Mumbai with the intention of working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Then he discovered the blues, and his life dramatically changed. Singing and playing harmonica, he steeped himself in the music and became a fixture in blues clubs throughout Northern California,where he developed an unique, audacious blend of Chicago-style blues which then led to playing retro Bollywood pop mixed with the blues.
When he began performing, Kumar initially attempted to downplay his ethnicity and perform straight, Chicago-style blues. “I wanted to make a statement that I was a traditional blues man, so I wanted to be playing blues and have nobody even wonder where I came from.” His attitude soon changed, and with his Little Village Foundation debut, Aki Goes to Bollywood, he began integrating elements of Indian music into his musical and visual presentation, making for a multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with its blues foundation. That unique blend of East and West reaches a new creative plateau on Aki’s second Little Village Foundation album, Hindi Man Blues, which boasts Aki’s most ambitious cross-cultural fusion to date, and features liner notes by veteran blues great Charlie Musselwhite.
Rusty’s mix of classic reggae, rock steady and ska is imbued throughout with the sound of his magnificent voice, his hook laden original compositions and his thorough understanding of the place of soul in Jamaican music. Of the twelve tunes on ‘The Reggae Soul of Rusty Zinn’, (RockBeat Records) nine are written by Rusty, and show his command of the craft. Meaningful lyrics, memorable and melodic tunes set in timelessly crisp productions, all topped off by his warm and intimate voice. The kind of songs that should be on every radio stations’ playlist.
show less
When he began performing, Kumar initially attempted to downplay his ethnicity and perform straight, Chicago-style blues. “I wanted to make a statement that I was a traditional blues man, so I wanted to be playing blues and have nobody even wonder where I came from.” His attitude soon changed, and with his Little Village Foundation debut, Aki Goes to Bollywood, he began integrating elements of Indian music into his musical and visual presentation, making for a multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with its blues foundation. That unique blend of East and West reaches a new creative plateau on Aki’s second Little Village Foundation album, Hindi Man Blues, which boasts Aki’s most ambitious cross-cultural fusion to date, and features liner notes by veteran blues great Charlie Musselwhite.
Rusty’s mix of classic reggae, rock steady and ska is imbued throughout with the sound of his magnificent voice, his hook laden original compositions and his thorough understanding of the place of soul in Jamaican music. Of the twelve tunes on ‘The Reggae Soul of Rusty Zinn’, (RockBeat Records) nine are written by Rusty, and show his command of the craft. Meaningful lyrics, memorable and melodic tunes set in timelessly crisp productions, all topped off by his warm and intimate voice. The kind of songs that should be on every radio stations’ playlist.
Mumbai with the intention of working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Then he discovered the blues, and his life dramatically changed. Singing and playing harmonica, he steeped himself in the music and became a fixture in blues clubs throughout Northern California,where he developed an unique, audacious blend of Chicago-style blues which then led to playing retro Bollywood pop mixed with the blues.
When he began performing, Kumar initially attempted to downplay his ethnicity and perform straight, Chicago-style blues. “I wanted to make a statement that I was a traditional blues man, so I wanted to be playing blues and have nobody even wonder where I came from.” His attitude soon changed, and with his Little Village Foundation debut, Aki Goes to Bollywood, he began integrating elements of Indian music into his musical and visual presentation, making for a multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with its blues foundation. That unique blend of East and West reaches a new creative plateau on Aki’s second Little Village Foundation album, Hindi Man Blues, which boasts Aki’s most ambitious cross-cultural fusion to date, and features liner notes by veteran blues great Charlie Musselwhite.
Rusty’s mix of classic reggae, rock steady and ska is imbued throughout with the sound of his magnificent voice, his hook laden original compositions and his thorough understanding of the place of soul in Jamaican music. Of the twelve tunes on ‘The Reggae Soul of Rusty Zinn’, (RockBeat Records) nine are written by Rusty, and show his command of the craft. Meaningful lyrics, memorable and melodic tunes set in timelessly crisp productions, all topped off by his warm and intimate voice. The kind of songs that should be on every radio stations’ playlist.
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When he began performing, Kumar initially attempted to downplay his ethnicity and perform straight, Chicago-style blues. “I wanted to make a statement that I was a traditional blues man, so I wanted to be playing blues and have nobody even wonder where I came from.” His attitude soon changed, and with his Little Village Foundation debut, Aki Goes to Bollywood, he began integrating elements of Indian music into his musical and visual presentation, making for a multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with its blues foundation. That unique blend of East and West reaches a new creative plateau on Aki’s second Little Village Foundation album, Hindi Man Blues, which boasts Aki’s most ambitious cross-cultural fusion to date, and features liner notes by veteran blues great Charlie Musselwhite.
Rusty’s mix of classic reggae, rock steady and ska is imbued throughout with the sound of his magnificent voice, his hook laden original compositions and his thorough understanding of the place of soul in Jamaican music. Of the twelve tunes on ‘The Reggae Soul of Rusty Zinn’, (RockBeat Records) nine are written by Rusty, and show his command of the craft. Meaningful lyrics, memorable and melodic tunes set in timelessly crisp productions, all topped off by his warm and intimate voice. The kind of songs that should be on every radio stations’ playlist.
show less
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401 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
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