Tlemin a tlai deuh tawh maitheia, a ziaktupa hian chhuahchhawng phalna min rawn pe tlai lutuk a…
Engpawh nise, han chhiar ve teh u, a ziak ngaihnawm ve reuh lutuk a… outsider’s perspective a nia, enge in ngaihdan?
Original source: Indian Express
Ziaktu: Anup Kutty
A Funeral and a Journey – Anup Kutty
On my 33rd birthday, I went to a funeral. Clarence Gonsalves was 27 when he lost a long battle with cancer. He was one of the finest bassists that Delhi ever produced. Following a buzz in Delhi’s music circle about this bassist with a unique left-hand technique, I first saw him on stage about seven years ago with a jazz-pop outfit called Level 9. Clarence went on to play for a number of popular bands, including Joint Family and Them Clones, earning a reputation for being the most dependable bassist in town. For any band missing a bassist, there was always Clarence to step in last minute and do a stellar job. For someone with a deadly disease gnawing from the inside, it was ironic for him to attain that sort of a reputation. His funeral, much like Amit Saigal’s (Editor, Rock Street Journal), was well-attended by everyone from Delhi’s music scene — musicians, fans, engineers, roadies. However, unlike Amit who lived long enough to enjoy the fruits of his labour, Clarence still had a lot of music in him. A live video (on vimeo.com) of his recent solo venture — The Yellow Brick Project — is indication enough that he had a grand soundscape in the pipeline. His exit is a huge loss to the indie music scene in India.
A few days after the funeral, I find myself on the road again. This time to Aizawl, Mizoram, as part of a small delegation invited to check out a local rock idol hunt. Aizawl thrives on music and soccer, although the musicians insist that soccer players have it easier because of increased government support. The event, titled Scavenger Rock Idol Hunt 2012, was held over three days with about 15 bands from across the Northeast competing for the title which would make them richer by Rs 1 lakh and get them access to a recording studio. Organised by Victor and Boom, enterprising musicians from popular local acts Scavenger and Boomarang, the gig was an eye-opener.
I see a 13-year-old guitar prodigy Ruatdika from a band called Faith Healers. I am introduced to brilliant new acts like Digital Suicide from Guwahati. I meet a wonderful bassist who hands me his visiting card that reads, “Deals in Shop Shutters, Window Grills and Iron Railings.” Over 1,00,000 viewers in Aizawl closely monitor the contest on the local cable channel and an online radio channel. This probably makes it, by far, the biggest viewership for rock in the country. Victor’s earlier band Magdalene sold close to 10,000 copies of their debut album, which, any major record label in India will confirm, is an enviable figure.
Mizoram owes this solely to decades of gospel music played in local churches and weddings. But while the church is responsible for the glorious music scene, it’s also instrumental in preventing it from becoming a full-fledged industry. Mizoram is a dry state. There is not a single bar or pub or a club where bands can play regularly to make a living. “It’s like the Vatican and it’s a pity because there’s a growing dissent among the youth,” says Jonah, bassist for Scavenger and who recently moved back from Delhi and is now a music teacher. He is one of the many youngsters in Aizawl hoping the liquor ban will be removed. Unlike mainland India, where the indie music industry is now steadily growing because of alcohol sponsorships, Mizoram’s musicians are still struggling to make it a serious source of livelihood. Nagaland, also a dry state, has the Music Task Force — an initiative by the State Government to promote their musicians and help them make a career of it. Mizoram’s government is yet to kick in something similar.
By the final day, the venue, a decrepit auditorium called Vanapa Hall, is packed with enthusiastic fans although they are slightly reserved, refusing to leave their seats. Stacy’s Penitence, an Aizawl band, wins the contest after an audience SMS poll. I hitch a ride with two emo-ish teenagers. Turns out they have a band as well, a punk-pop outfit called In and Out. I ask the 16-year-old driver the kind of songs they write about. “There’s one called Vagina and there’s another that we wrote for our guitarist after he was heartbroken to find that his girlfriend was lesbian,” he says.
