Indian millennials use music to save traditional languages, one note at a time

The Tetseo Sisters, a four-member band of siblings from Nagaland in northeast India, sing in their dying native tongue of Chokri, a Sino-Tibetan language with an estimated 20,000 speakers. The group formed in 1994 and reimagined their traditional Chokri music which was mostly vocals, but added guitars and traditional Naga musical instruments. Videos of their haunting songs are often set in natural field landscapes and mountains, and focus on local life and culture, from pounding grain to weaving and hunting, as well as universal themes like love and loss. Even their contemporary outfits are inspired by the traditional costumes and colours of the 17 tribes of their home state. Growing up in Kohima, the siblings from the Chakhesang Naga tribe were surrounded by an eclectic mix of music from an early age, from rock and jazz to western classical and pop. They also sang in their local church choir. Slowly they started performing at local festivals as well as on TV and radio. Now their YouTube channel has more than 76,000 subscribers. Their lyrics are set to folk music they listened to growing up. The sisters have performed across the world and are currently touring Europe. ‘India, not Hindia’: row over India’s languages heats up during Hindi Diwas They are among many millennial bands and singers across India trying to revive interest in their mother tongues, which are slowly dying due to globalisation, easy access to the internet, a lack of script and dependence on oral traditions and migration to large cities from rural areas. The Indian constitution recognises 22 official languages, but in a country of 1.4 billion, there are scores of languages and dialects. As many as 197 Indian languages are endangered and vulnerable according to Unesco. Koloma is an experimental three-member band from Tripura in northeast India. Accompanied by folk instruments, the group of friends sing in their mother tongue, Kokborok. The language’s script, known as Koloma, fell out of use after the 14th century, and is believed to have been lost. It is currently written in Roman script, said the group’s vocalist, Rumio Debbarma. Kokborok is hardly spoken any more. That is also due to sociopolitical factors where Kokborok became equated with a lack of education, status, and social class. The influx of Bengali-speaking people from bordering countries has also greatly contributed to the marginalisation of Kokborok. It’s estimated today that more than 90 per cent of Tripura’s inhabitants are Bengali-speaking. After returning to Tripura in 2012, from studying outside the state, Rumio noticed traditional culture and folk music no longer resonated with the current and younger generation, so he felt “the necessity to preserve it by writing songs that blend our traditional style”, he said. “I was always very rooted in folk music and have an emotional attachment – it makes me feel at home when I listen to it and for me, this was a voice that I could use and express,” Rumio added. Since forming in 2014, the band has played throughout Tripura, and India, including big cities like Delhi and Mumbai “which just proves that music speaks a universal language”, said Shimul Debbarma, the group’s drummer. In Kashmir, ‘conscious music’ tests India’s limits on free speech Another six-member experimental soft rock band called Bhairavas formed in 2012. They sing soft melodies in Garhwali, and Kumaoni languages from the hill state of Uttarakhand called Pahadi, which have been slowly dying, thanks to English and Hindi being spoken in many households, the lure of popular Bollywood music, and large-scale migration since the 90s. Most of the Garhwali folk songs are traditionally sung with the haunting music of the bagpipes and are about love and the essence of mountain life. They have been used for reality shows and performed across the country. Saurabh Negi the lead guitarist said: “We wanted to experiment with our folk music, and bring it to a wider audience and we represent the vibe of the mountains in such a style that the entire nation can relate to it and enjoy these melodies.” Akhu Chingangbam, is a musician from another northeastern state called Manipur, who has his own folk band called Imphal Talkies. Many of his group’s songs are about past angst and turmoil that was prevalent in his state. When he was documenting the folk music of Manipuri tribes, he came across the Tarao tribe whose language is listed as “critically endangered” by Unesco. He crowdfunded and set up a workshop so the kids in the community could learn the songs, ensuring another generation engages with the language. For Koloma’s vocalist Rumio, the pride in his 1,000-year-old culture keeps him going. “Our lyrics hearken back to the glory of the art, craft, and culture of the once mighty and prosperous people of Tripura – all told in our mother language,” he said.