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Rootsandleisure_North east India musicians

A Song for Every Mood – Music and Musicians from North East India

Published by Roots & Leisure

  Over the weekend, we had a fun leisure chat with our readers, where we shared our current moods – in exchange for a song. By the end of the session, we had compiled a pretty good playlist of songs performed/written/composed by talented musicians from North East India. Scroll below to check out the list.  p.s: We have our weekly community chats on Instagram. Do visit for some fun. Also, remember to regularly check in on your friends – and ask how they are doing. “Very bad mood due to cramps” ~ @journalofhisdaughter Dedicating this song “Warrior’s Call” by Colored Keys Nagaland. Composed in two Naga dialects (Chakhesang and Angami) with a blend of tribal folk and contemporary western melody, this song is guaranteed to help you relax, and meditate. Breathe.    “Hopeful” ~ @ruchielal Play ‘Korou’ (meaning ‘Sunlight’ in Manipuri) by June Neelu Ft B.Maisnam from Manipur. A song about the beauty of nature… the sunrise, dews, birds, wind, and the mountains, this has been our go-to video for afternoon daydreaming and endless optimism. …

Rootsandleisure-Poets from North East India

World Poetry Day | Poets and Poetry from North East India

Published by Roots & Leisure

On World Poetry Day, we compile our list of local authors from North East India, who have penned their deepest, most personal thoughts through poetry. Showcasing the variety of writers from the region especially seems apt on an international day like this – a day, that is intended to promote linguistic diversity. Vancouver Shullai from Shillong – author of ‘How To Love A Broken Man’ “My poetry is, more often than not, a protest. There are poems that bring in a feel of the Romantics; they’re a lot like tea breaks from resentment. I hold every poem in equal regard because each of them comes from a place of extremely pure inspiration. To put it simply, I don’t force my poetry. If I feel it, I write it. If I don’t, I don’t.” ~ Vancouver Shullai Michelle Rungsung from Manipur – author of ‘Garden in a Graveyard’ “My readers are aware that most of my work revolves around my childhood memories and my home because it was where I began in the first place. I …

RootsandLeisure_photographer Ved-Assam

“I May End up Hating Photography If It Becomes My Bread & Butter; I Just Want to Click Photos and Make People Stop, Wonder, and Think.” – Photographer Ved from Assam

Published by Deno Dolie

I’d like to introduce Ved – a talented photographer and videographer friend of mine from Assam, whose work I’ve been following ever since I’ve met him (and worked with) at a university event in Jorhat back in 2019. A fellow traveler, he is always up for an adventure and a great conversationalist. For anyone meeting him for the first time, it is easy to spot his natural passion and love for his work – and life in general. With his go-getter attitude and an infectious positivity, I really enjoyed this chat with him.  Deno: Hi Ved, welcome to R&L! Please introduce yourself. Ved: I’m Ved, a photographer and videographer based in the quaint little town of Jorhat, Assam. I like to believe that photography runs in my blood because both my grandfathers were very talented photographers and I’ve grown up looking at framed black and white prints of their work. I started dabbling in photography from a young age but I developed the technical know-how much later. I got my first client when I was …

Rootsandleisure_Nongwarngam Chinir

“Some Poems are as Bright as the Glaring Sun, While Some are as Dark as Our Struggles” – Nongwarngam Chinir from Manipur Talks About his Newly Launched Book “Labyrinth”

Published by Arepla Jamir

“Some poems reflect dreams that are as ambitious as the glaring sun, some will depict the darkness we all struggle to keep at bay; may you find yourself in this Labyrinth” – Nongwarngam Chinir I had the pleasure to share a little warm conversation with this soulful writer Nongwarngam Chinir who recently published his debut book entitled “Labyrinth” – a collection of poems about stories from the eyes of strangers, of love, of courage, of finding the deeper meaning of life, about finding one’s way through this labyrinth called life.  Our young aspiring author introduces himself as an activist, a humanitarian, an old soul but above all just a normal guy who is trying to achieve his dreams in a world filled with chaos. Join me as I take a journey down memory lane with Nong of how this wonderful book was born.  Nongwarngam Chinir – Author of the newly launched book “Labyrinth” Arep: First, congratulations on getting your book published! Please introduce yourself to our readers. N. Chinir: My name is Nongwarngam Chinir, I …

RootsandLeisure_Photographer_Qhevika Swu

Into The World of Art Through the Artistic Lens of Photographer Qhevika Swu from Nagaland

Published by Aloli Achumi

“It’s so fascinating how Photography can take you to a whole new world of its own.The amount of new things I learn from every shot I take, is truly exciting.” We chat with Qhevika Swu – a photographer from Nagaland, who has a growing fan base of people enamored by his artistic depiction of people and things around him. His portfolio shoots are even more eloquent. He brilliantly mixes somber and contemporary style of shooting, which he is now translating into cinematography as well. We chat with 25-year-old Qhevika Swu – the super talented, and much-admired photographer + cinematographer from Nagaland, as he takes us along his creative process and his portfolio. Hello Qhevika, so nice to finally get to chat with you. Please tell us more about yourself. Hi! I’m Qhevika Swu, I recently turned 25. I am a photographer based in Kohima but I’m originally from Mishilimi, Pughoboto Tehsil of Zunheboto district in Nagaland. I am currently exploring the world of photography and cinematography. I am a full-time freelance photographer climbing the ladder. What …