The next day, I am invited for dinner to the home of Lianthang Puii, PRO for the state government. She’d been one of the jury members at the contest. When I arrive, she is at the piano singing Beatles numbers with her friends. There’s a bunch watching a rerun of the Barcelona-Real Madrid match. A few rockers are on the balcony sipping bootleg whiskey. I am approached by a professor who asks me what I make of the simple Mizo life. “There’s so much music in our blood but we need to find a way to market it,” he tells me. His solution is to incorporate traditional Indian sounds into their existing metal, pop, funk and rock elements. “Some tablas and sitar will do it,” he seeks my agreement. I knock back my precious drink. “No. Just convince the church to legalise booze.”
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May 24th, 2012 at 8:11 am
Mahni ram midang/hnamdangin an hmuhdan an ziak hi chhiar a nuam ve reng reng ania.
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May 24th, 2012 at 8:28 am
Everythg ends with “Legalize Booze”… I back this up..! Well written Anup Kutty..!!
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May 24th, 2012 at 8:37 am
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May 24th, 2012 at 8:58 am
A last sentence chu helh deuh deuh an tam ang a
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May 24th, 2012 at 9:09 am
hmmm, ngaihnawm phian mai.
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May 24th, 2012 at 9:16 am
Le.., comment hmain no khat ka’n tlak te te phawt te’ng…
A ngaihnawm hle mai…
Zu khap burna ramah, a hausa leh inti(?)changkang chin chuan whiskey an tauh thei tho ni maw? MLTP hi a.., a bawplawka lak laklawh chuan, a Mak Leh Thei Phian zel…
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May 24th, 2012 at 9:16 am
A tlar tawp lam chuh, A chhan ber phei zawng a ni lo maithei a mahse awm ang ve tho nih khi mawle….
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May 24th, 2012 at 9:39 am
Just convince the church to legalise booze
Chhiar a nuam hle mai.
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May 24th, 2012 at 10:12 am
hmmmmmm…….! Pub leh bar velah hlawh neia han perform vel chu nuam in ti ngawt ang. voin ah kan synod puipate ka lo sawipui ang e..haha..
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May 24th, 2012 at 11:07 am
Hmmmm…. Chhiar nuam ka tih zawng tak a ni.
tren tren
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May 24th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Avan ngaihnawm em em
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May 24th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
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May 24th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Mizoram ah MLTP hi hlipin Pub leh Bar velah heng kan zaimite hi an perform chhin chiah teh se, zurui mawl deuh deuh an tam awm ropui sia..aa ka sawi peih leh lo
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May 24th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
pub velah zai ta se hlawh tha ve deuh in (Mizoramah hian pub te awm ta se), pub neitute an hlawk anga, zaithiam ten hna an nei anga, customer ten nuam an ti anga, ruibuai kher lovin an enjoy tlang vek thei ngei ang. Karaoke bar te hi awm se nuam deuh tur asin.
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
@aduh….mifing chin hi chuan khatiang kan mitthla avang khan MLTP Act te hi awm lo ta mai sela awww…kan ti rilru thin a, amaherawh chu khatiang ngaihtuahnaa thleng pha lo kha zu in mi ah 80% lai an la awm bawk si a, 50% vela a tlakthlak hunah kan la ti dawn nia. Karaoke ah chuan i zai regu ngawtin ka ring
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
MLTP kan ti, Tiranga khap bur te thlengin..
Felfai thlep kan tum ve ringawt a, a ler atangin kan thuai fova, a bilha tho lo na na na chu, kan buai zek zel chu a nih hi… 
Karaoke bar bakah, AWKE BAR te thlengin awm se, kan OK rual dual dual thin ang a, a nawm dan tur chu; rui buai si lovin…
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
chhangteval te hi bouncer ah kan ruai anga, a rui thing deuh chu an petchhuak lawp lawp mai dawn alawm. 50% vela a tlakthlak hunah chuan tar khup bih kan ni tawh ang.
