|
|
|
|
BACK ISSUES | NOVEMBER 2009 | CURRENT ISSUE
|
||
NOVEMBER 2009
They are the only true blues band in India and are all set to represent India at the International Blues Challenge organised by the Blues Foundation of America in January 2010.
Soulmate are a blues and rock band from Shillong consisting of the two main members Rudy Wallang (guitar, vocalist, songwriter) and Tipriti Kharbangar aka Tips (vocals and rhythm guitar). Rudy and Tips have been asked numerous times why they chose to sing and play the Blues and their answer has been: “We did not choose the blues… the blues chose us!”
The band’s present lineup features Ferdy Dkhar (bass guitar), Sam Shullai (drums) and Amit Mullick (second rhythm guitarist). Inspired by the roots and groove sounds of the blues, rock, soul, funk and R&B, the Soulmate sound can easily be compared to the likes of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald. Tip’s vocals paired with Wallang’s guitar make for a lethal combo. Playing an eclectic mixture of blues and rock, their sound is completely original in the Indian blues-rock circuit.
Soulmate came together in Shillong in February 2003 playing their first concert at the Roots Festival at the Water Sports Complex in Umiam. Since then the band has performed many concerts all over the North East as well as in other parts of India. They have also performed at the International Jazzmandu Festival in Kathmandu in 2004 and 2005. In 2007, they became the first Indian band to perform at the International Blues Challenge in the US. To date, Soulmate has performed over 500 concerts.
VERUS FERREIRA met Rudy and Tips on their recent visit to Mumbai. Dressed in casuals for their show that evening, the duo spoke about the band from its humble beginnings to its immense success today. Excerpts from the interview.
Tell us about yourselves.
Rudy: First of all I am happy that we are introducing the blues to youngsters through The Teenager. Well, I was born and bred in Shillong. My mum, Sheila is a teacher and my dad (L) Toto Wallang, was a musician in his time (late ‘50’s/60’s/early 70’s.) I guess that’s where my education in music started. I studied in St Edmund’s School and tried my hand at welding at the Don Bosco Technical School. I did my PU at St Edmund’s College as well. I also taught in my mum’s school for a while, but music called me and so here I am. I am a single parent with 4 great young human beings under my care; we take care of each other. They are all into music and arts in one way or the other. My eldest son, Leon plays guitar with us in the band.Tips: My real name is Tipriti but most people mispronounce it so I’ve shortened it to ‘Tips’. My father was in a band in the 80’s and I grew up singing gospel songs because my cousins and aunts were active in Church. The Church was like my first stage and that’s how I learned to overcome my stage fright.
Were you both in any other band before Soulmate?
Rudy: I was with The Great Society for 12 years then with another great band called Mojo for 9 years in the 90’s before meeting Tips and forming Soulmate.Tips: I sang with a couple of bands prior to Soulmate... one of them was an all girls band called Afflatus which happened to win the 2nd Runner’s up prize at the 1st Campus Rock Idol competition in Mumbai.
The beginnings of Soulmate…
Rudy: I have a home studio and do a lot of recordings for local musicians and bands and a lot of Gospel recordings as well. It was during one of these recordings that Tips came to the studio to record a couple of songs and she blew me away with her singing and the rest, as they say is history.
Tips, what made you want to join Soulmate?
I didn’t join Soulmate... I formed the band together with Rudy.Soulmate has a slight rock element in its music… Rudy: Soulmate was never a rock band. We formed Soulmate with the intention of singing and playing the blues, because at that time, Tips’ blues and my blues were very strong in the real sense of the word. We took it from there and here we are. Still going strong. For the young people reading this, blues is a feeling that each and every human being has one time or the other in their lives. The music, as we know it, originated in America during the time of slavery; the slaves were an oppressed people who were brought from Africa and sold to the white cotton farmers in America. They were treated inhumanely and the only way they could express their frustrations, sorrow, was by singing Gospel songs and the ‘blues’. (Smiles).
What is your debut album Shillong all about?
Rudy: As the title suggests, Shillong is a tribute of ours to our beautiful hometown. The album was recorded in 2004 but was never officially ‘released’. So some people have heard the album and a lot haven’t which is sad. The album was the No. 1 Indian Original Album in the Rock/Blues category. In June this year we released our second album Moving On which is a chronicle of our lives over the last 2-3 years. The album includes songs of love, anger, frustration and songs of happiness. It’s about life… our lives as we live every day, taking the ups and downs that come our way and ‘moving on’.
Which guitars do you use?
Rudy: Tips and I are endorsing the Greg Bennett (Samick) line of guitars. I play the Greg Bennett MB30 which is a copy of a Fender Strat. I used to play a Fender Squire Telecaster, then a Fender Tex-Mex Stratocaster and now Furtados in Mumbai have got Greg Bennett to make me a custom guitar.Tips: I play the Formula which is a Telecaster style guitar.
Your musical influences?
Rudy: In the beginning my Dad and Mum of course, then it was the Beatles, the Platters, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, and stuff that they would listen to. For the last 15-20 years, it’s been Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins, Albert King, Freddy King, B. B.King, Buddy Guy, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Lynnard Skynnard, etc. to name a few.Tips: Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, B. B.King, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin to name a few.
There are many bands in your area trying to make it big. What backing did you get from the North East to promote your band?
Rudy: Sure there is a lot of really good talent in Shillong and of course, the North East as a whole, but what we lack is the infrastructure in terms of venues to perform and sponsorship. For a band to get better, we need places to play besides our garages. I have been on the music scene for a long time and I have seen and been through the worst times and, now, the good times. If you talk about government backing, well, nothing really… at least in Shillong… we don’t even have a proper auditorium dedicated to the performing arts. This in a place that is called ‘The Rock Capital of India’. Where Soulmate is concerned, it has been a lot of hard work and belief in ourselves that has got us to where we are. A lot of critics and skeptics initially said that we would never get anywhere by playing the blues in India. I guess what they didn’t realize is that people in India also have the blues. And there are many Indians that also love this genre of music. Everybody thinks that blues is old sort of music. I totally disagree with that. Blues is not about dressing up and going up on stage. It’s about feeling the music.
You have a big fan following, steady gigs lined up and two albums. Comment.
Rudy: Yeah, we are happy with the way things are going. But I wouldn’t say there is a big market in India for the blues, but there is a market… if only the marketing would be taken up as seriously as is done in, say, a Bollywood production or a Hindi pop album. Think about this… there are billions of people in India… out of these billions… if 1-2 lakh people listen to the blues don’t you think some money can be made??? But that is not my business. I’m a musician. (Smiles)
What is the response you have received from youngsters?
Rudy: A lot of youngsters come for our shows and we get a positive response from them. I want them to know where modern music came from because most people don’t know anything about the blues. Any blues lover would love to have our music in his collection because of the sound on the album which is reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s blues movement. And not just any blues lover, a music lover in general would love it too.
Future plans…
Rudy: Our schedule is on our MySpace page. And yes, please support our music and pick up our album!Photo: Eustace Alexandra