Address:
Shillong, EAST KHASI HILLS ,MEGHALAYA - 793001
About type of art
The musicality of the Khasi people is naturally embedded into their personal and social life. From the heart song at the time when they were young, the music lives on as they pass adolescent stage and entering into marriageable age. This is represented through the JingrwaiKhynraw or Song of Youth, a song composed by the few talented male singers and musicians in the village. This reveals that not everyone in the village has a youth song and surely not the ladies, which is an interesting point to note in the backdrop of the matrilineal society.
The Song is usually longer than the heart song and has rhythmical, expressive and romantic words running with it. The song mostly reflects the identity of the person and in a way, is the profile of the person expressed in music and poetic form.
Traditionally, those young people who have the capacity to compose their own song have only one Song of Youth in their life time, but now, they could have more Songs of Youth. This natural development is more a creative progression that draws no objection from the community leadership so far.
The song of youth is sung in non-formal social occasions among friends and youth casual meetings and gives a confidence boost to the writer-singer. Therefore, by logic it can be said that the JingrwaiKhynraw helps the youth to know oneself and how he stands facing the world around him. It is a creative exercise of Self-worth, self-assessment and self-identity vis-a-vis the society that embraces him.
The music of the Hearth LyngwiarDpei usually in the kitchen area is one of the purest forms. It is here that people sit around the fireplace including family members, neighbours and guests to talk about life. The conversation could be about life's social affairs, politics, economics and the wide range of issues. It is here that the uncle, the father or the grand uncle of the family occupies a permanent place in the family to mentor the young members of the family.
It is here in the home and outside as well that the queen of Khasi Music KaDuitara stands out. KaDuitara is a four-stringed instrument. It is made of a special type of wood called U Dieng Slang. It can also be used from U DiengKseh (Pine Tree) or even from another type of wood called U DiengSohkymphorShrieh. The Duitara contains four strings called Ki 'Saimuka or Muga Strings. The first string signifies Ki Khynnah (young boys and girls or youths), the second and the third strings together stand for Ki Kmie Ki Kpa (the mother and the father or the parents) and the fourth string stands for U Kni (the maternal uncle) and Ki Tymmen Ki San (the old or the elderly).