Songs of 'Adi' Tribe
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Govt. Of Orissa Activities Report 2004-05
Songs play a very significant role in the socio-cultural life of the Adi people. They call their song "Mire Domung". The Adi are tribe of Arunachal Pradesh of NorthEast India, with Mongoloid Features. It is the sources of pleasure and happiness and also the way to express sorrows, which always bring fresh inspiration, spirits and enthusiasm to the eternal soul of the society. The notable significance of the folk songs is that the people never learn through any established institutions, but by participation only. These are narrated from memory and verbally transmitted from one generation to another.
Folk songs are performed mainly during festival marriage recreation, worship, community hinting and jungle clearing, sowing, harvesting and funeral occasion. Generally, remuneration is not paid to the expert singer. However, the singer of festival songs gets costly beads from the dancing party. Folk songs are sung both in solo and chorus and accompanied by various musical instruments like Yoksa and Kring. They do not use instruments in funeral song and cradlesong. Dance also goes on side by side along with the festival songs like Ponung. Society does not prefer teenagers for singing folk songs as they believe that if any one starts singing at tender age then his/her life becomes short as a result of that he/she cannot preserve the knowledge for posterity. Generally folk songs may be classified into the following eight categories. Soman Miri (Recreational Song)Recreational amusement is the latest development in the socio-cultural life of the Adis. These are developed by the younger groups in the Adi society to enjoy their leisure time in amusement especially in the evening. Recreational activities always refresh the minds of the people. Such type of songs are Luman Ponung Tangko Nyoone (a song of bird), Ango paksong (a song of game between boys and girls), etc.
The theme of Luman Ponung is patriotic in nature. The song narrates that in ancient time the forefathers of the Adis were passing their life like the wild animals and they faced many difficulties. After that when British came to rule India they (forefathers) were fighting for the freedom of India, and during war many Adi people were killed at Kebang. In this song the singer also narrated about the preparation for war, the eroes who participated in this war. However, with India's freedom they have got many opportunities like food and safety and traveling by vehicle etc.Few lines of the song are:
Meaning our forefather spent very hard life. They work hard for our betterment. They fought against the foreigners. Still traces of war gates are found here and there. Now we are living in peace and comfortable life. New rays of light are reflecting in our land. A center is set up at Paklek (Pasighat).Young girls in the playground of the village sing Tangko Nyoone (a song of bird) with dance at their leisure time. It is a song of a seasonal bird called Gone-Nyoone, who appears on earth during autumn season and disappears in summer. The main theme of this song as narrated by the birds that she is loveliest and beautiful daughter of Liitung Liimang and she appears in the earth to carry the message of coming autumn and winter season as asked by Liitung Liimang. During these seasons she visits the entire nook and corner of the earth by singing and dancing this song which is her mission. Ango paksong is a song of game between boys and girls, which is sung and played in the evening in moonlight. In this song the boys and girls tease each other through jokes and also criticize. And at the end of the game both sides reach to a compromise. Yoyo Gage (Lullaby)Koomang Naane (the life designer Goddess) originated lullaby. She first sung lullaby when Tani (man) was born by Pedong Nnanc, by carrying the baby Tarn on her arms. In her lullaby Koomang Naane blessed Tani to become a perfect man and supersedes all other animals/spirits in his life. Lullaby/cradle song is a source of inspiration to children. It pays so much impact on the mentality of a child that even a crying child is lulled to sleep or makes the crying child happy within no time. Few lines of the songs are:
Meaning Oh, my sweet child sleeps in peace, On my back, without any disturbances.Dobi Dom Miri (Love Song) The love songs are commonly known as 'Oge'. Through love songs the lovers express their hearts to each other. It is such an effective song that it makes a hard person sink within of the heart of the opposite sex. Among the Adis of Pasighat area of East Siang District, love song was originated by Apang (Lover) and Aming (beloved), who sung the song in the theme of 'Oge'. Though they belonged to separate villages but their heart was one. History goes that their parents tried their best to separate them. To escape from their parents they fled to Tibet, but were ultimately separated by some evil force. Few lines of the love song is:
Meaning Even though her face was not beautiful but her mind was attractive one.Kumsinam Miri (Prayer Song) Rituals are full of prayer songs of the Adis. These were performed by Engo-Taker people during the Solung, Aran Etor festivals to acknowledge the god and goddesses such as Kiine Naane (the mother goddess of grains and crops), During Bote (The Divine Protector of life), Dadi Bote (The God of domestic animals) etc. From that time prayer songs are still practiced, sung by the Adis only in festivals in the form of chanting rituals while offering worship to appease Gods and spirits and thereby bring peace and pleasure to the person and the society. Through these prayer songs, the people seek attachment with the gods and goddesses during festivals or ceremonies.
