All posts filed under: NORTHEAST ARTISTS

Meet the most talented artists from the NorthEast of India

RootsandLeisure_Tokaholi Chishi

The Serious & Soulful Singer/Songwriter from Nagaland – Tokaholi Chishi

Published by Nara Longkumer

Gifted with a flair to write verses and compose melodies, Tokaholi Chishi, is a musician with perfervid passion whose narratives resonate a perfect  balance of singing and story-telling.  We had a chat with Tokaholi to talk about her love for music, her life, and her roots. Hello! Could you tell us briefly about yourself? My name is Tokaholi Chishi and I live in Dimapur. I write songs and I play the acoustic guitar (albeit not very skilfully) , I try to voice out my passion in undulating tunes, just like life- some times high, some times low! What is your process when it comes to composing songs and what kind of genre do you prefer? I like to write, whether it is poetry or a story. I  add melody and soul as mediums to communicate and connect with the listeners. Music serves as a great tool to tell stories, that’s my primary goal and when it comes to a genre there is no fixed style. (independent music would hopefully fit the bill).   When did …

rootsandeisure-Barun Bordoloi

21 Year Old Photographer cum Graphic Artist Likes Mixing Real and Fictional Worlds into His Art | Meet Barun Bordoloi from Assam

Published by Vilina

Thomas Merton rightly said,  “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” With this, Barun Bordoloi from Assam who describes himself as an introvert and an awkward 21-year-old found comfort in a world where the art of photography and graphic designing enabled him to re-create, re-imagine, and repaint a world of his own. We chat with this young creative talent – Barun Bordoloi, a self-taught photographer and a colorful graphic designer with dreams that are larger than life – just like his colorful works of art. Hi Barun, tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi, I’m Barun Bordoloi from Guwahati, Assam. I am 21 years old and currently an undergrad student (B. com) I love to invest my time in learning and perfecting my photography skills, and also graphic designing.  What do you do full-time? and tell us more about your hobby. I am a full-time student and also a freelance graphic designer for Karate Association of India. I love to CREATE. I love playing with pictures and creating a different …

rootsandleisure_mj jamir

A Chat With Moajungla Jamir From Nagaland – The Girl Whose Cover Song for “Coat of Many Colors” Went Viral

Published by Kumti

Heinrich Heine rightly quoted, “Where words leave off, music begins.” Imagine a life without music! Thanks to those people, who time and again delivers us with good music to balance out our life in this mad frenzy world. Speaking of which, Nagaland has its own set of budding raw talents that keeps surprising us every now and then. Today we have a special guest, a naturally talented musician, and a humble soul – Moajungla Jamir from Nagaland, who took the internet by storm two years ago, when a video of her singing “Coat of many colors” by Dolly Parton went viral. We sat down with her to find out what she’s been up to, her musical journey so far and what she hopes people take away from her music. It’s a beautiful one… read on to find out. Hi Moajung, tell us something about yourself and what you’ve been up to. My name is Moajungla Jamir and I am 22 years old from Dimapur. I am the youngest in the family, living with my mother alone …

rootsandleisure_trance effect

Indie Rock Band From Nagaland “Trance Effect” Wants to Make Music That Heals Depressed Souls.

Published by Vilina

“Its alright, no more pretending.  Just ride without no worries  Its alright, don’t hide  . .” Just free yourself and let it dance ” goes the lyrics of the latest single ‘Stop Pretending’  by TRANCE EFFECT. This Indie rock band from Nagaland wants to use their music to talk about mental health issues and by doing so, aims to help people overcome their dark phase by creating beautiful music that heals. TRANCE EFFECT can be a safe haven for anyone who believes in the healing power of music. We sat down with the members of Trance Effect to know more about the team members, their music and some more Hi! Please introduce yourselves We are Trance Effect, a newly formed Indie band based out of Dimapur. We are a new band, formed in 2017. On vocals, we have our dynamic and compelling performer Iuli Yeptho, an energetic performer with her powerful vocals. Temsujungba on guitars, the bigger than life character and an outstanding showman. Sosang on drums, a quiet but an expressive player who never fails to …

rootsandleisure_Abdon mech1

Singer Songwriter Abdon Mech from Nagaland Talk About Growing up in a Family of Musicians

Published by Vilina

Abdon Mech was born into a family of four, where every other member is a musician including his father, mother, and sister. This talented 21-year-old singer-songwriter, despite stepping into the music industry just a year ago, has quickly emerged as a remarkable artist, captivating audiences with his soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics. His musical prowess spans across genres, effortlessly traversing the realms of slow 70’s jazz and seamlessly blending into the infectious rhythms of peppy pop beats. With his undeniable talent and undeniable star quality, he has already on his way to stardom! We sat down to get personal with this young local talent from Nagaland to talk about his roots, musical inspirations, and more. R&L: Hello Abdon, please introduce yourself Abdon: I am Abdon Mech from Thahekhu Village, Dimapur in Nagaland. I am 21 years old and an aspiring singer/songwriter. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in English and will be pursuing my Master’s in the same soon. R&L: Introduce us to your work. What got you started? Abdon: Music started very very late for …

