Aki Kumar
San Jose’s “King of Bollywood Blues” infuses traditional Blues, Rock, and Country with the vibrant songs of his Indian heritage. 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). 2025 marked a milestone year for Kumar with the release of his self-produced “Little Village” album “God Bless The USA” 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. See them live at Almost Famous Wine Lounge, an award-winning tasting room and world-class music venue located in the heart of Livermore’s urban wine, spirits and brewery district.
