“Only when you drink from the river of silence, shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain-top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
– Khalil Gibran
Music Makes Us Smile!
In the far reaches of Ladakh’s outdoors, one hears…the Indus and the Zanskar dribbling over pebbly riverbeds, the wind whisper and howl alternatively through the crevices in the Transhimalaya, and the bird song. Soft, incessant tweets that rent the air with symphonies so sweet, they move grown men to tears.
But if you move indoors, into the soothing dimness of the gompas, you will hear a a stirring hum – a soft crescendo of reverberation that has a music all of its own. It’s called a singing bowl.
A lesson in making the bowl sing, is a lesson in life.
There is an art to making the brass bowl sing. One has to tap it just right on its rim, and then stir rhythmically until it almost mesmerises the stirrer as he or she meditates and goes into a gentle trance with the reverberations from its hum.
The Tibetan Horn is used as a cry to prayer, a cry to the community to gather, a cry to dispel the silence of this mountainous Shangre-La.
The Tibetan Horn is often used as a call to action
Much of Tibetan Folk Music has a spiritual overtone, and the Lama Mani troubadour tradition of singing a song for one’s supper, tells of many Buddhist parables through the medium of song. In accompaniment, the Buddhist Thangka paintings would depict the narrative of this otherwise oral tradition, and helped to create a legacy of learning.
A Buddhist Thangka painting depicts a goddess of music!
The Wangala Festival [http://megtourism.gov.in/garofest.html] is a terrific platform for the music of Meghalaya, much of which comes from the Garo Tribe. Dance, music and traditional games are performed at this annual gathering at Asananggre, near Tura, to celebrate the winter harvest. Garo tribals from as far as Bangladesh come from across the region to perform on their chigrings, sarenadas, buffalo horns and flutes.
In neighboring Kathmandu, The Nepal Music Festival [http://www.nepalmusicfestival.org/nmf/] which the spirit of People, Peace, and Progress. An annual event which takes place in December at Bhrikutimandap Park in the city, it’s become a powerful platform for Nepalese folk music.
A deep look into your soul: Swayambhunath temple, Kathmandu, Nepal
Music takes to its own in the mountains and while festivals like Wangala and the Hornbill Festival (http://www.hornbillfestival.com/)in nearby Nagaland are a showcase for tribal culture and music, other festivals like The Ziro Music Festival [http://zirofestival.com/] in Arunachal Pradesh in the East and Himachal Pradesh in the West, have become a platform for local and international talent in genres ranging from rock and ska, to psychedelic trance. [http://www.festivalsherpa.com/the-sherps-ultimate-guide-to-music-festivals-in-india/]
The Hornbill Festival Line Up!
A short descent from the Himalayan heights of Arunachal Pradesh, Gauwhati in Assam is well known for its rock music scene and has spawned several of its own prodigy including local legends like Angarag Mahanta (Assamese: অংগৰাগ মহন্ত) better known by his nickname Papon.
The Ziro Music Festival Posters are an art unto themselves!
So whether you opt to meditate with your singing bowl, let your hair down by rocking it out, or to simply listen to nature’s orchestra, your Himalayan amphitheater awaits. Contact the team at Travel Scope to learn more about the Indian Subcontinent’s rich musical traditions.