Meaning the Goddess of prosperity at winter season discards the old leaves. At summer new leaves are grown on the trees. At the Riktu Festival was pray to Goddess of prosperity to festoon the new paddy (Aammo) just like the newly sprouted leaves of the trees.In Piming festival the womenfolk go to their respective fields and chanting prayer song by throwing big stones in the field to invoke the Goddess, ‘Kiren Genne’ and pray to her provide plenty of grains. Giidi Miri (Festival Song)
Ponung/Bari/Delong/Yakjong are the festival songs, which were originated by Karpung and karduk in the early days of the world and rolled down to Tani (man) which are still preserved by the Adis. Festival songs awaken the dormant make the young being pleasured and happiness to the old people also. Such type of songs are Aaran Giide Rulen Rugang Ne (the origin of Aaran festival), Solung, Ramjo Romjan Abang (origin of lower animals created from a tree), Sutkin Kedeng Bedang (the path to the land and kiine Naane, the Goddess of prosperity), Yokya Luge (a song of tag). These are related to solung festival. Mopun based on Mopin festival, Etor-Giidi (song of fencing) related to Etor Festival. Yage Bari (song of fishing) related to Yage festival. Ameng Abang related to Ameng festival for good harvesting. Sobo Ponung (song of Mithun) related to Sobo festival. Roja related to Roja festival etc.
Miniyam Miri (Marriage Song) Marriage songs are very much popular among the Gallong and the young groups of the society have developed these songs. Through these songs the singer narrates the future course of conjugal life of the couple. Penge (Funeral Songs) Funeral songs were originated from the death of Kari Bote and Toro Boro. The brave family members of Kari Bote and Toro Bore had organised a condolence meeting where people offer tributes in their names, by highlighting their past activities and also try to console family through songs in form of penge.
Ayit Miri (Song of invocation of Soul) This song was originated from the accidental death of Kari Toro. The wife of the deccased sung this song for invocation of the soul of Kari Toro to know about death. This type of song is now sung by the priest for invocation of soul to know the actual cause of his/her missing or death or disease and their remedy when a person is under these circumstances. There is another way to identify the causes of diseases and their remedy by examining fowl's lung. Yinsung Dodunge Tupeng Sito (method of identity the causes of diseases of person concerned) a folk song which is based on the subject. Redin is a valuable sacred plant which is used various ways to cure the suffering as well as protect the person from evil spirit also narrated in this song. Some folk songs are based on origin of universe viz., human, plants, animals, insects etc are under this category. When, how and why they have originated these are the basic characters of these songs. Such type of songs are Ani-Lengang (origin of man), Doni Donor (origin of human being), Keyum Kero Abang (origin of man), Dibang Abang (origin of bamboo), Ammo Doyin (origin of paddy), Perok (origin of fowl), Besung Nayi (song of monkey), Reesing Liibo (song of squirrel), and Siang Doying (song of siang river). Kojum Koje (the first civilised group of man), Engo-Takar (group of civilised people after Kojum Koje) etc are such type of songs which are based on the activities which had done their forefathers or cultural heroes from the beginning of mankind for the welfare of the Adi society.Gaming Abang, Apogee Pago Abang etc are few songs which are related to hunting and these type of songs are sung mainly in chorus when the people set out for hunting and on the way of their return. The method of successful hunting and their background are narrated in these songs.Few songs which are sung at the time of construction of house and house-warming ceremony. The difficulties which were faced by their forefather for construction of house and granary and their improvement and how they have overcome with the blessing of God and Goddesses are narrated in these songs. Such type of song is Ekum Reegang (Origin of construction of house). Some songs, which are based on agricultural activities describing every stage from survey of jungle for reclamation to the harvesting of grains and is sung both girls and boys when they are engaged for carrying grains from their cultivated fields to granary. It is unfortunate that folk songs are gradually losing its identity due to inflow of many undesirable elements in their society in respect of changing socio-political conditions as well as with the invasion of modernity. |
Photographs : supplied by the Directorate of Information and Public Relation and Printing (DIPR&P), Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar
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Acknowledgement : I sincerely acknowledgement the help of cooperation extended by Late Talom Rukbo, Secretary, Adi Cultural and Literary Society, Pasighat and many friends of Adi society.
