Reader’s Post: Our reader Arenjungla shares her experience at the World Music Day celebration at Mokokchung, Nagaland.

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If you were given a choice between watching your favorite football player play and attending a concert of your favorite music band, what would you choose? Our reader Arenjungla had to make that choice and she shared her exhilarating experience with us when she finally chose to attend the World Music Day celebration held at Mokokchung, Nagaland.

I thought I was already late when I reached the venue at 5:00 PM as the pamphlet said the event began an hour earlier. Turns out my friends and I had actually reached the venue a little too early and things were just beginning to warm up. Taking advantage of our early arrival, we thought we’d go ahead and grab a good spot for us near the stage. All this while, my excitement was getting out of control as I couldn’t wait to catch my favorite band Tune up Channel  (declared as “Best artist from Nagaland” during the Hornbill Rock Contest 2015). As luck would have it, turns out the band was already up there on the stage taking care of technical arrangements before their show. Being their biggest fan, I couldn’t keep myself from staring at them! I wanted to walk up to them to introduce myself and tell them how much I love their music but sadly I couldn’t 🙁 Another major thing that was bothering me was the fact that Mesut Ozil was playing the same night but I am here waiting for the show to start!

“I am a HUGE Mesut Ozil fan,and the match between Germany and Northern Ireland was about to begin at 9:30 PM and I was dying to see Mesut back on the pitch. But then ‘Tune Up Channel’ were set to take on the stage only at serial no. 13. It was already 7:00 PM and the show still hadn’t started!”

 

The excitement and the pressure was stressing me out and I thanked God when the concert finally began at 7 PM – almost three hours late. But all that disappointment was washed away because lo and behold! Tune up Channel opened the show! I got super pumped up and now I couldn’t wait to watch more and more. I could not leave the show without watching them perform. So, I made up my mind reluctantly to skip Mesut’s match and wait till they came back on stage after 12 more bands.

It wasn’t all bad because incredible artists kept performing one after another, and I went head over heels for each of them. The crowd was full of both young and old fans who came together just for the love of music. It was incredible especially to see the older crowd who come from a generation that was once cursed by its parents for listening to rock music. Let’s not forget that music knows no boundary. Music is a beautiful bridge connecting souls through rhythm and melody. And the way the performers reacted to the pulse of the crowd and played to it was awesome to watch. There was no holding back, no insecurities, just pure music transcending through differences and igniting the stage.

I’d say one of the best moments was when “Infuse” took the stage. The front man was bold enough to have a little chat with the crowd and it kinda helped him set himself free while performing. I admired that and honestly, at that moment, he became a little too hot for me and my friends to handle. I didn’t know any of their songs but I definitely sang along with him because they owned the stage. The evening just got better when they performed a rock version of “Royals” by Lorde. It was so creative and I couldn’t help myself from feeling proud that my very own people, my fellow Nagas, are setting the stage on fire and making a fangirl out of me. Say goodbye to Joe Jonas, shall we?

My excitement reached a new level when “Tune up Channel” finally hit the stage to perform three songs and that’s when it happened. Yes, my heart exploded! These guys are so young and yet so professional, organized and such beautiful performers. I was disappointed when they left the stage without singing their hit single “Tomorrow with you”. But that’s okay because they were beautiful anyway. Also, if I had to be completely honest, the screaming girls around me throughout their performance made it all seem better.

I left the venue thinking what more could I do for these selfless artists who just needed some support in order to make a living off their talents. I can bet that these talented guys are far better than most popular artists that are selling their music today just because they bagged the right opportunity.

I couldn’t stop from wondering how far these people could go if they were given the chance they deserve. But were the people from my state ready to help them get there? Did my people notice the incredible potential that I noticed on that amazing night? Will my people believe in these artists like I believe in them? Or will they continue to ignore all things good that rise out of our motherland like we always have?

 

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Arenjungla is currently pursuing a degree in M.Sc (Chemistry) from Nagaland University at Lumami. She grew up in Mokokchung as a crazy Jonas Brothers fan and enjoys football. She is a hard core Arsenal fan by heart. As part of her passion to support local music and sports from Nagaland, she runs a FaceBook page along with her team, called ‘Exclusive Interviews With Nagaland’s Favourite‘ where she helps promote local artists by featuring their exclusive interviews.

Watch this video of Arenjungla’s (and now ours) favorite band ‘Tune Up Channel’ perform at World Music Day. Enjoy!