The thrills of
North east India.
The North-eastern region is yet an unexplored area of
India, exotic and richly diverse. Each particular state of the Seven Sisters of
the Northeast and Sikkim are varied in their own special way, with their unique
culture, tradition, lifestyle, dances, food and more. The entire region has
immense potential for tourism as it is one of the most exotic regions in the
entire world. There can be seen a steady rise in the flow of tourists to this
area over the last few decades, more so now that there is a serene sense of
security.
The word “Nature” leaves
us so spellbound that we automatically get rejuvenated in its vigour and grace.
The air that we breathe has every element of Nature that holds our very
existence together. The plethora of its abundant love and care is showered on
us in different forms and shape. Mother Nature reminds us of our roots so that
we remain grounded. Just like Wordsworth’s “Lyrical Ballads" in
which the return of men to the original state of nature is emphasized; because
he believed that, people then, led a purer and more innocent existence.
Nature has spread its magnificent cloak all over the
Northeast, making it look like a green carpet, with rivers flowing through it
like veins, from a view as far as the satellite. A bounteous region of flowers,
orchids, birds and animals, this place mesmerizes a first time visitor, making sure
there are frequent escapades to soak in its striking resplendence.
And then, there comes a time when the people living in
the region enrich it further with their actions and contributions, making one
wonder, “Can there be a better calling anywhere in the world than Northeast
India?” We can surely be at one with this.
The Northeast has always been in the news for its people,
who has made it proud and Kalpana Patowary has been one of them. A true
daughter of the soil, she has no left no stone unturned to make her dream come
true to become the nation’s foremost singer. The millennium brought a slew of
singing projects for Kalpana, when she shifted base from Guwahati to Mumbai.
She broke all records when she came to be revered as a top-notch Bhojpuri
singer, more aptly known as the Queen of Bhojpuri music world.
One successful album led to the other and that is when
she decided to work on something really close to her heart – a project which
would bring her nearer to home.
Maa-e-ri is all about celebrating the beauty of Mother
Nature and tuned for the ears of not only music buffs of the Northeast but the
world. With six highly melodious songs, the music videos have been shot blending
the singer with the verdant hues of nature at its best.
The locations for Kalpana’s album are befitting for the
album as they take the viewers on a journey through some of the minimally
visited locales of the Northeast.
Dawki is an oft visited place in Meghalaya, more so for
tourists who regale at the sight of the plains of Bangladesh as they stand at a
vantage point amongst the green rolling hills at the Indo-Bangladesh border. And
Kalpana was more than exuberant to have been there during her music video
shoot.
MUSIC BOX, as is their forte, has done some of the best
videos for Kalpana’s album, Maa-e-Ri. The director’s team in MUSIC BOX has gone
to every extent possible effort to present to people videos par excellence in
terms of location, picturisation and finesse. Nonetheless, this album has
universal appeal in terms of its close assimilation with nature.
Another exotic location where the videos have been shot
is Mawlynong, which BBC has flashed in its chronicles as the Cleanest Village
in Asia. The rich sites of this village have been captured in frame, which
obviously will whet the senses of an adventurous traveller. The tiny village, otherwise
unknown to most people of the world, will now be featured in this video, which will
get an edge in the tourism map. The Living Root Bridge, a phenomenon to be seen
to be believed is something that tourism buffs will be attracted to after
seeing the video, which will be a class apart in its league. A part of the
video has also been shot in Cherrapunjee, once the wettest place on earth.
Mae-e-Ri, apart from
portraying the rich tapestry of some of the places of the Northeast has also
laid ample emphasis on the costumes, which is an array of attractive colours
from the looms of the Northeast. The first costume that Kalpana has worn for
her video is an ensemble inspired from one of the tribes of Nagaland, a state
known for its mesmerizing topography, its unique ethnic culture, language, food
and of course, its courteous and humble people. The video also captures
traditionally garbed Naga tribesmen performing to the beat of Kalpana’s song. A
true feast for the eyes indeed!
Kalpana’s second costume
is from Assam, a dress unique to the Darrang District. This costume is mostly
worn by the women during the performance of the Deodhani Nritya on the
auspicious day of Ma Manasha Puja.
The Deodhani dance is
performed either solo or in a group of three to four women essentially on the
occasion of the worship of Godesses Manasha. As per myth, Behula had to dance before Goddess Manasha in
order to get back her husband’s life. The dancers wear Mekhela-Sador, the unique
and traditional attire of the women of Assam. This ethnic ensemble is a two
piece dress, with the mekhela being the lower part or the skirt from waist
down, which is pleated in two to three folds. This is topped up by a blouse.
The Sador is a longish piece of cloth, which is again wrapped very gracefully
over the blouse and right across the front of the torso to be folded delicately
into the mekhela. The motifs woven into the mekhela-sador are usually inspired by
objects from nature, like birds, flowers, trees, etc. As Kalpana’s song Maaeri
is a lyrical celebration of Mother Nature, she thought it best by using the
beautiful dresses of the North East.
For Kalpana,
this video has been a journey of some of the most coveted moments of her life.
It’s a journey of her soul and spirit through which she is trying to capitulate
herself to the arms of Mother Nature. Says Kalpana, “I am launching my
first International Hindi music album in order to reach out to the maximum
music lovers around the globe. I am
on a journey of evolution through this album. As I went deeper into music, I
had to deal with musical mathematics. A tribute to Mother Earth, I will say this
has been one of the strongest concepts ever. Let us return to nature because
only in nature can the spirit of mankind be found meaningful.”
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