Nagaland: A mixed musical legacy of roots and timely trends
Nagaland, the musically blessed region of Eastern India is home to some of the most intriguing musical heritage in the country. Music in Nagaland has been the ideal reach-out medium of its cultural identity across India and overseas. 16 major tribes punctuate its fantastic musicality ornamenting it with a unified bond weaving together a formidable connect between the locals and their vibrant musical leanings
The awe-inspiring presence of Indian music can be gauged from the fact that every occasion has a melody or lyric associated with it. Most of these musings are passed on by word over generations. They also quickly get absorbed into the mainstream contemporary music with suitable changes that come with aging.
Every mood and celebratory occasion have a proper distinctive Naga melody associated with it. With a strong leaning towards the vocal rather than the instrumental elements generations of Nagas have thrived on their folk music. Embedded with emotion these folk ditties cover love, sad and happy romantic moods, harvest songs, dishing out a wide palette. Motivational songs for war preparation in the earlier ages saw the genesis of chants and war cries that continue to comprise cultural events of Nagaland to this day. Naga music also breezes into a variety of areas that pay homage to war heroes, memorable ancestors, and seasons. Tragic love sagas also occupy heirloom significance in Naga music.
Splashed with an array of indigenous instruments, each with a well-defined identity, Naga folk instruments fill up the inherently lilting melody with their splendor. The Tati, a type of Naga violin and the Jews Harp or a mouth harp, unlike the traditional harp, triggers a drawling kind of effect to enhance folk performances. Asem (Gong) with its deep resonating tone is used in religious ceremonies. Played by striking against the palm the Tingtelia is a vivid feature on festive occasions. Crafted from bamboo it produces a crackling sound adding spice to dance routines. The eternal charm of these instruments also emanates from their making, usually by hand, and by material sourced from the region carving an original identity in sound and tone.
Most music of Nagaland has travelled through the oral tradition giving it a vibrant descriptive element, facilitating the lucid conveyance of the various aspects of everyday Naga traditions, customs and ceremonies.
The youth of Nagaland, keeping the underlying ancestral sound-thread intact, have added elements of Western music making for a wholly fresh music idiom. Rock, pop, hip hop influences have opened up new avenues of acceptance for Naga music across the planet. Abiogenesis, Tetseo Sisters, Alobo Naga And The Band, brandish the identity of the contemporary Naga musician. Abden Mech a popular independent musician marries indigenous sounds with current acoustic music blending in a whole new genre. Hip-hop player Big Dane and rapper Moko Kaza among a host of others make for a stunning display of musical talent native to Nagaland. Alobo Naga shows a mature approach, when he says that production is the clincher for a song to succeed with promotion and PR coming next in line.
Such is the growing allure of Naga music that two of India’s biggest music festivals Ziro Festival of Music and the Hornbill Festival are drawn up in Nagaland. It is also no surprise that digital platforms battle it out for maximum mileage in these popular musical arenas. Not to be left high and dry, recording studios and labels are thronging this jewel of the north-east clearly in appreciation of the growth opportunities.
The challenges a Naga musician faces at every level compared to a musician in bigger towns and centers are chronic. Despite the obvious surge in popularity Naga music continues to grapple against main-stream apathy that seldom offers musicians major performance platforms. It is a truth of the times that many artists and bands from the region have to miss out on their deserved talent fees to avail a platform that may in turn offer them the much-needed exposure.
An encouraging occurrence is the patronage offered by the Nagaland government. The Task Force For Music and Arts is forging the glue that propels Naga musicians to take up music as a profession rather than stacking it as a marginal hobby. The Hornbill National Rock Contest, an initiative by the government as a part of the Hornbill Music Festival also is a notable government propeller for music promotion.
Strong corporate backing, would be a surefire way to ensure that this surge in music popularity would pull it away from its prevalent embryonic stage offering it the stratospheric heights it richly deserves.
-Vibhav Rao