Shillong
It does not take much of a while interacting with Hammarsing Kharhmar to know his deep love for all things indigenous, particularly, Khasi.
The upcoming musician from Meghalaya owns a five-member band called the Da Minot Band. And he is its lead singer. Nothing unique, you would say. But that is till you find out that his band’s uniqueness lies in the fact that its music is strongly inspired and influenced by the Khasi philosophy, which has an intrinsic connection with Mother Nature.
“Our music is based on the timeless beats and sounds (like the gushing sound of winds and waterfalls) of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and our lyrics are derived from the spiritual wisdom of these ancient and pristine hills. Now the religious dances of the Khasi like the Shad Suk Mynsiem (Dance of the Peaceful Hearts) resonate these eternal sounds and our music is very strongly influenced by the beats of these dances,” Kharhmar tells The Indian Tribal.
“We follow the rhythms and expressions of the religious dances (in our movements and facial expressions) and adapt modern instruments to their essence. It is never the other way around,” he states with some pride.
Kharhmar’s band members play the conventional instruments like drum-set, guitar and flute and are also adept at synchronization equipments. “Although I am the lead singer, the others too sometime lend their voices to certain musical creations,” says Kharhmar smilingly.
He elaborates on the folk and indigenous music of Meghalaya and its intrinsic connection with his work. “The spiritual and philosophical ethos of the Khasis is embedded in the eternal ways and cycles of Mother Nature. The sounds of the rivers, springs and waterfalls, falling rain, rumble of thunderstorms and the chirping of birds and noises of insects have inspired our forefathers to replicate and reproduce them in the form of cheerful and melancholic tunes,” Kharhmar points out.
“It cannot be ascertained where exactly Khasi Music originated, however, it is believed that it is as old as the Khasi race itself and has been passed down from one generation to the next orally. We Khasis have a variety of musical instruments which include Ka Bom, Ka Ksing Shynrang, Ka Ksing Kynthei, Ka Padiah, Ka Dymphong, Ka Singphong, Ka Duitara, Ka Maryngod, Ka Marynthing, Ka Saitar, Ka Besli, Ka Tanglod, Ka Mieng and Ka Tangmuri,” he states.
Vocal music, he avers, in the form of phawar or chants, folk songs and ballads also forms an integral part of the Khasi society. “One interesting feature of the Khasi vocal music is that it includes not only those with lyrical content but also those without the lyrical content (sung only by humming the tune),” reveals Kharhmar.
“The role of my band is to present the age-old beautiful stories and sounds (pertaining to Khasi folklore) in the form of contemporary songs, while retaining the original essence. We want to grow the indigenous music, inspired by Nature, as responsibly as we can so that the future generations can take it to greater heights of perfection,” he says about the band’s mission and vision.
