SHILLONG: Adding another feather to their cap, the choir of Kiddies Corner – KC Lights who recently emerged the absolute winner of the International Choir Competition, Grand Prix Thailand, 2018 have been invited to sing at Raj Bhavan on Independence Day.
Speaking on the felicitation ceremony on Thursday, Director of Arts and Culture, Matsiewdor War requested the KC Lights to perform at the Raj Bhavan on August 15 which will give the people of the state to hear them on Independence Day.
Turning to their performances, she said, “I have no words to express what KC Lights has given us. You have changed the way we look at music and culture.”
With the children giving a soulful rendition of U Sier Lapalang, she said the KC Lights brought so much emotion and a new dimension to the folk tales from the hills.
As an inspiration to the children, War said, “Dream it, believe it and you can do it.”
“Give us an opportunity and we will be there all the time,” she said adding that she will inform the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and the Ministers about their feat.
An ecstatic Wallang told reporters that they wanted to focus on Khasi folk music which was very well-received by the audience as they have never heard Khasi music before in their lives.
“The people have never heard such kind of music before- the chantings, the words. Someone told me in Bangkok that Khasi is a dying language but at least now we are using it to take out to the world. Even the chief judge who is the conductor of the orchestra at the end of the speech, he said Khublei shibun,” he said.
With conductors and jury members from all over the world, Wallang was glad that he was able to at least carry a little part of the Khasi Culture. Some of their songs used a bit of Jaintia and Garo and made an effort to cover the whole of Meghalaya.
“After we sang U Sier Lapalang, many of the composers found the arrangement of the song beautiful and asking us to sell them the song which we have written. They want their senior choirs to sing it. Imagine if a European or Asian choir sing a Khasi song. Our music is spreading slowly,” Wallang said.
Stating that he gave the judges a gist of Sier Lapalang, he said, “After the choir finished singing, out of the five judges-three of them were crying. It just proves that music has no boundary. People feel it. They sang with their heart.”
He informed that the choir planned to go to Bali for the International Choral Festival in Indonesia but since it was very expensive they turned their eyes to Thailand which is closer.
“We sent in our application and they sent us an invitation letter. We just had three weeks to practice,” he said adding that the choir took part in two categories, Children’s category and folklore.
“I was so proud that we may consider ourselves coming from a small town but talent-wise we are equally good to anyone else in the world. State encouraged whatever talent to come out,” he said.
He bemoaned of the lack of monetary support be it from the government or any of the companies to sponsor.
“There are so much business houses in Shillong who earn so much from students and when you go to them to give back, they don’t want to,” he said.
“We spoke to NEC and if we come to them two months in advance, they will help us also. NEC is given some hope,” he said.
Asked on the offer to perform on Independence Day, Wallang expressed willingness to do so but was inclined towards fund raising especially for schools that lack infrastructure as he pointed out the idea of choir is to give back to the community.
“I would love to. I think taking my music and our children’s music to anyone who requires it, I don’t mind but it should be specifically for fund raising, if there are schools in Shillong or rural areas that need us to sing so that they can collect money,” he said.
Having proved their worth at Thailand, Wallang informed that the Choir got offers to sing in London, Croatia, Czechoslovakia and Malaysia.
Asked if they would like to go, he pointed out that travelling to Europe is very expensive but will definitely go back to another Asian country.
Commenting on the inclusion of music in the school curriculum, he said that he had suggested this to the government about this about 6-7 years back and he is also a Board member of MBoSE.
He said there was no dearth of talent in the state be it in music, performing arts and fine arts. “So my suggestion to the government is to divide Arts, science, commerce and vocational,” he said.
“In Thailand, in their education policy, as long as you are able to do something you are considered a student. Here if you are not doing arts, commerce and science, you are considered nobody,” Wallang said.
“It is good that they starting a good Meghalaya Education policy and they got some very well known and interesting people who are part of this. And I am sure it is going to do well,” he added.