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
aduhi hi ka lam pui nghawng nghawng chak
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
kum 100 pawh liam leh mah se, kan thiam thut dawn lo. Mizo thalaite hi zirtir theih loh leh inzir thiam thei lo tura ngai tlattu te hian an ram leh hnam hi an hmusit a ni.
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
kum 100 pawh liam leh mah se, kan thiam thut dawn lo. Silchar vai leh bagha vai pawhin an thiam chuan… Mizo thalaite hi zirtir theih loh leh inzir thiam thei lo tura ngai tlattu te hian mizo thalaite hi min hmusit a ni.
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May 24th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Zu hi legalise in pub leh bar te hi rawn awm thar sup sup mahse Mizoram rock band heti zozai (lo la awm tur zawng zawngte nen) tana eizawnna tham tling tur chuan a ngaihna awm lo, band tha inti chin phei chuan State pawn hotel changkang tak taka play an thlang zawk tho ang. Rock music perspective atang chuan MLTP Act hlih chu tha hlein lang mahse kohhran, khawtlang, chhungkua leh zirna zawn atang chuan a remlohna hi ala tam zawk a nih hi.
Tin, Mizo mipui kan la tlem lutuk, chutah rock leh heavy metal tuipui chin phei chu uihum zat lek an la ni, a thiam tak tak chu sawrkar leh pawl dang puihna tel lo pawn an la inhaikaw thei lutuk, thangthar, talent nei tha leh thiam tak tak an tama, kan Rock industry pawh ala thang zel dawn chauh. Tun apanga State puitling leh intodelh te tihdan anga lo tih ve ringawt chu a fuh ber lo ang. Keini chu kristian state kan ni si a. P.S:Nagaland chu an ti tha hle mai.
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May 24th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
e he.. a lut lo emaw ka tia..
Ka net chu(h).. muang deuh ve. satel kebai in a phur a niang..huis..
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May 24th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@Charice_mizo….Zu hi entertainment atan ringawt a ni hleinem. Develop na tan te pawh mawle. Beer atang hian bul tan sela ka ti khawp mai, Beer hi ti zalen phawt sela, chuta tang chuan indan kan zir thiam chho maiin ka ring, ve tlat maia. Zawlaidi aiin Beer te chu alcoholic content tlem zawk lehnghal
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May 24th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Asteric ka sawihmaih pakhat hriselna zawn atang pawhin ala rem chiahlo, Mizorama cancer vei kan tam zia ngaihtuah hi chuan thla a muang thlawtlo, (natna dang chu thuhran liau liau lo ni se). Tin survey hi buatsaih ta chiah ila Mizoram khaw tam zawkah hian chhungkaw pa ber zu avanga awngrawp hi zahthlak khawpin an tamin ka ring a sin. Zu avanga domestic abuse kan tuar nasat zia te hi a rapthlak zawk.
Amaherawhchu ni e i sawi ang deuh hian a tahtawl tetea tih chu a zia maithei. Mahse beer hi pumpui thalo tan chuan zu pangngai ai pawhin a hlauhawm zawk an ti tlat..medical proof erawh ka nei lo. Development atan i tih chu kan subject Rock music industry development atan i tihna niag chu maw!
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May 24th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
charice: i nick hi cool katih reuh nen, kan ngaihdan a in anglo deuh..haha.. I sawi khi MLTP kan hman lai reng, min khap bur lai ngei hian.. mltp kan hman avang zu chhe ta lutuk vang hian… i tihna a niang chu maw? ..haha..
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May 24th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Zu hi bo daih se ka ti. Mahse a bo dawn chuanglo a, a manage dan kan zawnthiam a tul. Hetia kan khap bur vang hian zu chhia a tam, kan khap bo thei der silo a. Chuvangin legalise mai hi a kawng awmchhun niin kei ka hria. Eng hnam mahin thawklehkhatah zu an in thiam biklo tawp ang. Kum 5 a ral meuh chuan tunai hian kan dinhmun a that ka ring tlat.
