(BENGALURU, INDIA) –
When Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar from Soulmate, go on stage to perform
their crowd-favourite, “If You Were My Guitar,” the craziness in the audience
is a sight to behold. To weave the same magic, OkCupid, an online dating
service, is bringing the band to perform at the newly launched Hard Rock cafe
in Whitefield.
Wallang and Kharbangar
started the band in October 2003 in Shillong to play Blues and promote the
genre, which they still consider as a niche one. Though they are core members
of the band, the duo often teams up with other musicians for drums, bass, organ
and other backup instruments. “There are quite a few Blues bands/musicians
playing at clubs and pubs in India, which is pretty good,” says Wallang who
considers B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Etta James, Koko Taylor as
his idols.
Amid protests across the
country, the band has been performing and spreading the message of peace. “It
takes people away from the dreariness and dirt of politics. Music keeps them
sane for a while,” she says. Kharbangar agrees, “CAA is a dirty word. It
insults us as Indian citizens and tries to destroy the Constitution of our
great country.”
The band has a huge fan base in Bengaluru, but why did they stop performing here? “I’m sure you know exactly what has happened in Bengaluru. We love playing here, but looks like the administration doesn’t want live music venues around… Read more at New Indian Express