Rootsandleisure_Illustrator Lanu_The midget

This Petite Illustrator from Nagaland is Cracking People Up With Her Local Humor | Meet Lanu Tsudir – Creator of ‘The Midget’

Published by Aloli Achumi

  In the world of memes and Instagram reels, we found our little solace in Lanu’s Instagram page  “the______midget”, a page we discovered when someone from twitter shared her work. Not very long after that, we caught hold of her on Instagram and got chatting away but most of all who know her already will agree with us that her work is a dose of happiness and will leave you reminiscing about the bygone days and very ‘current mood’ instances. So, here we are, join us and get to know Lanu better.  We hope you enjoy scrolling through her work as much as we did. Meet Lanu Tsüdir, 28-year-old doodle artist from Kohima, Nagaland. With a Masters’s degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi, and taking a break at home in Nagaland, she is making her presence known during this quarantine through her webcomic ‘The Midget’ filled with unique local humor. We had a chat with her to know more about this awesome artist! Doodle artist Lanu Tsüdir from Nagaland Hello Lanu, please …

Rootsandleisure_Covid_Artist donate

“The Covid Pandemic Brought a Lot of Helplessness Initially, But Very Soon We Shifted to How We Can Help” ~ Artist Kenei Solo from Nagaland

Published by Roots & Leisure

  As we weather the COVID pandemic with fear, caution, and sometimes frustration, this post is to highlight how young people are doing their bit to help. We had an artist from Nagaland – Kenei Solo, reach out to us to inform about an initiative she had started with a bunch of artist friends to raise funds, with the aim to help individuals affected by the lockdown – and the pandemic at large. About the campaign: A doner needs to commission a portrait art from any of the eight participating artists for Rs. 500 and up. The doner gets the portrait and every rupee raised will go to ‘Green Team Kohima‘ – another small team of young people working hard to provide free ration and help to local people affected by the lockdowns. Commission a portrait to donate: A bunch of young artists from Nagaland started a fundraising initiative to donate to charities to aid them in their #COVID19 outreach helping families & individuals in need. Here’s what each artist has to say about why …

Rootsandleisure_Tattooartist_raghav

“My Minimalist Way of Life Inspires My Tattoo Styles” Delhi-based Tattoo Artist Raghav

Published by Sukriti Dubey

Raghav Sethi, a renowned tattoo-artist from Delhi, took to the art form 8 years. In a place where there’s still very limited awareness and knowledge about tattoo art, he worked hard to break out of the mold and make it big in the industry. Currently one of the top tattoo artists in the capital city, he runs his studio The Tattoo Shop. We had a quick chat with him about his work and how to make it big in the tattoo industry. Head to the link in bio or below to give it a read! Hey Raghav, thank you for chatting with us! We’re thrilled to have you. To start off, please introduce yourself to our readers. Hey, I’m Raghav Sethi. I am a full-time tattoo artist and I run the Tattoo Shop in Delhi. I am 27. What initially sparked your interest in tattooing? I had always been into sketching and drawing. Tattoo branched out of my love for drawing. It was only a natural progression from paper to tattooing, as and when I …

R&L Readers Share Their Highlights of 2019 and Hopes For 2020!

Published by Sukriti Dubey

As the end of an arrives and the other begins, we tend to look back at our successes and failures, joys and sorrows. We set the agenda for the next one and reminisce the one gone by. For us at Roots & Leisure, 2019 has been an year of immense growth where we discovered a number of artists and interacted with people who inspire and create a positive community of changemakers. To wrap up the year, we spoke to some of our readers who share how their year turned out to be and what they expect for 2020. We hope you enjoy the end of the decade with some good stories, a warm cup of coffee, and a lot of love! Tap on the link in bio or below to read. Guse, Kohima (Currently in China)  The moment 2019 began I was like that’s it, I quit. All jokes aside, my life and lifestyle is constantly changing. From 2017 moving to a new country trying to settle in, 2018 trying to get more connected to …

rootsandleisure_diana

Meet Diana Sanasam, Self-Taught Sketch Artist From Imphal, Manipur

Published by Nara Longkumer

“Before I knew ABCD…XYZ, I was drawing apples and everything I could draw”, says Diana Sanasam. Hailing from Imphal, she spent her childhood trying to sketch the images she saw in children’s books and has never lost touch with it since then! Working as an assistant manager, she comes home to work on a few sketches to relieve her stress and that is how she keeps improving and gaining more love for sketching. We had a talk with Diana as she tells us what inspired her and how she honed her skill of sketching. Hi Diana. Please introduce yourself. Hello, I am Diana Sanasam from Imphal, Manipur. I am the eldest and only daughter of three siblings. I love travelling and sports. And sometimes I SKETCH. I did my engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Chennai and completed my post-graduation from Anna University, Chennai. Introduce us to your work. What got you started? I am self-taught and I mostly sketch portraits using graphite medium. But I am eager to explore other mediums and digital art …