In the east there now is a faint luminescence,
A hint of pearly tones etch the edges of the tree crowned hills;
Strong and tall they await the coming,
Of a new day, filled with promise.
          ---From Cherokee Dawn, a poem by an unknown Native American

A TALE OF CREATIVE ROOTS

Rewben is the principal exponent of "HAO MUSIC". He has not only rediscovered and reinvented the variegated rich folk traditions of the Tangkhuls but also refashioned tribal musical instruments to suit the Western tonal scale. Rewben is also credited for the amplification and customizing of the Tingtelia, a fiddle like traditional stringed instrument. Rewben experimented for almost a decade with the original Tingtelia so as to enable him to create a distinct sound that goes harmoniously smooth with the modern acoustic and electric guitar and harmonica.

Yankahui

The other instruments which accompany his "Hao Music" include Yankahui, a long bamboo flute, and a yak horn played with a mallet apart from an assortment of modern and traditional percussions. "Whenever I travel for performance, my Tingtelia and bamboo flute always accompany me. Even when I get a chance to tour the world, it will be with this bamboo instrument and I am sure my audience and fans will love it" says Mashangva picking up his bamboo flute. Rewben has so far released two seminal albums called "Naga Folk Blues" and "Creation". And one can expect a man who has been so much in love with the rich folk traditions also sing songs celebrating life and beauty. Beauty of the feminine body and grace compared with the nature’s abundant bounty. The most prominent of his compositions and the most popular choice of people who do not even understand the language of the lyric have found something so enchanting and bewitching in his song Chonkhom Philava. The dexterous effort in the total composition is befittingly matched by a numinous lyric. Some parts of the lyric translated into English goes like this…The freshness of youth like the black thorn flower blooms...Lady Chonkhom is the princess of the mountains…She looks like a fairy, an angel…Her dress – like the tail of a wild peahen…When one sings of the feminine beauty, he or she simply cannot be oblivious of the fading green hills: "I walk along this red country road…And those deep green vales just yonder me…When the deep red sun just hit the ground…I stood there like a child…Watching the birds heading home…Under this deep red burning sky."(From the song Deep Red Burning Sky, Tantivy, 1999)

This Tangkhul folk and blues balladeer might not have wandered or rather ‘toured’ the world as the word is understood in current music ‘industry’ idiom. But Rewben’s assumed apostolic mission of popularizing his brand of music, singing of joy and travails and also reviving age-old traditional folk culture will not just evaporate without a trace. It will definitely have a cyclic impact on many generations to come. Rewben says, "Current crop of young musicians in our region think that to be a successful musician, modern western music is the only option. I choose to differ with this view. Our talented youth can become complete musicians only when they learn about their roots. Just as you can not ignore your parents even if they are blind or maimed, you can not ignore our age-old folk roots. The youth can not treat folk music as outdated." The idea becomes reassuring whenever one sees his little son Saka Mashangva accompanying him on numerous performances as a regular percussionist and ad hoc backing vocalist. In many concerts, the father and son duo not only sounds harmonious but also looks breathtakingly adorable with their traditional attire and donning a hairdo folks in the land called Haokuirat. Commenting on his experimental music, Rewben says that once anyone masters the given traditional folk musical roots, it is easy to fit in the elements into western music or add western elements to the folk. Most music compositions of Rewben have the guitar sounds replaced by sound of folk instruments or folk instruments’ sound supporting and supplementing other sounds produced by modern instruments. It is a creative fusion of sounds deeply rooted in the many folk traditions of his tribe.

Guru Rewben Mashangva with son Saka.

Rewben has been sharing experiences with great musicians of the Northeast like Rudy Wallang of Soulmate, Meghalaya, Momocha Laishram, the master percussionist and Mangang, the famous Pena (indigenous folk fiddle) artist of Manipur. Rewben had also participated in several music fusion projects. Through platforms like the annual "Roots Festival", he had shared music space and performed and interacted with international artists too. He is part of the Folk Art and Cultural Guild (FACG), Manipur and has taken part in many kaleidoscopic cultural shows and festivals in the state.

When the Naga Folk Blues exponent was asked what his most memorable experience was after setting on the musical journey, he said that it was the composition and the recording of the song called Isholla (Yaho). "I spoke to many elders and tried finding out what is the actual meaning of Isholla (Yaho). Some of them said that the word/phrase did not exist while others said that there definitely is a meaning but beyond description in words. I think it is something that can not be described in words but can be felt from within. I understood the essence of Isholla when I felt like crying my heart out when we recorded the song. I had hardly felt this kind of experience earlier", Rewben said. What made the man cry? Nobody knows for sure but Rewben conjectures that it could be the extreme longing for freedom that every human being seeks based on individual struggles and set backs quite distinct from the politicized notion of the same.

Continued ...