The Score Magazine July 2019 issue | Page 39

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 Score Magazine highonscore.com 37