Santana’s Soulmates

Shillong-based blues-rock band, Soulmate, will open for Santana

A little before the pioneer of Latin music, rock and jazz fusion, Carlos Santana, picks up his iconic Paul Reed Smith Santana 3, to take centre stage at Galgotias University on October 28, the ones present will be treated to some luscious guitar riffs and the sound of Shillong-based blues-rock band, Soulmate. Members of the band with Rudy Wallang on lead guitar, Tipriti 'Tips' Kharbangar on vocals and rhythm guitar, Leon Wallang on bass, Shaun Nonghulu on drums and Raveen Panday on hammond are known for their blazing vocals and scorching guitar riffs, that recently had the audience asking for more at the Delhi edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender. "I had an inkling weeks before we were called in to open for the legend. It was just one of those things. We grew up listening to this man and it is an honour to open for him," says Rudy in a telephone conversation from Imphal.

He remembers the time when he first heard the opening notes of Black Magic Woman as a

10-year-old in his neighbour's house. "My excited father had said, 'listen to this guitar player'. The chord progression had me from the beginning," says Wallang, so much so that eleven years later he composed Moon Magic— a song with a rollicking blues riff — as a tribute to Santana. The track will be a part of the set list.

Soulmate's song list will also include the mellow Come around my house, as Kharbangar plans to swell it all up with a slew of tracks from her assorted songbook. The list also includes Lie, in which Kharbangar purrs and pouts and later hollers like a siren to create a beautiful impact. Her husky tone in the song has created quite some impact in the past. This will be followed by I am a woman and Love. The gig will also be peppered with Rudy's guitar solos.

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