Blues music alive in Bengaluru

With a history of 31 years, Chronic Blues Circus has kept the legacy alive through the ages

Falah Faisal | NT

Bengaluru: Peter Isaac started with the Chronic Blues Circus back in 1991 along with a friend and has since then played alongside some of Bangalore’s best musicians including Ananth Menon, Vinoo Mathews, and Jeet Thayil. The one thing that has always stayed the same is his love for the blues as the leader of the circus.

Now performing alongside Aarushi Pareek he brings the blues to a new generation. Known as the Blues Man of Bangalore, he has seen the landscape of the city transform completely since the 60s which has inspired him to write songs like “Bye, Bye Bangalore” when he finally moved to Hoskote after having lived in the heart of the city for decades.

“The type of blues we play is what we like to call Bangalore Blues, as it depicts the mood of Bangalore. Even when we do classic blues covers we do it in our own style,” says Aarushi who has been with the band for seven years, having joined at the age of 15.

Blues originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s by African-Americans musicians who used them as a way to talk about the troubles of their times. Using it in the same way, when Demonetization happened in 2016, Chronic Blues Circus wrote ‘Demon Blues’.

According to Aarushi “Blues have always been about being gloomy and sad and you will find a lot of Tamil songs which are very Blueslike even though they might have the progression of a Blues song. The lyrics and the mood sure are.” Despite it being an old genre, youngsters are still interested in them drawing crowds of all ages.

“We have always had a strong live music scene in Bangalore, with venues like Take 5, Bflat, and Humming Tree. We used to play in Take 5 every week and had a loyal following. But all those venues have shut down due to various reasons and it is hard to play live.

But recently we did have a blues festival at Koramangala Club for which nearly 300 people showed up and the experience of listening to music live is something that brings everyone together,” she adds. For the first time in three decades, the Chronic Blues Circus will be playing in a café at Urban Solace on Friday. If you’re an ardent blues fan or just love live music, this isn’t one you should miss.

Where: Urban Solace, Ulsoor

When: Oct 28, 8 pm

Entry: Rs 300 (full cover)