Family and well-wishers welcome Moa Subong

Dimapur — Moa Subong, who was recently conferred the Padma Shri Award for his contributions in the field of art, was warmly received by his family, members of Mongsenyimti Senso Telongjem Dimapur, and well-wishers on his arrival at Dimapur airport on Friday.

During interaction with the media persons at the airport, Subong expressed his surprise at being honoured with the Padma Shri Award and attributed his success to God and encouragement from his family and supporters. He stated that the award was not in only recognition of his personal achievements but also a triumph for the entire Naga community.

While responding to the present music scenario in Nagaland, Subong commented that it is currently going in the right note with many musicians actively involved in creating and performing music, while some artistes are producing original songs.

Subong advised that starting with cover songs is a good way to begin their musical journey. He, however, underscored that it is important to start composing original songs as they progress in order to establish themselves as professionals in the industry.

Speaking on the invention of the Bamhum music instrument, Subong mentioned that when his wife Arenla was appointed as a Guru to teach folk music, they began searching for traditional Naga musical instruments. He stated that even though they found a few, but those instruments had limitations as they could not produce all the required notes.

While explaining that incorporating instruments like guitar and violin into traditional Naga folk music sounds too Western, he stated that they experimented with various methods to create a new instrument that would suit their musical style and subsequently created the Bamhum.

In his message to the people, Subong has emphasised on perseverance, patience, and consistency in achieving success. He stated with hard work and passion, one can overcome setbacks and ultimately achieves their goals.