Music is the elixir of life and a cafe in the city is committed to providing the magic potion to its visitors.
Mellow Mood Café, which was inaugurated two years ago by cousins and business partners Samantha J Lyngdoh and Zachariah Nongkynrih, is all about music. The café provides a platform to young and upcoming local artistes, enabling them to display their talent on stage at different live events throughout the week. Considered by many as a recreational place, the café plays host to various events throughout the week.
“The idea of Mellow Mood Café came out of a long delayed need to do something worthwhile. We saw the need for young people to have a space that they can use without feeling that they are restricted by the usual forces in life,” says Nongkynrih.
Be it song, dance, poetry slams or karaoke, the café’s stage is open to all who wish to speak out their minds, in their own ways. The brains behind the establishment, being music buffs (one of them being active in the music industry as the band manager for the Shillong-based blues band Blue Temptation), and patrons of art, have always been vocal about the ever happening events that take place at the venue.
“We encourage anyone who has something worthwhile to say and needs a stage to say it, be it through music, art, poetry or something as direct as engaging the audience with plain spoken words. Just like the rest of the human race, we are on a hunt for inspiration and the most practical way of staying inspired is watching young people getting inspired enough to pick up the microphone and put their fears aside. So, yes, anyone who wants to step up on stage thinking they can engage people and inspire them, make them laugh or cry, ignite some sort of emotion, Mellow Mood is always open to them,” says Nongkynrih as he sips his piping hot coffee.
The Band Phantasm, upcoming solo artiste Agalliasis Ryntathiang and The Rocketman are among the regular performers at the café.
“Like I’ve always said, for me Mellow Mood Café is the best right now. I’ve always loved it. I love the concept, the ambience and the whole place. As an artiste, it gives me a platform to show people my talent and the owners are very supportive as well. It’s like my second home,” says Ryntathiang.
Alvan Kharumnuid, vocalist of The Band Phantasm, too is all praise for Mellow Mood, which is an “awesome place for the youth to hang out and a good setup for aspiring and upcoming musicians”.
“Mellow Mood Café is a space for these young ones to feel free and to create. This is why we love to push new artistes and be a part of their growth. We always wanted to
stand up and say what was on our minds without the fear of being judged and Mellow Mood was just the platform we were looking for, so we created what we always wanted to,” said Lyngdoh.
The cafe has hosted over a hundred events, big and small, in the last two years.
The quirky interiors, the murals, the dim light and the warmth of the young owners make it a perfect ambience to relax and go with the flow of music. It has remained the same despite it changing location from Laitumkhrah Police Point to Don Bosco Square.
Mellow Mood Café has grown and transformed into what it is today through sheer passion and headstrong personalities of the two.
Catering mainly to the needs of students, Mellow Mood Cafe has always looked forward to providing a friendly, safe and fun atmosphere. The words of the legendary Robert Nesta Marley, ‘let’s get together and be alright’, has become the motto for the young duo.
Besides music, the cafe also plans small scale tournaments, such as chess, FIFA and video game, on a regular basis.
The café also doubles as a makeshift art gallery in which artistes can display their paintings and other works of art.
“Mellow Mood is a place where all you have to do is ask. It’s a place where everyone can jam and perform irrespective of the genre. Poetry slams, playstation tournaments and chess – you can find all of that here. Everyone is paid equally and treated equally,” says Giovanni Arnold Thangkhiew, vocalist of the Band GINO that performs regularly at the cafe.
“Most of the young artistes today started off by performing at Mellow Mood. Hence, not only does it contribute to the music scene, but it is also a patron to all types of creativity and art,” he added.
Sam and Zack, as the cousins are known among friends, have caught the heart of many a-darlings in the city and from outside the region. Theirs is an establishment that makes sure it puts a smile on every person’s face every time they step inside.
“It’s not easy for everyone to get the chance to perform on stage but Mellow Mood has completely changed that simply because of the fact that aspiring artistes from all around, whether amateurs or otherwise can always come to the café and perform. It’s that simple,’’ concludes Meban ‘Atom’ Marbaniang, another aspiring musician and vocalist of the band ‘The Rocketman’.