RootsandLeisure_Vikhietuonuo-Rutsa1

Meet Vikhietuonuo Rutsa – Soulful Pianist and Music Teacher from Nagaland

Published by Tiarenla

“Music is the key to your soul” As cliché as it may sound, it is always going to be true! Music can trigger feelings and memories, and most importantly, can connect you to the self, the creator or even a stranger thousands of miles away from you. Today we have a sweet soul, who is a pianist, music teacher and youth leader. Vikhietuonuo Rutsa from Nagaland radiates peace and calm, and that you can feel very strongly in her music. We had a quick chat with the musical genius Vikhietuonuo Rutsa, to talk about what keeps her focused and optimistic, taking risks, and how to prepare for stage performances, as a beginner. Tell us something about yourself, and when did you start playing? Hi , my name is Vikhietuonuo Rutsa but my friends call me Vikhie or Vi. I’m 26 years old from Kohima – a Sociologist, a Musician, Youth Chairman and a Worship Leader at Baptist Mission Church, Kohima. “I started my first piano lesson when I was 10 from Miss Mhalevonuo Zhale. Later on only …

Rootsandleisure_Onen

Turning The Mundane Into Something Insane and Outrageous | Meet Self-Taught Digital Artist Onen

Published by Ovung Jungio

Today’s artist is a digital artist-cum-engineer who goes by the name of “Mr.Brightside” whose weird, twisted yet profound sketches is a reflective exploration of the human state – physical and mental. His art stands out from the multitude of other artists due to its accented uniqueness and inventiveness which enthralls and unnerves all at the same time. Onen’s works are multi-faceted and open ended to the point of debate. It embodies a sense of existential vagueness that instinctively entices the feral remnants of our collective primate heritage. Our contributor Jungio chats with the self- taught digital artist about his transition from drawing cartoon characters as a kid – to diving into the dark and surreal inspired by Japanese art and culture, current art scene in Nagaland and more. Tell me a little about yourself? My name is Bendangonen Atsongchanger but I go by the name of Mr. Brightside :D.  I am 25 years of age from Mokokchung, Nagaland and currently pursuing my Bachelor’s in Computer engineering from Pune. How would you describe your art? What or …

RootsandLeisure_Nemngai Mosang

This Self-Taught Dancer from Arunachal is Melting Our Hearts with Her Dance Moves | Meet Nemngai Mosang

Published by Kumti

Meet 22-year-old Nemngai Mosang from Arunachal, who is a passionate dancer, plays the guitar and enjoys listening to K-pop. Don’t brush her off as just another dancer on Instagram – yet. The fact that is self-taught, working hard on her dreams – every day, manages to inspire us with her dance moves and fun-loving attitude, and brings together multiple cultures – the Northeastern and Korean cultures through her love for Korean music and dance moves is admirable. Also, she is a talent powerhouse (she plays the guitar too!) with tons of positivity! So let’s get to know her a little bit more 🙂 This 22-year-old enthusiastic powerhouse of talent chats with R&L to talk about her dancing journey, her creative mantra and more. Hi, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? I am Nemngai Mosang, 22-year-old self-taught dancer from Arunachal Pradesh. For me, dancing is everything; I just can’t express how much I love dancing! Dancing allows me to be completely myself and makes me happy. Apart from dancing, I also like to play the …

Rootsandleisure_Jaremdi

This Talented Pianist Wants to Enlighten Us on Naga Folk Music and Ethnomusicology | Meet Jaremdi from Nagaland

Published by Tiarenla

Music is food for the soul, so they say – and the Nagas are no doubt among the lucky ones who are blessed and with an innate and exceptional talent in this field. There’s a musician in almost every household in this part of the country but talent alone does not guarantee success; it needs to be backed sufficiently with persistence and a strong entrepreneurial drive to create a successful music career. Today we chat with one such lady who has all qualities that can potentially carve an enthralling musical career. Say hi to Jaremdi Wati Longchar from Nagaland, a seasoned pianist, who is working passionately towards a career in ethnomusicology. Hi Jaremdi, tell us something about yourself- your background and your musical journey Hi, I am 29 years old and I am currently based in Dimapur. However, I’ve lived half of my life in Kohima as well, so, I consider myself both a Dimapur and a Kohima girl.I am currently working towards building a career in ethnomusicology, which is basically the study of music in …

Rootsandleisure_artist_thungla

Another Musical Talent from Northeast India You Need to Follow – Meet Vocal Artist Thunglamo Ngullie from Nagaland

Published by Tiarenla

Music and Musicians, you will find aplenty in Northeast India; it’s a huge part of their lives, and most of the artists are genuinely talented and passionate – which is the reason why we just can’t stop writing (or talking!) about them! Trust us, we have merely scratched the surface of what is a goldmine of creative talents in this part of the world. Today, we introduce you guys to Thunglamo Ngullie, a 27 year old dynamic and versatile solo artist from Nagaland. A hardcore music lover, trained musician, Naga Idol Runner Up and now a Vocal Trainer. Here’s a chat with the talented young man to talk about his musical journey in this remote part of the country, and how he got to perform in several parts of the world – including China and South Korea! Hi Thungla, tell us about yourself and your musical journey so far. I’m originally from Wokha district, and now I am based in Dimapur. I graduated from Unity College Dimapur; I’m now a full time musician, and also work as …