By Willie Gordon Suting
It was a proud moment for Shillong when Banshailang Mukhim received the Young Talented Artist Award in Folk and Tribal Music from North East Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, on August 25.
The 25-year-old musician, along with 21 other artistes, was felicitated by the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland in Raj Bhavan, Itanagar, in recognition for contribution to various fields.
Mukhim, who during his childhood, began with tapping football bladder and tables to produce drum-like sounds, says it has been a long journey for him. But the road to success has not been smooth. The young musician says when he started learning drums, he couldn’t afford to buy the instrument.
“Growing up in Smit witnessing Pomblang Syiem festival every year, I was exposed to folk music that was played there. Listening to the music developed a passion in me,” says Mukhim.
Mukhim is, by profession, a multi-instrumentalist well-versed with the ksing, bom, duitara, tangmuri and acoustic guitar. But he says he loves playing the ksing among all.
Encouraged by his supportive family right from childhood, Mukhim studied guitar at the age of 15 from Shillong School of Music and then completed Grade I Guitar Course from Trinity College, London. It was during his B.A in Music at Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) that he chose to specialise in Khasi Folk Musical instruments.
“I feel grateful to MLCU because it showed me the direction. I knew what I really could be good at,” reflects the young talent.
Mukhim applied for the award in the Department of Arts and Culture office in Meghalaya not hoping that he would be one of the winners.
“When I got the news through letter sent from NEZCC in Arts and Culture office, it took me by surprise. I am just humbled by this,” says Mukhim.
The musician believes he has many more challenges to face, this being a small step. “I have miles to go as an artiste,” he says.
To Mukhim the award is “an encouragement to work harder and also to help guide budding musicians in the city”.
The musician says he feels indebted most to his gurus Mebanlamphang Lyngdoh, Komik Khongjrem and Pyndap Khongjrem who had taught him many things. Mukhim has performed in top national concerts like North East Festival 2015 in Delhi, Taal Yatra 2013 in Lucknow and Sur Purva 2014 organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi.
A regular performer with Lamphang Syiemlieh and Mebanlamphang Lyngdoh, he desires to come up with a small music institute to share his vast knowledge with youngsters in the state. “I want to try to make our folk music popular universally,” says Mukhim with humble confidence.
Mukhim has also been playing for five years now at the Iing Sad during Pomblang Syiem festival. “It means everything to me playing there as I come to understand my roots deeply,” says Mukhim.
When asked how musicians and music scholars find ways to popularise and improve Khasi folk music, Mukhim says, “We face a scarcity of scholars in the subject. To improve this, we should arouse the curiosity of the young generation. Also to develop new approaches of teaching folk music and standardisation of proper tunings of instruments is important.”
Mukhim rues that there are not many concerts in the city that specialise in Khasi folk music. He points out that the style has been living under the shadow of western genres that youth mostly go for.“The government should provide schemes, especially to gurus, and there should be better payment from organisers,” feels Mukhim.
When asked for his message for youth taking up Khasi folk music, he says, “They should work hard researching with passion to be technically fluent, and not attach importance to pecuniary gains.”
The young musician, who also plays western music fusing with folk instruments, says he wants to come up with a Khasi folk music album soon.