Summersalt and NESFAS have joined hands in an endeavour to pay an ode to local food. Together, the two released a song and music video ‘Mluh’ on the 29th of June, 2022 at the Asian Confluence, Shillong. The event also marked an auspicious event- to celebrate Summersalt’s latest milestone and release their sophomore album titled “Kliar”. Summersalt is a much-celebrated folk-fusion Shillong-based music troupe and they have always been at the forefront of highlighting songs from the hills, the culture and the identity of the people of Meghalaya.
In the welcome note, the host of the event, Alethea Kordor Lyngdoh, shared about the past collaboration between NESFAS and Kit Shangpliang. She stated, “Mr Kit played a key role in bringing the song ‘Ko Mei-Ramew’ to life.” ‘Ko Mei-Ramew’, which translates to ‘O Mother Earth’, was the theme song of the international festival of indigenous food communities called the ITM, or the International Mei-Ramew which was held in 2015 and organised by NESFAS and TIP. After seven long years, NESFAS is elated to have once again ventured into this journey with Kit Shangpliang and along with his band Summersalt.
NESFAS Executive Director, Pius Ranee, says, “NESFAS is happy to collaborate with Summersalt in producing the music video MLUH (watch here). As we partner with the indigenous communities and traditional knowledge holders- we work towards embracing traditional food systems, which this song also highlights the same. This music video will also reflect our close relationship with nature and we hope that the indigenous knowledge systems will thrive in the future generations”. He further added, “Mluh or Salt gives taste to our food and is also an important instrument to preserve our food and indeed of our culture. We hope this symbol will continue to remind all of us that we need taste in our lives and we need to have agents to preserve our lives and cultures.”
Mluh as a song has been around for some years now, and it has the mass appeal to call upon the listener to celebrate the nutrients and richness of the indigenous foods from the Khasi hills. In the song, there’s a mention of the different delicacies and rarest food of the world, which is so typical Summersalt to showcase the uniqueness of the culture of their own people.
“Whenever we perform this foot-tapping Khasi song, whether in India or abroad, people naturally join in to sing along, whether they know or do not know the language. There are parts in the song, where even a non-singer can hum along. It is a typical picnic song that one can sit around the bonfire to have their slice of fun”, says lead singer Pynsuk Syiemiong.
In this attempt, Summersalt shared that they were honoured to partner with NESFAS, an indigenous food-focused organization working towards defending and promoting local foods of their own class. NESFAS has recently received a 2021-IFAD Indigenous People’s Award for its three-year project ‘No One Shall Be Left Behind Initiative’ that focused on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems for improved nutrition, livelihood and wellbeing.
Summersalt finds many purposes, to have been given a chance to work with NESFAS’ grassroots community in Khweng village, Ri-Bhoi district where people’s indigenous trades are valued by the organization. The community people including two children and two adults came with excitement to participate in the video as they brought their local organic vegetables with the willingness to share with the crew and members of the band.
This time, the collaboration is set to produce an organic music video that celebrates the nutrients of the indigenous foods straight out from the gastronomical wisdom of the ancient world that found uniqueness in its roots. More so, the song seeks to celebrate salt as the key ingredient, its minority status and its ability to preserve, adding taste to the delicacies enjoyed by all of us.
The music video is set to resemble the picnic culture of the Khasi Hills in the late 70s and 80s with stylized elements to connect with the gen X group, millennials and even the gen Z crowd. The giant bamboo table set for plating the exquisite dishes, some of which, can be rarely seen these days. The gala time just beside a stream draws the rural locals into the scene. There is dancing and merry-making with food and music taking centre stage.
After the screening of the music video ‘Mluh’, Mrs Patricia Mukhim, a dear and close friend of NESFAS and Summersalt’s, was kind enough to share a few positive reflective thoughts on the song and music video. She also added that Kit and Pysuk are among the few true upholders of the Khasi culture.
To have taken the music of the hills to Mumbai and recorded it in one of the world’s best studios, the Yash Raj Films Studios was something the band never thought it could do, but things just happened. “We thank the veteran Sound Engineer and friend Shantanu Hudlikar for being there with us and carrying us through. His ears and mind are the expansion of his own personality that we as a band trust most”, says Dawad Shangpliang aka Weet. Yash Raj was relatively hugely expensive for the band, but there was a unanimous thought that they should go for it, because of the strong belief that Khasi music deserves a world-class treatment.
Watch the video here: Summersalt Mluh