Khap anih vangin an in loh phah chuang lova, a tlem phah bawk lova, a to phah a, a quality a chhiat phah a, a in duh ho image a hniam bawk.
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May 24th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Zu hi… ka sawi leh peih lo…
MLTP act hi, mi nu pawngsual leh uire ching, a hming Lalrawngbawla ni lawi si; mahni sum ni miah lo, inthlahrung eih lova eiruk ching, Lalrinawma tih ang vel a niin ka hria, a hming pu zo lo..
MLTP Act avanga zu chhia in an awm laiin, mi hausa leh thil tithei deuh te’n zu changkang an kawl reng thei bawk si. He thil te mai hi ka thuai chhum hmek theih ni se aw…, ka thuaichhumna a rei tawh ang… 
(min chelhbet r’u, ka insum zo dawn lo… 
)
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May 24th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
“No. Just convince the church to legalise booze.” hmmm Synod tih vel sawrkar a an inti thu lutuk hi chu ka hua a nia.
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May 24th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
MLTP Act result: Facebook velah te zu bur chi hrang hrang thlalak Mizoram pwna awm ten an upload, an thiante an awhfik. Zu dawr a shelf khat tuara zu tha tinreng intlar thla an lakpui, an thiante an tag. Khawngaihthlak hlawmin!
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May 24th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
doc hminga bawrh bawrh chu hahaha a bull in a china shop an tih ang vel kha i nih duh hmel
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May 24th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
#28…
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May 24th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
K’u aduh, Zu hi in ve mai ka duh, palian ni lem lo mah ila, inlak-milen nan…
Mizorama, MLTP Act hrut phak miah lova a senchi kawl thei ve nih hi a nawm hmel tlat…
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May 24th, 2012 at 5:34 pm
MLTP Act an deregulate dawn anih chuan a nghawng leh behbawm kan tawrh ngam a ngai, sawrkarin zu ruih sual ching leh midang tana harsatna thlen ching etc te hremna dan pawh khauh zawka a kenkawha, mipui ten tangrual taka hma kan lak a ngai ang. Thalaite zingah sex education ang deuhin zu education emaw awareness campaign uar taka kan kalpuia, Rehab centre changtlung tak tak dina social worker rintlak leh inpezo tak tak kan chhawr a ngai bawk anga. Kan society ah moral degradation a thlen loh nan media leh zirna inah te, NGOs leh tlawmngai pawl ten zirtirna leh infuihna hmanga tan an lak a ngai ang.
Tin thalai tlawngawl, lehkha zir lo, zu leh sa chena vei rawlai mai maite an lo tam zel loh nan Self-help group leh Self-employed Association (entirnan) te mi thahnamngai ten an dina, an thawh tur awm tawk leh zu in mi ni chung pawha nunphung pangngai tak an zawh theihna tur ngaihtuahpuitu te pawh awm thei zel sela, a lawmawm khawp ang. Heng hi rawtna tlem azawng mai chauh a ni e, a dang pawh ala tam ang.
P.S: Saint Sammoo, an khap bur vanga zu chhia lo tam nge, zu zuar zingah mizo ni chiahlo, rilru pawh tha lemlo tak tak an tam vang, nge a intuten an duhtui lo ve hrim hrim? A engapawh chu nise, zu chhe zuartute chu an thiltih nghawng a zirin na taka hrem ni zel teh se.
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May 24th, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Chrice mizo: Systematic tak a rin leh khelh hi a tha, mahse a chang chuan hetiang ang hi kan phak loh thil a zuan tum a ni duh chawk tun ang kan dinhmun ah hi chuan. Buan a hma kherh tih ang zawng2 hi kan nei zo tawh hlawm a nih dawn hi maw. Hydel project leh thildang tamtak ah pawh hian hemi hi kan buaina leh hmaswnna dal tu a ni fo……..
