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Shillong blues, an Assamese voice heard across Hindi cinema, Naga folk harmonies, an Arunachal songwriter and Sikkim's hard-rock flag-bearers.
Northeast India gives the rest of the country more than its share of great musicians. Shillong is famous for blues and rock. Nagaland has folk harmony traditions. Assam, Arunachal and Sikkim have produced voices you'll know even if you don't know where they're from.
These five cover blues, folk, pop and hard rock. Each entry has three tracks to start with.
Going deeper? Read Northeast India Bands and Artists, the Shillong Music Scene and our Hornbill Festival 2026 music guide.
Soulmate became Shillong's best-known blues band, built around singer Tipriti Kharbangar and guitarist Rudy Wallang. Their album Shillong, with "Shillong (Seir Lapalang)" and "The Blues is My Soulmate", is a calling card for the city's scene.
They followed it with Ten Stories Up, which includes "Keep The Blues Alive".
Start with "The Blues is My Soulmate". Then play "Shillong (Seir Lapalang)".
Papon (Angaraag Mahanta) is an Assamese singer whose voice has crossed from the Northeast folk-fusion scene into Hindi film music. "Jiyein Kyun" (Dum Maaro Dum, 2011) and "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" (Dum Laga Ke Haisha, 2015) are two of his best-known songs.
He has more than 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Start with "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage". Then play "Jiyein Kyun".
Essential tracks
The Tetseo Sisters are four siblings from Nagaland who sing li, the folk songs of the Chokri Naga. Their tight harmonies and traditional attire have made them ambassadors for Naga culture.
A Slice of Li (2019) collects songs like "The Tati Song" and "Hiyo". "We are Warriors (Sofuneko)" came out in 2022.
Start with "The Tati Song". Then play "Hiyo".
Essential tracks
Taba Chake is a singer-songwriter from Arunachal Pradesh who writes gentle acoustic songs in Hindi, English and Nyishi. His 2019 album Bombay Dreams includes "Aao Chalein", "Shaayad" and "No Doma Lo".
He has kept releasing singles since: "Udd Chala" (2023), "Kahani" (2024) and "Khud Ko Miloon" (2025).
Start with "Aao Chalein". Then play "Khud Ko Miloon".
Essential tracks
Girish and the Chronicles are a hard rock band from Sikkim, fronted by Girish Pradhan, known for big riffs and a powerhouse voice in the classic-rock tradition.
Rock the Highway (2020) and Back on Earth (2023) are their key records, with tracks like "Ride to Hell" and "Loaded". In 2025 they released a rock cover of "Set Fire To The Rain".
Start with "Rock the Highway". Then play "Ride to Hell".
Essential tracks
