Q . What are your early musical influences and what part do they play in your music today?
Ans: Our parents were our main inspiration right from the start. Growing up, we listened to everything in between Bollywood and Elvis Presley to ABBA to Queen. We still listen to quite a variety of genres and draw inspiration from the different aspects of these artists, their presentation and all.
These days, there is also a huge pressure to entertain your audiences – thankfully for us, our traditional songs and dances are naturally very entertaining without us having to add more.
Q .Can you tell us about the unique Li music of the Chakesang tribe you perform? What are its distinguishing features?
Ans: Li is the Chokri Naga word for folk songs or the songs of the people, passed on from generation to generation orally and are a unique way to show us a glimpse of the old world. They are like time capsules of our ancestors and it is our duty to add our part and pass it on.
Li can be solos, duets, trios, quartets and also songs that can be sung by the whole village or community. It is fair to say Chakhesangs and Nagas in general live with music in the background and foreground all the time. It is a way of life.
Chokri Li is distinctively melodious and has quite a range – from peppy happy songs to harmonic ones to poignant and solemn ones that can transport you to a different realm. There is a song for every occasion and for every emotion and for all daily activity. Li also allows and encourage the singers to write and add their own lyrics to each song.
Q .Share with us your journey of bringing music from remote corners of the country to the mainstream?
Ans: We started young and early in the 90s while we were school kids and it was just a passion project back then. With time and opportunities, we grew into a professional band and started getting invited to festivals within the country and even abroad. Now, looking at the opportunities we are getting over the years, considering that we are a very niche and one of a kind group, it has become a mission of sorts to continue taking our music to the front and share it with as many as possible.
Q .What is your creative process in the making of a song?
Ans: It is different for every song. Most times though, it starts with a theme or thought and then we write around it and then voila, it just happens. Else, we work with a melody or a hook, and expand on it.
Some songs simply come together with little effort and some take more effort and lots of time.
Q .You perform in various dialects Angami, Lota, Chokri. Are your lyrics and tunes traditional or freshly written every time?
Ans: We work with both original contemporary songs and also traditional ones. Our Li allows us to be very creative and also mix and match, so we perform both traditional tunes with our lyrics or original tunes with our lyrics which may or may not be based on a traditional hook, tune or theme.
We do try and write fresh lyrics as often as we can for every new occasion. Many of the songs we perform on stage are yet to be recorded and released in our albums.
Q .Take us through the making of your album Naga folk songs?
Ans: To begin with we identified the theme for the body of work. Then we shortlisted the melody and traditional folk songs that we wanted to base our songs on. Then writing our lyrics started after considering the themes and lyrics of the choruses and stories embedded in the chosen traditional songs. The composition and recording of the original tunes and lyrics written by us and under the guiding light of our parents who are our gurus followed.
For our released works, we first chose a theme, then decided on the songs we wanted on the specific album and then recorded the vocals. But we had actually started recording a big chunk of our traditional material long before as we had determined to document these songs and save them for posterity. Now, they work as a reference and guiding point for our future and ongoing body of work.
For our original contemporary music, the process is slightly more flexible and simpler.
Q .How have the audiences reacted to your music? How do you tailor your performances for different audiences?
Ans: We are grateful to God for the gift of music and also grateful that our music has always been well received wherever we have performed right from the start. We have had the most responsive and warmest audiences all over and they have always burst into happy singalong and dancing sessions celebrating the Naga spirit.
We design our performances depending on the audiences. Some of the factors are the setting, location or city and age and type of expected audience – however, all our performances, sound and music are family friendly and enjoyed by people of all ages.
Q .We are in a digital era today. You were one of the discoveries by YouTube. What role did the digital platforms play in the discoverability of your music and help to reach out to audiences beyond your region?
Ans: Digital platforms have made it easier for us and our music to be seen and heard and also to connect with and be reached by people- especially for event bookings and most importantly – grow our fan base and reach more audiences. Honestly, our music is more popular beyond our region and we are sought after more outside home grounds.
Q .What is the scope of collaboration with your music and what are your plans of collaborating with artists from other regions and countries?
Ans: We have been blessed to already collaborate with some wonderful artistes from our region and also outside NE India. The dream is to do some international collaborations and also more with other artists in varied genres across the country. The possibilities are endless and we are open to all opportunities.
Q .How do you see your music evolving in the coming times in terms of its basic thought process?
Ans: Our music, costumes and performances have been evolving since the time we started performing however we know that we will always be rooted and anchored in our traditional vibes and origins. We more or less started the trend of folk fusion music and tribal based fashion in our region so the story will continue.
Q .Share with us few challenges you might have faced in your journey as creators who are remotely located and performing music from a niche genre?
Ans: Thanks to digital platforms, where we create content is not a problem but when we have to be at a live event, logistical issues for travel and financial/budget constraints of organisers are the main challenges affecting us. Travel time is a bit high for us always to get to any venue.
Once in a while, we compromise on the financial returns so as to make the most of our presence at a platform and then there are the happy events where all fall into place – thankfully more often than not.
However, so far, we have come this far by choosing our battles with care and by God’s grace, chasing our dreams comfortably.
Q . What support you look forward to from the industry and government bodies?
Ans: Every artist wants to be acknowledged or recognized and supported by an ecosystem that allows creative growth and respect for their art. We look forward to more opportunities and platforms where artists across genres are treated with respect and with returns commensurate to their efforts in order to encourage artists and allow us all to focus on our creative pursuits without suffering the lack of basic needs. We also hope for more government effort to preserve and promote folklore and folk music of the country especially tribal art and music.
Q . Any closing message from your end.
Ans: We believe that there is an audience for all genres and types of music so it is important that the music reaches all audiences. We are grateful to all who have believed in what we do and given us opportunities to share our music and stories on their platforms. May music unite us all and foster a sense of warmth and wellbeing always because our music is meant to uplift and make the world better.