Let the music play

<b>Nikita Puri</b> lines up the other musical events to look forward to in 2017

From David Bowie and Prince to Leonard Cohen and, most recently, George Michael, we’ve lost many to 2016. Even Coldplay’s Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai, which once shone brightly on everyone's radar, was buried under heaps of ‘other’ performances. But with a host of new beginnings, the New Year seems promising enough, like the proposed-resurrection of the Backstreet Boys. The boy band is headed to Las Vegas for a trial residency and, if all goes well, they’ll announce new gigs. Nikita Puri lines up the other musical events to look forward to in 2017.

A side of favourites
 
The Mahindra Blues brings some of the world’s best to the iconic Mehboob Studio in Mumbai. Now in its seventh year, the next edition features artistes such as Supersonic Blues Machine featuring Billy Gibbons and Eric Gales, Irish singer-songwriter Gainne Duffy, soul singer Janiva Magness and the electric vocalist Shemekia Copeland, among others. All between February 11 and 12; tickets are available on www.bookmyshow.com. And if you haven’t escaped to Kohima yet, check out Hornbill that happens in the first week of December. Here you’ll find an eclectic collection of traditional Naga folk performances and international rock bands.

 
Vineyard mix
 
With over 120 artists spread over three days and three stages, SulaFest returns to its vineyards in Nashik during February 3- 5, 2017. In its 10th year, SulaFest's laidback offering includes wine bottles with slashed prices, flea markets, and a line-up that includes Berlin's DJ and producer Dana Ruh, Northern Ireland's Techno duo Loco and Jam, besides India's very own brand of fineness with Nucleya and Indian Ocean.
 
Sonic shift
 
Moving out of Goa, Vh1 Supersonic has found a new home in Pune. The fourth edition of the fest will be held in this student-friendly city. And though the move puts a dampener on dreams of lounging on Goa’s beaches, the organisers are easing the move by getting on board the “Godfather” of Progressive House music. Overcoming his aversion to flying, Swedish techno legend Eric Prydz is finally coming to India to headline Vh1 Supersonic in February. Tickets are available on www.bookmyshow.com.

 Tunes in the desert
 
Unesco-supported Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF), best known for its lovely curation of traditional folk music and jazz fusion, also turns 10 next year. The festival is slated between October 5 and October 9 at Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort. Another festival that brings together a memorable combination is the World Sacred Spirit Festival at the same venue on February 17 and 18. Keep an eye out for the line-up.
 
Staycation specials
 
Alt-rock band Thirty Seconds To Mars’s profile has been soaring high after lead singer Jared Leto won an Academy Award (for Dallas Buyers Club, 2013), and though the band has been quiet since then, its fifth album will be out in the New Year. The Killers will also be out with their fifth album; guitarist John Mayer will be releasing his seventh full-length as a solo act, “The Search For Everything”, in January.There’s more: Virtual band Gorillaz, the creators of “Revolving Doors” and “Feel Good Inc”, will be out with fresh material in 2017. Do we need another reason to usher in the New Year?

 
Return of Guetta
 
As part of his Unity Tour, Grammy-winning DJ and music producer David Guetta, who has often been called the “Grandfather of EDM”, will be hitting up Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi in January. When he first performed in India in 2012, Guetta had said, “I read the people; its my mission to make them go crazy, so what I will play will depend on the connection we make together.” He’ll also be in Bengaluru on January 12 for a charity concert. German DJ and record producer Robin Schulz, whose use of manual guitar riffs has become his signature, is a special addition to Guetta’s upcoming concerts.