Rhythm of Love: In conversation with Boloto Achumi

Boloto Achumi is a young talented upcoming singer and songwriter from Zunheboto, Nagaland. He initially uploaded cover songs on YouTube, but has now released his first official music video “Oh Illomi” in August 2021.

Read on to know more about Achumi in today’s Rhythm of Love.

Eastern Mirror: How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

Boloto Achumi: Hi everyone! I am Boloto Achumi from Zunheboto, Nagaland; a writer, composer and singer, and currently working as the music director of Atoizu Town Baptist Church. I sing all kinds of genres but I prefer pop, pop-rock, rock, indie and country the most.

I have a few cover songs and my debut single, “Oh Ilomi’ on YouTube. If you like it, add me in your playlist and if you don’t, please do wait for my upcoming songs.

I hope this new journey of ours will get better with time.

Eastern Mirror: How did you get into music? Can you take us through your musical journey?

Boloto Achumi: Coming from a long line of musicians from both my mom and dad’s family, I had been influenced by music ever since my early years. Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, when boy bands and RnB music were at its peak, I remember growing up with my grandparents who owned a cassette deck player and my uncles, who would listen to different genres of music. I think those were the times when knowingly and unknowingly, I started to fall in love with music and singing.

Growing up, I listened to a lot of country, pop, pop rock, rock and so on, and  I think that is why my soul stayed in the late 90s and early 2000s although the years went by and we’re now in 2021.

During my high school days, I started singing and I also won my first singing competition at Immanuel Higher Secondary School, Zunheboto, which gave me something to stand on and my new musical journey began.

My uncles were all professionally trained musicians and from there my new interest in music began. After that, while learning music and trying out different genres, I also got to participate in an event called, “Sümi Singing Star” where I was the runner-up. My life changed after that and my journey took a whole new turn and made me the man I am today.

Along the way, there were a lot of hurdles but I had to learn how to jump over them. Life has never been easy but I couldn’t have asked for a better life than this. I am not there yet but I am working to go there soon.

Eastern Mirror: What is your debut music video “Oh Ilomi” all about, and the inspiration behind it?

Boloto Achumi: The song, “Oh Ilomi” was actually not written to be a song in the first place. It was some random lines I wrote for a girl I liked way back in 2017. Time flew and it was 2021 already and as I was going through my old notes on my phone earlier this year, I happened to scroll through my old ‘cringe quotes’ and in between those lines, I read a line that said, “Oh ilomi, noye imheghi shini” which meant, “Oh Darling, you’re/you’ll be my prized possession”.

I laughed at my old self for being so cheesy but after a while I started adding some more lines and after a few days of writing and trying to find the right tune with my guitar, the song, “Oh, Ilomi” came into existence with the help of Aron Asumi Studio. I’d like to thank that girl from 2017 for giving me something to start with.

Eastern Mirror: “Oh Ilomi” is in your mother tongue (Sumi) but it has received much traction from those who don’t speak the dialect. Did you expect that? 

Boloto Achumi: I never really expected that people from other communities would enjoy this song but I’m glad that it did and I’m hoping that it’ll continue to do so.

The reason why I didn’t expect much from my song is because I am someone who is from Zunheboto, performing mostly in and around Zunheboto; and so I thought that my song would only reach out to the people here but as I went through the comments, I saw that a lot of them were from other communities and I’m very much thankful to them for listening to my song. I guess this is what they call the power of social media.

Eastern Mirror: What are your inspirations while writing lyrics?

Boloto Achumi: There’s so much to say but I have too little to express. So, to put it into something that everyone can relate to or understand, I would have to say that my inspiration while writing is the thought that I’ll get to wake up tomorrow knowing that my lyrics would’ve made someone’s day. There’s just another level of happiness and satisfaction when you know that something you did or you’re doing is going to or is making someone smile. Being able to make others smile is my biggest inspiration while writing.

Eastern Mirror: Apart from singing, what are your other interests?

Boloto Achumi: I do just about anything if I feel it is right and it’ll make me happy and satisfied. I have a lot of things that I’m interested in but if I had to pick a few it would be photography and sports. So, apart from singing, I do play football on a professional “Colony” level team, wearing my favourite Jersey number, that is, the last jersey that is left out after everyone selects which jersey number they want.

My photography skills aren’t as good but if I had to pick another career for myself, it would definitely be a photographer. There’s just something about capturing a moment, freezing it in that particular time and making others appreciate the beauty of what was.

Eastern Mirror: What do you wish to communicate through your songs?

Boloto Achumi: To be brutally honest, I don’t compose or write my songs as a means to communicate any form of message or propaganda. Some songs in the future might be but as of now, there’s no such thing as communicating “this & that” through my songs.

But what I do know is, I want my song to be the song that is played when someone is happy and wants to hear something to go along with their giggles and laughter. I also hope that my songs will be the shoulder that they lean onto when they’re broken and weary. My songs are more of, “What do you need? Here I am for you” than it is, “Listen to me and pass on the message”.

Eastern Mirror: What is your greatest strength? How does it help you as a musician?

Boloto Achumi: Before all, Above all, After none and Below none, my family is my greatest strength.

Everything I was, everything I am now and everything I will be is and will be because of my family. Ever since I started my career, I’ve had their support from the ‘littlest’ to the biggest thing I’ve been to, and I know I am not even close to what people would call “being successful” is but for my family, I was already the most successful man when I won a singing contest in Sunday school. Nothing in this world can change my mind when I say, “Family first. The rest follows”.

Also, if you ever see me performing somewhere, always remember that one or some of my family members are in the crowd screaming their lungs out for me. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing the fact that no matter what happens, I have my family on my back ready to lift me up and make me shine brighter and brighter.

Eastern Mirror: A dream that you have always wanted to fulfil.

Boloto Achumi: The only dream I’ve always wanted to fulfil is to build a house for my parents. This has been and will be the only dream that I’ll dream off as long as I am able to achieve it and make my dream a reality.

There are other things that I would love to see as a reality and I am also working hard on my part to make them come true, and I hope and pray that they do but even if they don’t, that’ll be alright as long as my dream of building a house for my parents comes true.

Eastern Mirror: Any upcoming projects?

Boloto Achumi: There are a few upcoming projects that I’ll start working on very soon for my album called 90s. The first song of the album is my debut single, “Oh Ilomi” which will be followed by five-six more songs. The workload has been too much that I haven’t been able to go to the studio for a few months now but I’m hoping that by the last week of November, I’ll start my work on my upcoming projects.

I am also currently working on a few songs and trying to complete the lyrics in the meantime, trying to find the right melody for some other songs. Hoping to get back to the studio very soon and complete my first album.

Eastern Mirror: Any message for your listeners?

Boloto Achumi: From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and everyone who has been here since the beginning. Words alone can’t express the gratitude I feel in my heart for each and everyone of you. My song is just another song in the world filled with songs from better and greater artists but you chose to add mine to the list too, for which I am and will forever be grateful to each and everyone of you.

Thank you everyone!