Shemekia Copeland’s music is powerful and ferocious and her songs have dealt with issues like gun violence. Three of her albums have been nominated for the Grammys. Copeland earlier performed at the festival in 2011 and 2017.
You have performed at the festival before. What was that like for you?
Extraordinary! The vibe is like no place in the world. The fest itself is killer. They always book other great acts who I get to hang with and then we all jam together. It’s awesome. Be sure to let everyone know that I have a deep love for India and her fans. The Mahindra Fest is like no other in the world. And I’m looking forward to really rocking it.
What can audiences look forward to in terms of your performance or set this year?
Since my visit, I have had three albums which have each been nominated for Grammys. So, I have lots of great new material to perform for the fans live!! I can’t wait!
Will you be performing in other cities in India apart from Mumbai, too?
No. Just exclusively in Mumbai. It will be one very special concert!
What do you think about the Blues/R&B scene in India?
India has some really cool Blues acts and there seem to be more coming up all the time.
You are the daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland, and you gave your first public performance at the age of 10. Tell us about your earliest musical influences growing up in Harlem, New York.
Harlem was a magical place when I was growing up. Music was everywhere. People on the street with ghettoblasters, clubs with great bands. Best of all was just in my own house with my daddy bringing around all these cool musicians like Dr John and Fathead Newman.
In 2024, you were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance and another for Best American Roots Song. Your album, Blame It on Eve, was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. What was the experience like?
Exciting. An honour. We put a ton of effort into making the absolute best music we can and the Grammy noms are a big reward.
You have written songs about various issues, including gun violence. Tell us more about writing music that’s close to your heart.
As an artist I have the rare opportunity to sing about issues that are important and can actually make lives better. Sure, everybody loves a good love song but I also like to sing about universal love that goes beyond just two people, songs about all of us loving each other.
Out of all your songs, which ones are your personal favourites?
I can’t pick one. But I especially love the songs on my new album, Blame it on Eve.
What are you working on next?
I’m working on new songs now that I’m really excited about. Plus, I have some extra special guests on it who I think are going to really surprise you.
A freelance writer based in New Delhi, Neha Kirpal writes primarily on books, music, films, theatre and travel