State Visit: When the Queen of Blues drops by The Revolver Club

On May 29th, Tipriti Kharbhangar aka Lil Mama Tips walked onto the stage at Bora Bora, Bandra with the ease and command of an artist who has spent decades mastering exactly how to hold a room.

The singer performed alongside her band, with Freddy and Stevin Listerfield on guitars and Kevin Taylor on drums, moving through a set that balanced blues, soul and Khasi folk influences with remarkable fluidity. Songs like “Don’t Put Your Hands On Me” and “I Am a Woman” carried both defiance and warmth, while Shad Pynnang Pynnang brought audiences back to the roots she has always carried into her music.

What stood out through the night was not just the performance, but the audience’s complete surrender to it.

At one point during the set, Lil Mama Tips noticed an IPL match playing silently on a television behind the stage and asked for it to be switched off. Before the venue staff could even react, the crowd had already begun chanting in unison, “Switch it off! Switch it off!” In a city where cricket usually dominates every screen in sight, Tipriti captivated the audience with her commanding voice.

The following morning, Lil Mama Tips dropped by The Revolver Club in Mahim, where conversations around blues, touring and independent music stretched long after the night itself had ended.

Over the years, Tipriti Kharbangar has become one of the most defining voices in Blues music, performing across India and international stages, including the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, where she reached the semi-finals twice. In 2009, she was awarded Best Female Vocalist at the Jack Daniel’s Rock Awards, cementing her place among the country’s most respected live performers.

Years into her journey, Lil Mama Tips still performs with the same heart that first made audiences fall in love with her voice.