Indie Blues
It’s been a year of milestones for Blackstratblues, aka Mumbai- based composer guitarist Warren Mendonsa. In November 2016, he became a father; in April 2017, he celebrated the 10th anniversary of his debut album, Nights in Shining Karma; and last month, his fourth record, The Last Analog Generation, shot to #1 on the iTunes India chart—the first Indian indie music album to lead the list.
The eight-song collection is everything fans have come to expect: tunes that combine technical finesse with melodic appeal and compositions that recall influences such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits, while bearing a distinctive stamp.
“He gives me something to show off to the international guys,” says Owen Roncon, co-founder of Oranjuice Entertainment, which produces Mumbai’s annual Mahindra Blues Festival, at which Blackstratblues has played four times so far. At 38, Mendonsa is himself a veteran of the scene, having first caught the attention of guitar geeks across the country with his virtuosic playing on tracks such as Christmas in July by his previous band, alternative rock group Zero, which was formed in 1998.
Two decades on, The Last Analog Generation sees him looking back to simpler times. The title track, inspired by the birth of his daughter, speaks of the pervasiveness of technology in our lives and the instant gratification it offers. “Everything these days, the access is instant,” says Mendonsa. “If you want to hear a song, you just go to YouTube, type in the name and it’s there. Things are more disposable and attention spans are shorter. Albums are [being replaced by] singles. I think I’ll always be an albums guy.” His fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
—Amit Gurbaxani
MENDONSA’S FOURTH RECORD IS THE FIRST INDIAN INDIE MUSIC ALBUM TO LEAD THE ITUNES INDIA CHART