Bman's Blues Report

SOULMATE Inspired by the roots and groove sounds of the Blues,Blues-rock,Soul,Rock ‘n Roll, Funk and R&B,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 Northeast as well as in different parts of India. They have also performed at the International Jazzmandu Festival in Kathmandu for three years...2004, 2005 and 2009. Anyone with an interest in the western music scene in India will recognize singer/songwriter Rudy Wallang, who leads this tight knit musical unit. Born into music, he grew up listening to his father Toto Wallang making music and he started singing and playing the ukulele at a very tender age eventually graduating to the guitar. Today, Rudy is one of the foremost singer / songwriter / blues guitar players in the country with a long musical history having been part of the well known blues rock acts, G...

Front man and harp player for the San Francisco Bay Area band Tip of the Top, Akarsha Aki Kumar is an ardent student of the blues and a master of the amplified Chicago blues sound. Kumar derives his style mainly from American harp masters Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter Horton and George Smith, among others. His own playing reflects elements of these players, blended in with a signature sound of his own. Gary Smith has been a huge influence on numerous harmonica players in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has largely influenced harmonica players Mark Hummel, David Barrett, Byrde Hale, Andy Just, and untold others. He currently has two CD's and a new instruction video just released by Mountain Top Video. Being in the San Jose and San Francisco Area in the sixties he was present when Paul Butterfield made his imprint on the harmonica world. David Barrett is the world's most published author of blues harmonica lesson material (over 60 book/CD sets and videos publ...