Music for every season

The Northeast is mostly known to the rest of India for its violence, insurgency — or freedom movements as some call them — and regular cries of neglect and marginalisation.

However, the lens through which this region and its people are being viewed seem to be changing.

An aspect of the Northeast, that in its distinctive way embodies the intrinsic talent and spirit of the people in these secluded hills, is its music, which is now slowly emerging on the national stage.

This should come as no surprise, really, because the region has always been a hub for music, especially music influenced by the west. Musical talent proliferates here and even a small get-together of friends is usually embellished by late night music-jamming sessions. The range of the repertoire is vast, and essentially depends on the musical inclinations of the individual singer or musician. Everyone has his or her own chosen brand of music — “this is the music we grew up listening to” is a common expression one hears at musical soirees. It’s as if each person imagines himself or herself as a sort of time capsule that captures the flavour and culture of his/her particular era.

Television talent hunt shows have also done their bit by providing national platforms to upcoming artistes — a trend that has really caught the imagination of local people. To some extent, this phenomenon has actually helped bridge the gap between mainstream India and the Northeast. It was in 2007 when, for the first time, two artistes from the Northeast — Amit Paul from Shillong and Prashant Tamang from Darjeeling — took centre stage in a mainstream Indian show, Indian Idol Season 3. Tamang went on to win the title, which created a huge sensation in Darjeeling and among Nepali speakers worldwide. Voting through SMS was the key to Tamang’s success, with people from within and outside Darjeeling rooting for their local artiste.

Darjeeling resident and an ardent Tamang fan, Binita Rai recalls that moment — “All of us were very happy when one of us — Tamang — received national recognition. We voted because it wasn’t just a question of winning, it was about our identity and making it known to the rest of India. He represented us.”

Was it mere coincidence that the mass public movement during Tamang’s Indian Idol campaign led to a major political change in Darjeeling? Subhash Ghisingh, who had led the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council for almost two decades, was overthrown and a new party that placed the demand for Gorkhaland at the centre of their political agenda came to power. Bimal Gurung, an erstwhile councillor who had supported Tamang, emerged as the new leader to lead the Gorkhaland movement in the Darjeeling hills.

When it comes to rock music, Shillong is the capital — and not just of the Northeast, but of the entire country. The role played by the Shillong Chamber Choir in achieving this cannot be underestimated. Although the group came to the international limelight after bagging three gold medals at the World Choir Games 2010 in China, it had caught national attention after winning India’s Got Talent Khoj 2 that same year.

Says William R Basaiawmoit, a member of the choir, “I think our music has been able to bridge the gap between the Northeast and the rest of India, especially when we sang renditions of Bollywood songs for India’s Got Talent. Initially, we were uncomfortable singing Bollywood songs but we made those songs our own and connected with the masses. Now Bollywood songs are also catching up in the Northeast. The most important thing is to stay true to one’s identity.”

It was a mark of the national adulation that came its way that the Shillong Chamber Choir was asked to perform for US President Barack Obama when he visited India in 2010. Now, the choir is a part of major film, television and theatre productions and performances with prominent artistes-cum-composers like Shankar Mahadevan, Eshaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa.

Of course, not everything about the music scene is rosy. There are also struggles and busted dreams, of disappointments and despair. Many of the musicians never make it beyond singing cover songs or playing at local pubs. Darjeeling Dreams, one of the documentary films showcased at Montage 2011 by students of St Joseph’s College, captures stories of such artistes who have forsaken their dreams and taken a different path.

Says Dipang Lama, a song writer, who runs a creativity centre, Petrichor, in Darjeeling, “Everybody is tapping into their inner souls and expressing themselves. In other societies music and arts have flourished during times of crisis, but in Darjeeling we seem to flourish in peace and prosperity. After the Gorkhaland agitation, arts and culture have taken a nosedive. However, the online revolution is happening; YouTube and MySpace are providing platforms for artistes to still express themselves and showcase their musical talent.”

Many are just thankful that they can enjoy the “gift of music”. Remarks Gopal Mothey, member of the band, Laid Back, which has just recorded an original album, “One thing is for certain and that is we got together to do music, keeping it to its simplest form. Our tunes are inspired from feelings that pass through us like a breeze. We thank god for the gift of music in our lives.”