Melodies from Meghalaya
Mookhuri, a four-member band, brings to life the songs, sounds and traditions of the Khasi-Jaintia community from Meghalaya through their folk compositions.
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Their name is inspired from the hearth, their music from the soil. Mookhuri, a four-member band from Meghalaya, is all about the songs, sounds and traditions of the Khasi-Jaintia community, brought to life by Amabel Susngi, Johny Melborn Syih, Hamieh Phawa and Deimonlangki M Kharbuki. While Susngi is the lead singer of the band and plays the enchanting manjira (small hand cymbals), Syih plays the four-stringed instrument duitara, and Phawa and Kharbuki work their magic on the percussion instruments kabom and ksing shynrang, respectively.
“The name Mookhuri refers to the three-stoned cooking stove found in most kitchens in Meghalaya,” Susngi told Village Square on the sidelines of the three-day Kholey Dai festival held earlier this month at Parengtar village near the India-Bhutan border in West Bengal. “Mookhuri refers to a traditional way of cooking in local kitchens that requires three stones of the same height to balance a pot over a fire. It’s believed that music in the Khasi tribal community begins from the hearth where the three stones are placed,” added Susngi, 28, who is also a PhD scholar and works as a music teacher in Shillong.
The group sings original compositions drawn from folk lyrics passed down generations in the Himalayan state. Native plants, the hilly landscape and other cultural aspects, including indigenous lullabies – a subject of deep interest for Susngi — take pride of place in their repertoire.
Strung to lilting music, the verses break the barriers of language. The striking stage presence of the band further helps in forging a rapport with the audience. The petite Susngi and her soft voice give little hint of the captivating connection that she gradually builds with the crowd. And when they sway and sing to her prompts, you truly realise that chords have been touched, barriers broken and hearts won – by folk music.
Also Read: Manipur’s folk-rock band hits the right notes
Pallavi Srivastava is Associate Director, Content, at Village Square.
Edited by: Novita Singh
