SHASWATA KUNDU CHAUDHURI
Feeling the Blues
PART -1
Do you feel the blues? If yes, then you’re part of millions across the world who feel it. And this is not the melancholic kind. It’s the
exhilarating kind! Right from Robert Johnson to John Mayer, with greats such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy
Guy and Eric Clapton packing the ages in between, the blues is one of the most contagious forms of music.
Starting out over a century back as the music of plantation workers in America, it has spread all over the world and is also the
base for rock music. India too, has produced a lot of blues bands, spreading joy in bars and pubs across the country. However,
very few bands have raised their heads above the rest with their take on the blues. They have imbibed the true essence of the
music with their own tales replacing the struggles of the erstwhile slaves. Some of them are as follows:
1. Soulmate - This band from Shillong opened for Carlos
Santana at Formula One Rocks in Delhi in 2012. Santana
was so impressed that he had also joined them for a jam.
Comprising guitarist and songwriter Rudy Wallang
and front woman Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar, Soulmate
has been gigging for 16 years and have three albums
to their name – Shillong (2005), Moving On (2009) and
Ten Stories Up (2013). The duo is backed by Rudy’s sons
Leon and Vincent on bass and drums respectively.
Now these rockers choose to live in the peaceful mountains
rather than busy cities even though they easily can.
They are reclusive to interviews and maintain an aura
of mystery, befitting to the image of rock musicians.
However, on stage, they are quite the opposite.
Tipriti gets absorbed into the songs like a spirit possessed
and her powerful voice enraptures all. She is considered
to be one of the best vocalists to have emerged from the
North East and many female musicians in the country
cite her to be their inspiration. Rudy, one of the best
guitarists in the country, brings the house down with
his mind numbing solos, artful fillers and driving
rhythms. He had learnt his musical chops playing in
The Great Society, band of the legendary Lou Majaw.
2. Arinjoy Trio – These blues men from Kolkata
are perhaps the most jovial musicians in the city.
That reflects in the music, especially through
onstage ribbing, where they mischievously play
under-the-cover notes with grins at each other.
Vocalist and guitarist Arinjoy Sarkar’s face contorts
into several expressions of pure mirth as he bends the
strings or floors sweet guitar licks as bassist Aakash
Ganguly and drummer Sounak Roy provide a banging
and rollicking rhythm section. The crowd imbibes
their energetic vibes into their bodies and groove
to the 12 bars, with occasional yells of pleasure.
They have also released their eponymous debut album
in February this year at the prestigious Mahindra
Blues Festival in Mumbai. The 7 track record is very
much a tribute to the blues as it is a gritty and intense
tale of life in 21st century urban India. Even though
their music might make you dance in happiness, the
underlying themes are stuff for the grey cells.
The rhythm section is solid, bearing all the brute force of
the Rudy and Tipriti. They tour all over the country as well
internationally. A Soulmate concert is a pure sonic treat.
The
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