North East festival at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- 26th February, 2011 -

Organized by Centre For North East Studies

Concept Note::

These Hills Called Home

Across evergreen rain forests, Himalayan heights, the untamed Brahmaputra, green valleys and majestic hills, the music of the people of North-East India transcends ages, communities and borders. It is an enchanting melody which lulls the unsuspecting listener and leaves us with an emotion that is pain and longing together.

The origin of all genres of music is in folk and it is not any different for music of the people of the North East.

Some of the tunes have in fact found their way into popular music. The most prominent example is the Bhatiali form or the boatman's music that Sachin Dev Barman wove into some of the biggest musical hits of Hindi cinema. Mahout or elephant keepers' music made Promtima Barua Pandey a folk legend. In recent years singers like Rewben Mashangva have experimented with local instruments. Bhupen Hazarika's 'peoples' song' - timeless tunes and lyrics - is already acknowledged as one of the favourite genres of music called Bhupendra Sangeet. Manipur is a curious fusion of traditional music and hard rock. Nothing, not even the most turbulent of times have slowed down the beat on the Pung or the sensuous movement of the dances.

The simplest accompaniment of songs is the most primal clapping of hands and stamping of feet -- the human body’s most natural reaction to music: dancing. Almost all of the original folk music of the North-Eastern tribes are music made for dancing, whether in a circle or an individual expressing one's relation to its macrocosm, nature. Songs and dances are common rituals in ceremonies of birth, marriage and other festivities. A good example of the fusion of dance and folk music is ‘Bihu’ dance of Assam or the Manipuri 'Thabal Chongba" celebrating the eternity of love and youth.

Though there is an influence of music from South-east Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand and China in the far-lying corners, such as Arunachal and Sikkim, but also the generic Indian musical heritage brought by communities like the Vaishnavites, followers of spiritual figures like Srimanta Sanakardeva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Manohar Sai. As the Christian missionaries arrived, Gospel music and Choirs helped generations of young people to learn Western music. Today there is an attempt to fuse that into the local lore and language, resulting in an altogether new genre of music.

All genres of western music had seeped into the collective thought process from Rock 'n' Roll to the Blues. It is in the North East where Nagaland became the first state in the country to declare music as an industry. We will sing 'our' music and stop aping the West. In Shillong a few young men and women determined to change the way music was being made took to the road with a movement called Roots, a travelling musical celebration, providing space to unknown artists in even remote places in the northeast.

Music has bonded estranged communities, have ushered in hope and provided the self belief that 'our voice will be heard’ over the sounds and cries of violence, division and protest. The North-East is singing and its songs will be heard. For every story begins with a dance and a song.