Other singers from the State — Delong Padung, Chorun Mugli, among others — who combine elements of modern Western music with tribal folk, gave the audience a much-needed break from the grimness of the pandemic.
But when Angu created David Angu and The Tribe in 2018, he circled back to music that’s close to his Galo tribal roots.
Adding diverse styles to traditional music can be the way ahead, he says, citing the example of Arunachali singer-songwriter Chorun Mugli, whose song, ‘Kala Kala’, in his native Nyishi language, has over a million views on YouTube.
Omak Komut is among the senior musicians from the State who too makes use of the different abangs or songs of his Adi tribe in his music.
As someone who has no background in modern Western music, Komut relies more on the vibes that his instruments give him than on drums or guitars.
All these musicians have been badly hit by the pandemic, which resulted in most live events being cancelled in the past two years.
David Angu and The Tribe were to perform at Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival in December, but the band cancelled its plans because of the widespread protests against the killing of civilians by the Indian Army.
After being homebound for two years, Komut is eager to take to the stage.