Aki Kumar Bollywood Blues Band

About the Artist

Aki Kumar left his native home in Mumbai, India for the United States with the
intention of working as a software engineer. Then he discovered the sounds of the blues,
and his life changed dramatically.

A masterful harmonica player, soulful vocalist, band-leader, drummer and producer,
Kumar is a man of many talents and one of the most prolific artists in the SF Bay Area
today. He has successfully blended retro Indian music into his presentation, making for a
unique, electrifying, multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses
touch with the inspiration it draws from the blues. A veteran of the San Jose music scene
for two decades, Kumar was hailed as “…King of ‘Bollywood blues’ music” by SJ Mercury
News (2022) and received the Metro Silicon Valley Gold Award for Best Band (2024).

Kumar’s “Little Village” releases “Aki Goes To Bollywood” (2016) and “Hindi Man
Blues” (2018) are considered ground-breaking albums that have garnered international
critical acclaim. In 2020, Kumar made major news with the world-wide launch of his album
“Dilruba” on Sony Music. In 2021, Little Village released Kumar’s uplifting reggae-inspired
single “Zindagi” (Life).

Aki Kumar has made multiple appearances at The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, San Jose Jazz &
SF Jazz Festivals, and has been featured on PRI “The World,” KQED Arts and CBS Bay Area.
He has toured extensively over the years, including in Europe, Scandinavia, Russia,
Australia, India and South America.