To be on a Safer side tih hi thiltha a ni a, a practical lo fo thin thiltha duh tak2 hi chuan, tin, mihring personality ah chuan safer side a awm reng thin mi hi mi rintlak han awm thei miahlo nia mole………….
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May 24th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
hv…an intithu ai mahin sawrkarin a dah thu a ni mah.
india ram khawi hmunah pawh a ni vek..synod aiah muslim pawl te, hindu pawl te, club thlengin an dah thu em em. BJP thununtu chu RSS an nih tlat hi…hman ni lawka cartoon pakhat avang chauh pawh khan State pakhat cm chuan muslim hruaitute a koh khawm nghal kha. politics hian a dah thu em a ni zawk…vote vangin.
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May 24th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
malsta with all due respect, hydel project leh zu khap burna dan inzawmna ka hre ve hauh lo mai a
tak takana, Zu industry hian kan ram (madlab state) hmasawnna a pui dawn a niha, zu khaploh avanga kan buai phah dawnloh phawt chuan khap lo mahse ka pawiti mang hauhlo zu nia 
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May 24th, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Sawithiam a har, ka thiamna leh finna in a tlin lo.
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May 24th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Charice Mizo:
sorkar in sum a hmuh phah ve ve ang. chumi chuan kan ram thil tamtak a siam danglam thei…..sorkar hnathawk hlawh tam zawk hi keini ang mi rethei te2 hnenah a luang lut leh fo…….
Zu chungchang in a a khawih kan hlauh kan moral chhia tih hi hi chu, zu tel lo pawn a chhe tawh tho. Chu2 a lem ram atanga in siam tum ai chuan a tak ram atanga in hruai chhuah tum hi a hlu fo in ka hria……….muhil der kaih thawh tum ai chuan muhil tak2 kaihthawh an awl zawk ang deuh a ni.
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May 24th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Post Zu tak ani.
Post Rock tak ani bawk
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May 25th, 2012 at 2:31 am
Clarence hi a uihawm ngawt mai. RIP. A article tawp dan chu a tha khawp mai a,fa te mizia thenawm ten an hrechiang zawk fo an tih ang deuh in State pawn a mi te min hmuh dan hi a dik fo reng ani.
Ka ngaihtuah fo thin a,pub te hi alcohol tel lovin snacks corner ang mai mai ten siam dawn ila,band tam tak promote a an pocket money hmuh na’n. Mahse eng hunah nge ni’ang? Inkhawm zanin a tih theih loh phawt ang,complain a lut nasa dawn lutuk. Inkhawm ban nghak thin ta ila,a tlai tawh dawn lutuk,zan reia thawm neih complain a lut leh teuh ang. Inkhawm loh zan zan hnih kan nei. Weekends,hun tha ber….ngaihtuah ngam ani lo. Mizo chu weekdays ah kan awlthawng zawk!
Chuvangin gigs atanga ei hmu tur chuan musicians tan chuan kawng a tawp. Recording tiin album siam ta se,Music on demand channel in kawng a pin leh tlat bawk a!
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May 25th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
A sawi dik lutuk
sports lamah chauh pawh ni lo, music lama kan talented zia hi aw ka ti vawng vawng thin. Mahse mizo te hian engatinge exposure lam hi kan uar loh…tawng kan thiam lohna hian kan huai tur ang in min huai tir thei lo in ka lo hre ve mai maia. commercial lam a kal duh pawhin tollywood/bollywood hi kan thleng pha reng a nia, thalai te u, exposure uar teh u, kan north-east pui te pawh music avangin mi inluah in phai ah an khawsa ve nawlh nawlh a nia aw…Phai lam a ka vai thian ho music lama tui leh rock band nei ho te hian e, mizo min tluk lo…mahse kan ramah kan tawmkuk reng chhung chuan tu man min recognize dawn lo…
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