The Story
It still baffles many that music rooted in the blues can be found in India, it’s even more perplexing perhaps that though this music finds expression in India’s metros, it is shaped in its geographical peripheries – more specifically, a small city in north eastern India called Shillong. It is here that you’ll find India’s finest blues band, wilfully and happily oblivious of
the country’s dominant soundscapes but at the same time enriching it with the triumphant sounds and grooves of the blues and blues derived rock, funk, soul and R&B. They call themselves Soulmate and don’t bother asking them why they chose the blues because you
ought to know better – ‘the blues chose them’.
SOULMATE was formed in Shillong, in October 2003 when Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar decided to start a band dedicated to playing the Blues and committed to spread awareness about the music to the rest of India, whether the country was ready or not. Rudy was already a legend in North East India, making his name with the regions most respected and seminal bands like Great Society and Mojo, while Tipriti was the little girl with the big pipes whom everyone knew was going places. It was not only an opportune meeting of kindred spirits but also of minds, talents, passions and souls that would charm the country
and inspire countless bands, guitar players and artists. The stamp of their sound would be unique in India and those around the world who heard it, immediately identified with and embraced the call of this ‘back to roots’ music – a sonic canvas rooted in Rudy’s elegant blues guitar that channelled Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and the
Three Kings but also embracing every sound that Tipriti’s extensive vocal range could accommodate, from Koko Taylor, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone to the recent addition of the earthy sounds of Khasi folk music.
It is this wondrous alchemy of personality and sound that has made Soulmate one of India’s ‘most wanted’ and loved Live Acts. They have played innumerable gigs till date planting the
seed of the blues and roots music in a country that, looking back now, was just waiting for them to arrive. In a diverse country like India, it is perhaps no wonder that every kind of music will find its follower but Soulmate’s single minded dedication to the blues has enriched, shaped and amplified India’s engagement with this cornerstone of western popular music. Their trail-blazing journey has birthed and sustained many live venues and
festivals and it is perhaps in recognition of this that India’s leading blues festival ‘The Mahindra International Blues Festival’ has honored them and Indian blues as a whole with a special stage called ‘The SoulStrat Stage’ – the countless young blues men and women who Soulmate and other Indian blues pioneers have inspired will now indeed be playing on
the shoulders of giants.
Soulmate has four albums to their name, ”Shillong”, “Moving On” “Ten Stories Up” and “Give Love” in 2020 – all of them uncompromising discourses on the blues both as homage and re-imagination. These recordings coupled with their live prowess have spurred interest and fascination for them well beyond India’s borders. They’ve toured Europe, USA and played in Memphis – the home of the blues, regaled audiences in Bangladesh, Dubai,
Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Malaysia, Macau and have had the honor to share line-ups with luminaries like Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Joss Stone and Carlos Santana to name
a few. Their work can now be found across multiple platforms like documentary films and web series just as their music now seeks to expand the vocabulary of roots music by exploring the common provenance and yet differing histories of the blues and folk music.
Rudy has over 40 years of musical experience and now his sons Leon (Bass) and Vincent (Drums) back him in a tight yet flexible unit while Tipriti is probably entering her most creative phase and has taken on more responsibilities as a song-writer. They’re all seasoned professionals but they are also set up by way of age, experience, prowess and potential for
their best work to lie ahead of them and not behind.
The Line Up
Rudy Wallang
Anyone with an interest in the western music scene in India will recognize Guitar player/ Singer/Songwriter/ Rudy Wallang, who leads this tight knit musical unit. Today, Rudy is one of the foremost Blues guitar players/ singer / songwriters in the country with a long musical history of 40 years making and performing his music and having been part of the country’s most well known blues rock acts, Great Society & Mojo
Tipriti Kharbangar
The beautiful and talented Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist of Soulmate is Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar who has earned a name as one of the finest female singers to have emerged out of Shillong and India as a whole! If there is one thing Tip’s is happy doing, it is singing and reflecting this, she vocalizes with a joy and exuberance that is unmatched and original. She has also begun to write songs for the band as well. She started out singing gospel songs at the local church choir and is now drawn to the Blues, Soul and Jazz.
Albums and Special Events/Achievements by Soulmate
Soulmate have recorded 4 albums thus far,”Shillong”, “Moving On” , “Ten Stories Up” and “Give Love” in 2020. They will be releasing their “Best Of Soulmate” Limited Edition Album on Vinyl very soon.
**In 2017/2018 they were asked to record a song for a documentary on the 50 year anniversary of the Beatles coming to India! The song they recorded was John Lennon’s “Give Me Some Truth” The Documentary was released worldwide in October 2021.
** A song of theirs, ‘Your Love’ has been used in the Amazon Prime series “Made In Heaven”
** Soulmate has been organizing The International Blues Music Day Celebrations here in Shillong for the past 6 years. The celebrations have also included workshops on the Blues along with performances by them as well as other musicians and bands.
** They have staged ‘A Brief History of the Blues’, a concert telling a story of the Blues through song and music, where they have performed with a choir backing them.
** Have formed a side project, namely, Soulmate and The Clansmen where they endeavor to bring together elements of the Blues and Khasi folk music. ( Khasi folk music belongs to the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya, India)
