Blackstratblues- Redefining Blues Music and Beyond
Updated on: 06 January, 2023 05:57 PM IST | Priyak Dhar
For Warren Mendonsa, music comes from experiences that the musician has been through personally or has watched others go through. Born in Mumbai, Mendonsa grew in fame as a part of the iconic band Zero, with whom he released two albums and an EP between 1998-2005. His solo project, Blackstratblues, has Jai Row Kavi on the drums, Adi Mistry as bassist, Beven Fonseca on keyboards and Warren himself on the guitar. Known for their unique genre of music, Blackstratblues plays Indie, Rock and Instrumental.
The story of the band Blackstratblues started in the year 2004, after Warren Mendonsa moved to New Zealand, when he along with his brother Zorran recorded their first album in their garage studio till the band became a quartet in Mumbai. Warren continued focusing on releasing albums, until in 2009, the band got an invitation to perform at Mithibai College in Mumbai for their annual festival.
The band has been a regular performer in festivals like Mahindra Blues, NH7 and Sulafest, while Warren has worked with musicians like Vishal-Shekar and Shankar-Ehaaan-Loy. He has also featured on Coke Studio, in collaborations with musicians like Karsh Kale and Amit Trivedi.
One of their albums The Last Analog Generation attained the top spot in 2017 on iTunes on the day of its release, beating the likes of other albums like Mersal (by AR Rahman) and the eponymous third studio album of American girl band Fifth Harmony, their first one after the exit of Camila Cabello (of Havana fame).
