In the gathering dusk, Shillong’s sky is a pale shade of purple. A drizzle that turns into bountiful rain ushers in a night that comes alive with a vibrant rhythm. Nothing is visible, save the illumination from shopfronts and the occasional flash of red and blue lights across the roundabout where pop band Colours offers a spirited accompaniment to a bustling street food market at Police Bazar.

If there were no stars in the sky, it was because they had chosen to descend upon a nearby Evening Club to form a unique constellation — Bluesmen of Meghalaya (BoM). Wielding a friendly axe with six strings embedded, the musicians lit up the cosy confines of the storied music pub of 1958 to celebrate World Music Day 2026.

Presented by Mawjam Event Network and The Lou Majaw Foundation, the night featured seven bands paying tribute to Shillong, the rock capital of India. After an hour-long set by each, the finale, in true BoM tradition, became an epic jam. The understudies joined their idols for an all-star presentation, joyfully commemorating a bond that has been cemented over decades with unique tenets of the blues as the backbone of modern popular music.

Some of the earliest members of Great Society, Lou’s seminal band and pathfinder to Shillong’s musical journey since the early 1970s, were there — Arjun ‘AJ’ Sen, Rudy Wallang, who hopped on board as a teenager, and later entrants such as Starly Chullai and Shepherd Star Najiar. Alongside them were younger stars: Gregory Ford Nongrum, Lalchhandama ‘LB King’ Bawitlung, Tony Balsam and others. Together, they represented music’s eternal message, willingly embraced by its practitioners, continuity and change.

For Lou, the Jedi master of Meghalaya music, a simple thought pushed him to dedicate this annual ritual to the Blues. “It’s about being together as one, even if for one evening”. In doing so, he has been able to put the spotlight on a motley set of musicians from Meghalaya and host a reunion for the seniors. “It’s good to be back in Shillong for the music, which I must add, has grown in leaps and bounds,” says AJ. 

Gregory opened the proceedings with the soul-infused ‘See You Again’, the vibe of his clean-guitar tone mirroring the emotion. Young Tony Balsam melted hearts with his slide on a Garo song, a slow burner about childhood memories, while L.B. King was explosive, exuding serious George Thorogood vibes with the high-octane ‘Who Killed John Henry’.

Shepherd played a double-neck, a combination of a six-string guitar and Meghalaya’s traditional four-string duitara; the concept was nurtured and gifted by Lou. Sporting a cool hat, Starly Chullai serenaded the blues with the aura of a meditation guru. 

Ratcheting up proceedings thereafter were performances by ‘Mr Blues’ Rudy Wallang and AJ, followed by the appearance of Lou himself. Teaming up with sons, Leon and Vincent Tariang, Rudy presented the infectious ‘Too Tall to Mambo’ with controlled effervescence. AJ’s sublime guitar on ‘Blues for Durga’ was enjoyable, while Lou brought the house down with ‘Hey Bartender’. 

They say every end could be the start of a new beginning. So has it been with every edition of Bluesmen of Meghalaya. Thanks to Great Society and the crucible of talent it has nurtured through its chequered existence, there is this wellspring of musicianship that’s quite unique to the state. One sensed it while watching drummers Vincent, Daryll Diengdoh or Sunny Manbha. They owned the ‘pocket’ and stayed ‘locked in’ with emotion and precision. Bassists such as Leon, Sydney Sangma and Mewanki Rangad rode the groove with similar dedication. Yet, each of them found their way of executing nuanced interjections whenever the song demanded.

Has the Blues finally found a home in Meghalaya? AJ believes it did, back in 1969 with Lou’s song, ‘I had a woman’. “Blues is not a set of (guitar) phrases by a John Mayer or a Bonamassa. It is your story to tell,” he states. Today, five years since they got going, the Bluesmen of Meghalaya are trying to do just that.