We are delighted to confirm the addition of MICHAEL MESSER’S MITRA to the bill of Farmer Phil’s Festival 2019.
Michael Messer’s Mitra is a unique musical trio of blues slide guitar, Hindustani slide guitar, vocals and tabla rhythms.
Mitra (pronounced ‘meetra’) is a trio comprising British blues innovator and slide guitarist, Michael Messer, Hindustani slide guitar maestro from India, Manish Pingle, and London-based table master, Gurdain Singh Rayatt.
This is more than another meeting of musicians from different cultures, this is a band with a successful album and its own unique sound – an exhilarating and highly accessible fusion of blues and Hindustani classical music. With vocals, slide guitars and tabla, these three musicians from opposite sides of the globe create their own amazing unique music.
The album, ‘Call Of The Blues’, released in 2016 was immediately picked up by the blues, world and folk media, getting worldwide airplay and press coverage in more than 40 countries, and hitting #1 in the iTunes blues chart. Michael Messer’s Mitra have done six successful UK tours, including shows at London’s Bush Hall, Musicport, Shambala, and many other festivals.
Michael Messer’s Mitra – nominated in the ‘Best Group of 2017’ category in the ‘Songlines Music Awards’
#1 – iTunes blues chart
#7 – Ted Gioia’s 100 USA Best Albums of the Year
#1 – World Music Network chart
#1 – IBBA chart
#6 – IBBA Albums of the Year
#10 – Transglobal World Music chart
#4 – Argonauta – Best World Music Albums
fRoots Playlist Top 10
Songlines ‘Top Of The World’ Top 10
Blues Matters Top 10
Guitarist Magazine ‘Album Of The Year’
‘Call Of The Blues’ on the radio
‘Call Of The Blues’ has had radio airplay in more than 40 countries, here are a few…
BBC Radio 2 – Folk Show, UK
BBC Radio 2 – Blues Show, UK
BBC Radio 3 – Late Junction, UK
Jazz FM – David Freeman’s Blues & Boogie, UK (3 live sessions)
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – KCOR Kansas City Online Radio, USA
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – Rootsworld Radio, USA
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – World Fusion Chicago, USA
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – Willi Klopottek, Mondophon Auf Radio, LU
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – André Rhéaume, Canada
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – Elena Wolay Sverige Radio, Sweden
ALBUM OF THE WEEK – Lauri ‘Arno’ Ankerman, Lähiradio, Finland
ALBUM OF THE MONTH – Chris Heim Global Village Radio, USA
ALBUM OF THE MONTH – Mundofonias, Spain
‘Call Of The Blues’ reviews
“MAGNIFICENT INDIAN BLUES… ‘Call Of The Blues’ is a remarkable fusion of country blues with Hindustani music, showcasing the splendour of the slide guitar and the talent of three extraordinary musicians”.
Angel Romero, World Music Central
“The most exciting and creative blues innovation I have heard in years!”
David Freeman, Jazz FM
“…Not since the Beatles teamed up with Ravi Shankar back in the day has there been such an experimental and inspired meeting of musical cultures. I’ve no doubt this album is going to be internationally lauded for both its musicianship and Messer’s stunning vision”.
Iain Patience, Music News USA
“The trio spent two days in the studio recording this quite superb album. Messer’s regular blues repertoire is the source of much of the material – but they’re transformed by the Indian musicians, as the dark, droning mojo of the Delta is lent additional mystery by the layers of raga-like atmospheric ambience. Best of all is ‘Bhupali Blues’, in which the exchange works in the opposite direction, with Messer’s bottleneck blues tropes blending seamlessly into the structure of a traditional raga as the two guitarists exchange licks with scintillating panache”.
Nigel Williamson, Songlines
“There’s nothing I like more than a meeting of musical minds where you can’t hear the joins, and that is absolutely what we’ve got here. Messer is rare amongst Brit bluesniks, in that he possesses a real feel for the music and yet gives it his own personal stamp. This is an acoustic blues album that takes the music right back to the deltas; Mississippi and Ganges”.
Jamie Renton, fRoots