Akangjungla
To claim that music is the most profitable form of art will be wrong, yet it is also true that music is the most presented and the most universal. Just like any creative form of art, music manifests the human voice, their dreams and thoughts which are manifested in the form of sound, melody and composition. The art of music will always remain relevant to the human kind. Some of the most popular songs of protest, resistance, and revolution in the world political history continue to remain relevant even in the current context. Music has also been a very significant element in the believe system. From singing indigenous folk songs to conventional hymnals to modern contemporary worship songs, churches in the Naga society have also seen its own share of transformation and growth, and it still continue to engage and experiment with music in the church.
Following the global trend, music in Nagaland also track on a cycle - from the participatory form to performance mode, from crowd concerts to studio recordings, from cover songs to original. Although the concept and performance of concert has existed since the 70s and 80s, the wide-scale commercialization of music is relatively new to the people of Nagaland, and it comes with its own dynamics. For the longest time, the choice of having music as a career was unknown to the Naga families. Only in the one decade or so, there is more openness and acceptance towards musicians and artist in general. There are more risk takers who are willing to take the route of a less comfortable way of making livelihood through one’s artistic ability. Again, it comes with multiple layers of opportunities and probabilities.
In the second week of February 2024, this newspaper run a poll question on ‘Is the Nagaland government’s music initiative encouraging growth and development of musicians and artists?’ In fairness, music industry in Nagaland has created and provided a fraction of employment since the early 20s. The State government’s involvement in the music industry has drawn the attention of the local public as well as the outside world. In appreciation of the growth in the music industry, one observes that ‘this is the only area where the government seems to be investing wholeheartedly.’ Citizens share the optimism that by harnessing the collective efforts of government support and community advocacy, there is potential for transformative change to empower all Naga musicians to thrive and share their gifts with the world. Making a point here, despite the investments and exposure, the dearth of Naga artist in the international market diverts the question to should Naga artist concentrate more on originality? While some are pondering on the choice between originality and reproduction of music, it is heartening to notice some imbalance in ways of the representation of Naga artists. It can be just a matter of choice for the organisers, on the other hand, the feeling of being seem and promoted can generate the spirit of belongingness no matter which district or area of Nagaland they might come from.
Music industry in Nagaland is thriving. Perhaps, the time is now for Naga artists, and likewise for the government to create a sense of urgency by encouraging the need to think more deeply about the possibilities of achieving transformative changes in the realm of music.
Comments can be sent to akangjungla@gmail.com
