The 14th Edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival is all set to celebrate the global resurgence of blues on February 14th and 15th, 2026, at the Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. As a prelude to this enthralling ode to resilience that it carries, the Big Blues Band Hunt provides a platform for the future of the genre to showcase their talent for 9 years running now, since its inception in 2015. This year, Grace n’ the Cliches won the coveted competition, highlighting the festival’s continued commitment to spotlighting the best of emerging blues talent in the country.
The band emerged as the winner after a rigorous competition that witnessed hundreds of participants whittled down to three finalists. On the judges’ panel were Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, music composers of Bollywood’s widely successful trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and Zubin Balaporia, the ace keyboardist of Indus Creed.
The final face-off took place at antiSOCIAL in Lower Parel, where Grace n’ the Cliches, the Bengaluru-based jazz and R&B collective, competed against the Mojo Tribe and Ahmedabad-based rebellious quintet One Nation.
As the winners, Grace n’ the Cliches won the chance to perform at the Mahindra Blues Festival’s Garden Stage, which is dedicated to showcasing diverse young talent. The band will share the space with some of the blues luminaries, including Matt Schofield, Blackstratblues, Shemekia Copeland, and others.
Talking about the Big Band Hunt and how it gives platforms to artists from small towns, Zubin Balaporia said, “Blues has been instrumental in birthing many music genres like rock n’ roll and jazz. It becomes important that we keep the essence of it alive while expanding the genre in whatever way you want it to. It allows you that freedom to express. Some of these musicians are struggling, coming from small towns without the opportunity to play what they really want to do. Mahindra is giving these musicians a platform and freedom that they would otherwise not have.”
Ehsaan Noorani added, “It becomes very important that the local talent gets promoted. Mahindra Group, through this Band Hunt, is allowing for a space to exist where these artists showcase not only their talents but also the untapped potential that India’s young musicians possess. It has been 9 years since the Mahindra Blues Festival has allowed numerous artists to carve their niche and keep the spirit of the genre alive. And it’s great to know that people are still interested in this music. This gives Grace n’ the Cliches the opportunity and power to shape the Indian blues scene.”
Loy Mendonsa beautifully captured the essence of blues and talked about why a platform like this is important, saying, “Blues is about the emotion. Of course, it is contained in a lot of other forms of music, but there’s a certain rawness, a certain truth to the blues music. It has evolved over the years, enhancing the already existing beauty and realness. To keep this evolution and its truth alive, it is important to provide platforms to artists. Many young artists are hungry and passionate about music, but what they lack is a platform. This Band Hunt is giving these artists the platform that they need. Mahindra is not only staging international legends. It is also nurturing homegrown talent, which I think is amazing.”
Overwhelmed and excited for the way forward, Grace n’ the Cliches said, “This win means the world to us. We’ve been dreaming about this, and we owe this win to blues; It has been like a blessing. We want to thank the jury and the team. And thanks to the Mahindra Blues Festival for turning our dreams into a lived reality. It is a major platform, a great initiative, because there are very few spaces for blues artists to go out there and express their true selves. This win is going to open so many avenues for us. And we want to use this opportunity to show up for the blues scene and support other artists. Also, we would like to bring a progressive element to the genre to broaden the horizon.”
The Big Blues Band Hunt has been an integral part of Mahindra Group’s several artistic endeavours for the youth to freely express their identities through art. As it upholds the cultural essence of blues, Mahindra Blues Festival has also created a democratic ground for the young talents to thrive and carve their niche in this ever-evolving genre, keeping this musical revolution alive.