Subhasish Chakraborthy 30 Dec, 2024
If there is any region in India that can lay claim to the title Rock Music Capital, it has to be the Northeast. This corner of the country is a living museum to rock ‘n’ roll, with music as its common language.
There are two reasons why I have chosen to share my thoughts on the legacy of rock ‘n’ roll in the Northeast, a legacy that no other geographical region in India can boast of. One, Moheener Ghoraguli, the first Indian (Bangla) rock band, launched in Kolkata in the 1970s, a proud moment in history for a Bengali like me. Two, I was born and raised in the gateway city of Guwahati, the pulsing metropolis that has been the breeding ground of great rock bands, and which has, over time, evolved as a much sought-after concert destination.
Life is easygoing, in this naturally beautiful region blessed with equally beautiful people, whose fashion sense is the envy of metropolitan crowds. Their ability to rock, too, is something to be envied!
As someone who spent his formative years here, I’ve been lucky enough to experience this phenomenon first hand. And even though it has been 22 long years since my family moved to Kolkata, my emotional bond with the Northeast remains strong. In fact, I owe a colossal debt to Guwahati, and the picturesque hill station of Shillong (these cities just 98kms apart), places whose bands instilled in me a love for and admiration of rock music.
I still vividly remember the night of December 12, 2007, when I was one amongst more than 30,000 inside Shillong’s iconic Nehru Stadium, when Germany’s stalwart rockers, Scorpions, performed.
Eshwar Sundaresan, in a recent issue of Frontline, evocatively captured the nub of what makes folks in the Northeast gravitate towards rock ‘n’ roll. “People here, it will be observed, have always wanted an identity contrarian to the mainstream identity, and rock and metal were as far away as one could get from (that).”
Rock in its genes
I have been witness to the stupendous growth of rock ‘n’ roll as a tourism product, especially in countries like the USA and UK, where exclusive and thoughtfully curated rock tours are de rigueur. Musical hubs such as Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, which once played host to The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and where you can stay a night or two, just to soak in the ambience of a bygone era. I believe similar potential lies in the Northeast, to curate experiences that focus on the emotional role that rock music has played in lives of the region’s people, and in allowing them to gain a foothold in mainstream India.
For, despite the infrastructural bottlenecks, bands from the Northeast have carved out a niche for themselves not just in India but abroad too. For instance, Girish and the Chronicles (GATC), a Sikkim-based outfit that plays rock and heavy metal, and are recognised for their “soaring vocals, biting guitars, thunderous bass, and pounding drums,” have been pioneers in this space for a decade-and-a-half now.
According to Metal Injection, authoritative documenters of the global metal scene, “Girish and the Chronicles are known for their electrifying and energetic performances on stage. With a mixture of power ballads, hard rock, and classic ’80s metal, they give us a sound not many bands today can capture.” GATC’s 2020 album, ‘Rock The Highway,’ was an absolute hit worldwide, and spoke volumes about the talent that exists within the musical ecosystem of the Northeast. The Tetseo Sisters from Nagaland is another collective that has faced down every obstacle and come out blazing, its signature fusion-folk having travelled as far as Detroit and Chicago. By dint of their spellbinding music, the Tetseo Sisters have almost become the brand ambassadors of the Northeast. And there are others who, for all the struggles, continue to rock on and rock out, bands like Lucid Recess, The Lynx, Thunder’s Cave, and the all-woman, post-punk Vinyl Records, all of whom are vigorously keeping the rock culture alive.
Hard times because, in the words of Danny Marak, of Darjeeling’s Adam’s Apple, there are little or no promoters – or even a platform – for these bands. It’s a sad state of affairs for these gifted artistes, many of whom, he rues, are forced to quit in frustration. “The promoters must work hard to support young musicians,” stresses Danny.
And this is where government support – financial and logistical – is so vital if the Northeast’s rich rock ‘n’ roll legacy is to be carried forward. Such backing will also give rock enthusiasts another reason to visit the region, which will bring more tourism rupees to the local economies.
They won’t back down
Yet, despite the genre losing out to other styles, the Northeast is still fertile ground for straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll, and still unlike any place in India. Even today, anyone can pick up a guitar (or get behind a drum kit) and single-mindedly learn the intricacies of rock music. It must be something in the air, because people here definitely possess an uncanny ability to start a rock band in their own backyard or garage (having obtained permission from their parents to do so!).
Take Imnainla Jamir, for example. The latest sensation from the region, Imnainla is a young female guitarist from Nagaland whose powerhouse rendition of the national anthem at the 2022 Hornbill Festival, in the presence of India’s vice-president, shot her to fame. In its wake, she became the talk of the town, and social media went berserk. A self-taught guitarist, Imnainla was first guided by her brother and later by musicians from her village, which boasts a thriving rock ‘n’ roll culture. Gradually, she found her way around the chords. Her’s is a remarkable triumph of spirit.
Then, of course, there’s Girish and the Chronicles, the nation’s first globally recognised rock band, with an international audience and fan following to boot.
Sikkim has always been known for its breathtaking Himalayan panoramas. Now, it’s celebrated for one of India’s most popular rock outfits. GATC has been around since 2009, and is made up of Girish Pradhan on vocals, Yogesh Pradhan on the bass, Suraz Sun on lead guitars, and Nagen Mongrati on the drums.
They have performed in such hallowed events as UrRock Fest in Switzerland, and Zurbaran Rock Burgos Fest in Spain, while also supporting Guns N’ Roses as special guests in front of thousands at the Etihad Area in Abu Dhabi. Accolades have poured in. “This shit is tight, son.
It sounds exactly like something Riki Rachtman woulda played on Headbanger’s Ball in the late ’80s or early ’90s, and I mean that in the best possible way,” raved Axl Rosenberg of MetalSucks. Meanwhile, Metal Injection’s Corinne Westbrook called the GATC as “beyond refreshing,” and praised their “sincere” devotion to authenticity.
In 2022, Girish and the Chronicles signed a deal with Frontiers Music for their ‘Hail to the Heroes’ album, becoming the first Indian rockers to sign up with the Italian record label that specialises in hard rock. Calling them the best hair-metal band “out there right now,” Rosenberg gave GATC a big up, and told everyone to, “Get ready to party like it’s 1989!”
As someone once said, “Rock ‘n’ roll is not just music. It’s a way of life; it has its own spirit.” It’s an axiom that couldn’t hold more truer for India’s Northeast!
