Of late, rock and pop bands from the north eastern region have been creating a stir at national and international music festivals. Among them is David Angu & The Tribe, a stellar group of tribal musicians that has a pronounced commitment to popularise the indigenous dialects and folk tunes of Arunachal Pradesh.
“Nyishi, Miji, Adi, Galong, Wancho, Tagin, Mishui, Nocte, Aka, Tangsa and Khamti are some of the dialects around which our performances revolve,” Angu, after whom the tribal rock band is named, tells The Indian Tribal.
For the unversed, Nyishi is the dialect of the Nyishi tribe, which is among the largest tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. Miji, Adi, Galong, Wancho, Tagin, Nocte, Aka, Tangsa and Khamti are each spoken by tribes with the exact similar names. The nomenclature of Galong to Galo was changed in 2011 by the Parliament on longstanding demand of people of West Siang district and Mishui is spoken by the Mishmi tribe, which is actually a sub-tribe.
The tribal rock band is all about creating music by exchanging ideas among expert musicians hailing from different backgrounds. Hence, ‘fusion’ is a signature attribute of this band.
Angu, the seasoned guitarist, composer and singer rolled into one, says every creation or performance entails considerable experimentation. “This experimentation is in terms of unique, uncommon combinations of musical instruments, delivery styles etc.”
“Coming from a small town of Aalo, Arunachal Pradesh, I always wanted to work with my dialect and rock music. Meeting Takar Nabam, Teji Toko, Nisham Pul, Taba Sonny and others made this dream possible,” Angu, a Galong tribesman, shares. Guitarist Nabam and Drummer Toko are from the Nyishi tribe while Pul (Bass guitarist) and Sonny are Mishmi and Nyishi tribesmen respectively.
Talking about the inspirations that have translated into his musical creations, he says, “Well, I am a huge Glam/Rock metal fan and had an outfit called ‘Soul of Phoenix’ in my initial days as a musician. After acquiring a decent following for this outfit, I felt that I needed to contribute to the youth and society in the best possible way. Obviously, music was my chosen route. Ever since, I have been striving for an in-depth understanding of my cultural roots and my dialect and fuse it with the current and contemporary genre of music which the youth can relate to. I also feel that this is one way of retaining our traditions as music indelibly and invariably resonates a lot of folklore, myths and traditions.”
Elaborating on how his music is influenced by the folk music culture of the State, he points out, “Folk music in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in my Tani belt, although present, is not as dominant as in the rest of the northeast. However, I can credit my being influenced (to folk music culture) to my grandmother to whom I used to sing folk tunes such as ‘Dahliye Dahliye’. This was, in fact, an endearing way of mimicking her. Strangely, instead of getting upset, she used to be proud of me, For, according to her, at least, I was mimicking in my own dialect. Eventually, I realised the meaning behind this. Our folk music needs more active exploration and also needs to be presented to audiences outside the State.”
Angu lists out his public performances at the Northeast Festival, Bangkok, Ziro Festival of Music, Orange Festival of Adventure and Music, and Bascon as those that he particularly cherishes.
This tribal rock band is even trying its hands on some traditional musical instruments of Arunachal Pradesh. “My clan has some percussion instruments on which I am currently trying to research more and implement in my upcoming projects. For instance, in a previous project, I wanted to incorporate Dramyin, primarily used by the folks of Tawang (and around that western belt). However, due to inaccessibility (at that time) I managed a Duitara and played it to give a more folk like feel,” Angu outlines.
Sharing his views on the rich legacy of folk music in Arunachal Pradesh, he states, “Well, I must reiterate that ‘fusion is the mantra’ for popularizing folk music today as otherwise it is difficult to tap into a wide audience base. Having said this, I must say that bands like ‘Omak Komut Collective’ were probably the ones who spearheaded this idea of bringing fusion into folk music in our state.
“They have also been instrumental in pushing me to go ahead and work on this fusion. Folk music has always been an oral tradition. Each tribe has their own style and unique notions, which have been carried down the generations through dance, music and prayers. And through David Angu & The Tribe I am making a small contribution in terms of making these folk tunes accessible and generating an interest amongst the youth to explore these tunes in depth.”
