By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
Prelude:
May 24 is a red-letter day for music lovers of Shillong, especially followers of Bob Dylan who believe in his musical thought. In Shillong, credit must be given to Lou Majaw who is consistent in his commitment and makes these hills alive with Dylan’s songs and music. This year will mark the 53rd year of Dylan’s concert under the theme, “Celebration of Poetry and Songs.” The highlights of the day include discussions on the musical career of our very own Lou Majaw, which has spanned over five decades, and the evolution of music in the State. This will be followed by a musical tribute to the living music icon (Dylan).
The Music Scene in Shillong:
One never subscribes to the touristic idea that Shillong is the “Rock Capital of the country.” In fact, Shillong has a unique cultural landscape that has given birth to a distinctive musical identity. Also, the indigenous folk music and cultural heritage of the State has contributed to the development of a unique sound.
Moreover, Shillong has no dearth of songwriters, performing artistes etc. And we owe it to the unwavering efforts and commitment of individual artistes who have constantly built the music industry in the city. It is interesting to note that the people of Shillong have so far embraced every genre of Western as well as Bollywood music, from the classicals of Mozart, Beethoven to Rock ‘n Roll to Pop to Country to head banging Metal and to underground Rap.
In the profile about the Pop singers of Shillong, Martin Narayan Majaw wrote, “…the Khasi Hills have always been an enigma, a living contradiction, not only in culture and ways of life, but even in musical tastes. In a land where green, sun-kissed hills still reverberate on festive occasion to ancient tribal drums and high-pitched village harps, the curious visitor will be amazed to see thousands of eager happy youths thronging the music hall of Shillong to feed ravenously upon the free, rhythmic electronic sounds dished out by the local tribal beat group.”
The Sitz im Leben of “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” and Shillong Context:
For “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” Bob Dylan’s inspiration came from a real-life event. The song explores issues of racism, class struggle and the exploitation of the poor. “William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll with a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger, At a Baltimore hotel society, gath’rin…” are the opening lines of the song written and composed by Bob Dylan in 1963 to pay homage to the 51 year old African American worker and a mother of ten children who was killed by the wealthy plantation owner at the Emerson Hotel in Downtown Baltimore.
The racist killings of Hattie Carroll and many others occurred during the heights of Civil Rights Movement in America. Hattie Carroll was a working-class woman who lived in Cherry Hill, a Black Baltimore. She was beloved, sang in the choir and a peaceful woman who loved and nurtured her children. At the time when she was beaten and killed, she was serving drinks at the Spinster’s Ball, an annual event attended by the Maryland (deep South) old white family elites. During the revelry, William Zanzinger accused her of being disrespectful and spewed racial epithets at her, then struck her with the cane. Carroll died the next day at Baltimore’s Mercy Hospital, from a stroke caused by the attack and after her death, her family struggled to survive. Hattie Carroll could have been anyone’s mother or sister murdered at the hands of a tobacco plantation owner from southern Maryland.
The song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” is a poignant and haunting tale that indeed reflects the prejudice and oppression against the African American community of America during the 1960s. The lyrics of the song are a powerful indictment of the racist attitudes and societal norms that perpetuated inequality and violence against African Americans. The song’s protagonist, Hattie Carroll, is a symbol of the countless African American women who suffered at the hands of racist brutality and oppression.
The song, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol,” actually transcends the American continent and to this day it continues to speak truth to power and new generations of singers across the globe continue to adapt to the song to talk about injustice in each socio-political context. There are two instances in which Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol” had been adapted into different settings.
According to Erika Lundahl, “In 2006, British musician and activist Billy Bragg gave the Hattie Carroll treatment to Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003. Like Dylan before him, Bragg uses the verses to weave together sharply reported details of Corrie’s case with commentary on the political context…” In her article on 50 years of Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”, Erika further wrote that “Massachusetts songwriter Jonah Mantranga became the latest singer to borrow Dylan’s melody and chorus, this time applying it to the case of Trayvon Martin. His song puts George Zimmerman in the role of William Zanzinger, showing an eerie set of parallels between the two cases…”
While we religiously celebrate Dylan’s birthday, can his song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” be adapted to highlight the brutal killings of innocent migrant labourers and targeted violence in Shillong? Also, are there performing artists in town to treat this song to highlight the plight of the working class and daily labourers who are suffering from several injustices and prejudice?
Recently, three non-tribal construction workers were brutally attacked in which 52 year old Arjun Ray was killed in broad daylight in Mawroh, Shillong. Any Bob Dylan’s fan worth his/her salt would have treated his song to address the systemic and targeted violence and societal inequalities that lead to such tragic events and thus pen down a line or two-“In the hills of Shillong, where the workers come to toil with a dream to find a better life. They work from dawn to dusk, for a wage that is meagre. But on the day, Arjun Ray died, his fate was sealed forever… In the dark alleys of Shillong, where shadows do play, his spirit whispers secrets of a life that went astray…His story is… but a reminder of the pain of innocent life lost in the city’s cruel game…Oh, Lonesome Death of Arjun Ray in Shillong’s locality…Your story is one of violence, of migrant labour’s cruel defeats. A tale of struggle, of strength and of might. But in the end, it was just a brutal, lonely day…”
In the second adaptation of the song the protagonist could be a local woman street vendor of Shillong. The reality is that amongst the indigenous street vendors, 80% are women and most of them are single mothers who toil hard to make ends meet and gain their children a decent life. It is also a fact that street vendors, especially women vendors, are confronting hate and prejudices daily. A potential lyric for this adaptation runs, “In the hills of Shillong…lived a woman named Kong Jai, with a heart full of hope. She fought for her rights, against the forces so cold. But her struggle ended in death, young and old. Her voice is silenced by the system’s cold hands. But her memory lives on, in this land. Her spirit still whispers secrets to the wind. Of a fight that was just beginning…Her story echoes through Shillong’s streets…A reminder of struggles yet to meet. Oh, Lonesome death of Kong Jai…your story will unfold, A tale of resistance, of strength and of might. But in the end, it was just a lonely night…”
All the songs, including “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”, which Dylan had written and composed reflect his personality and belief. It would be unfair on our part to just like his songs and not share his thoughts. Also, there can be no cherry picking of his songs. As music has the power to inspire change, challenge socio-political norms and bring people together. In the same way Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” points to the power of song to confront bigotry and injustice.