By Boris Momin
The traditional musical instruments of the Garos have been one of the most diverse in the region, and known by many names. Local musicians of Tura have recently been trying to revive these forgotten instruments through their passionate music.
Although modern musical instruments may have taken over to some extent, for some people here, the essence of traditional music has not died yet. Instead, they’re marching back to popularity.
In the recent songs made by our musicians, traditional instruments have been used, with the youth taking note of this development… it is not surprising that this serves as an inspiration. Through their music, they have been trying to spread awareness – music is a way to learn about culture, for songs live on.
The musical instruments are made and used in slightly different ways. In categorising them, we find there are ‘idiophones’ (self-sounding), ‘aerophones’, or wind instruments, ‘chordophones’ (stringed instruments), and ‘membranophones’ (drums).
When the Garos did not possess any knowledge or skill in using the instruments, they would accompany songs with the clapping of hands, stamping of feet, whistling, and by blowing tunes through certain types of leaves. Slowly and steadily, the people learned to use the natural and abundant supply of foliage, wood, and bamboo in different ways, with the help of horns and entrails of animals.
As a matter of fact, bamboo has been an integral element of Garo culture, where they cannot imagine a place without it.
Under idiophones, they have rangs (gongs) of various sizes, and the largest is the rangkilding (gong on a thread), and the rangbong (fat gong). They also have different types of cymbals like gaanti (big bell), susuak, or ja.srang (ankle bells), silcha (tambourine), chigring or zither, and dimchrang (or kimjim).
Rangs differ according to metal and craftsmanship and vary in price too. Some of the best gongs are decorated with engraved outlines of snakes, tigers, elephants, and other animals. The most valuable gongs are never beaten or used, but can only be seen used at the Wangala festival.
According to one legend, it is believed that in the beginning, Rabuga (progenitor of man) first made rangs out of clay and tried to sell them in the land of Susime (Goddess of Moon). However, it got rejected right away at the a.kang (market) as it did not emit enough sound and got broken easily. Feeling disappointed and ashamed, he was returning home when he encountered Katchi a.ning (spirit of the underworld) who felt pity and told him to rest in his nokpante (bachelor’s dormitory). Little did he know that things would take a mystical turn.
In his dream, the spirit revealed (to him) the skill of smelting metal and to make them into rangs, with the words, Mulko ping.e nibo, Gaminchiko tinge nibo, rue nibo (cover the bellows and see, strike the metal and see, heat and pour it out and see.) The next morning, when he went to wash his face in the stream, the shrimp showed him how to use a bellow by flapping its wings.
Thus, according to Garo legend, this is how man discovered metal and made rangs and other steel instruments.
The Garos use a variety of wind instruments like the bangsi or flutes and adil or trumpet and singa or horn. It is said that they learned to make these instruments from nature. According to another legend, it was the bambaneng (bumblebee) that demonstrated to man the art of drilling holes in bamboo. Adil, for instance, is a kind of trumpet made out of the top six inches of a buffalo’s horn to which a long bamboo mouthpiece is attached.
Speaking on the resurgence of the Garo traditional instruments, one of the upcoming folk artists from Tura, Katta Nisa, said, “I try to help my bandmates by giving elements of folk music to the songs we make. I’m trying to master the art of playing different types of flutes and drums, and I have been practicing (playing) the adil, ilik, and the dotrong as well. These have also been my favourite instruments so far. The reason I like bangsi so much is because it can be used flexibly more for rhythm than just melody. As for dotrong, I really like the sound it produces.”
He added, “I guess it’s important to sustain the significance of these instruments by either documenting them or by teaching each other how to use or play them. That said, and from what I’ve observed so far, the world has been selfish to let people pursue this. There has to be more standardisation of the documentation process.”
According to lore, Rawil Racha (a person) collected the skin and horns of buffaloes and went to A.ning Bokjare Chining Dimjare Nore Chire (a spirit), who dwelt in the subterranean region and asked her to teach him to prepare shields and trumpets out of these skins. She told him that while preparing these, he should observe the leaves of the kochoos (Colocasia Indicum) for the shape and then imitate the stars in decorating them. Thereafter, he returned to his village and prepared the first danils (shields) and adils (trumpets) as instructed.
The Garos have the Dotrong (chordophone), which is very similar to a mandolin and the sarenda. It is a six-stringed instrument with no visible frets, and is played with the help of a plectrum made of flat bamboo or steel that is attached by a string to tiny bells. This instrument can be seen in West Garo Hills border areas.
The sarenda is a one-stringed instrument, which is very similar to a violin. The body is carved out of a gambil wood (Careya arborica) and the strings are made out of animal gut or the bark of the kilkra bol (Celtis orientalis).
There are varieties of drums ranging from four feet three inches in length to the tiniest one, which will be about five inches. Some of them are dadigipa and rikakgipa (slimmer and have a higher pitch than others), ongrimgipa (larger and has a lower pitch). Other kinds of drums are the atong or gitchu dama, gara ganching, a.we, and chisak dama, among others.
Ruga and chibok dama are also low-pitched drums. Except for the drums known as the nagra, kram, nadik, and bitchimani bisa, all other drums are kept in the nokpante and the bandasal (rest house).
The Garos have different styles of playing the drum depending on the area where they came from. Additionally, there are different players such as a single lead drummer known as adigipa, one accompanist or second drummer known as rikkakgipa, and any number of bass drummers known as ongrimgipa.
Nisa also stated, “If I talk about our traditional instruments, they are a means to an end and not the end. My hope is to reach out to wider audiences through my music. I’m aware not every person will be touched by my music. I want them to realise the bigger purpose in the hope it helps them in their journey.”
As the conversation came to an end, Nisa said, smiling, “While we have seen some people losing knowledge about our own traditional instruments, we have also seen them get intrigued by them, which is a good sign. People have begun to go back to their roots and claim their identities, although some instruments are not yet found as they’ve not been documented yet. I don’t believe that people have started to lose knowledge of these instruments completely, rather they are starting to look for certain identities and roots to return to. Today, our tribe is getting recognition even if it has been gradual. To sustain this momentum, we have to be culturally aware and strong. What I can tell you is that we are unique.”
Music can indeed be a weapon to ensure traditional knowledge systems thrive. One would do well to remember how the native Americans ensure this, despite the destruction of their cultures by colonisers; their music has been at the forefront of this artistic continuity and resistance.