Exclusive photographs by NK Sareen

The year 1978 is a landmark in the history of Jazz music scene in India. On this year, a group of jazz enthusiasts got together and started Jazz India. The group invited musicians from India and abroad to play at a festival called the Jazz Yatra.

The first Jazz Yatra was held in Mumbai in 1978 even though the Kolkata had played a significant part in nurturing it.  

Amitabh Bachchan, his mother Teji Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan — all self-confessed Jazz lovers — attended the festival. The celebrity presence added to the glamour of the festival and it was a huge hit. Jazz Festivals took off in India after that and since has just grown in size and numbers.

The pictures includes a rare shot of Teji Bachchan and man, she looks glamorous! 

Ask any Jazz lover in India and everybody will tell you about this landmark event in the country — the internet is filled with nostalgic pieces of this event which ushered in a dynamic change the niche music scene of the country.

Here are some exclusive pictures from the event.

All photographs are by NK Sareen and copyrighted to him. Please don’t copy-paste the photographs anywhere. To know more about NK Sareen, click HERE.

Featured picture: Musician Don Ellis performing at the Jazz Yatra. Picture from HERE. The tapes have been recently unearthed and digitally remastered.