Small, intimate gatherings offer new opportunities to explore, experiment

The greatest triumph of this social format is that it enables you to reach beyond your familiar circles

Last month, at his first Mumbai concert, Rachit Gaur aka The Mooner was mortified to find he would go on after jazz-rock-blues-fusion act Kush Upadhyay Trio, of which Gino Banks, one of the country’s most celebrated jazz musicians, is a member. It meant Banks would virtually open for the little-known folk singer-songwriter.

“When he first reached out to us, [Gaur] had 29 incredible songs and 58 followers. I could name dozens of artists with millions of followers and not one truly original song released,” says Arul Kacker, leader of the Mumbai chapter of Sofar Sounds, a London-born global music company that