Ruangmei Naga Folk Music Instruments: From Drums to Flutes

Most traditional cultures and their folk music have a variety of accompanying musical instruments. The form, melody and function are indicative of that culture's technical and geographical ingenuity.

The Ruangmei Naga people are one of several tribes of the Naga people that inhabit Northeast India. They are predominantly located in Tamenglong and Noney districts of Manipur and have a rich tradition of folk music that encompasses wide themes surrounding their social and cultural lives. There are songs that deal with agricultural operations like lau phun lu (seed sowing song) and lau ruaih lu (weeding song), ritualistic songs like baanruh lu (feast of merit song), and stories and rhymes that are sung to children and are called nah lu (children’s song). Although many folk songs were also sung without musical instruments, some such as majian lu (lamentation song), nrah lu (harp song), and lamluan lu (love song) always needed drums and harps. In the simplest sense, these musical instruments are meant not just to generate sound but to produce and modify the character of folk music altogether. It is therefore useful to look at a classification of musical instruments that accompany Ruangmei folk music and songs based on the way in which the sounds are generated and produced. One such classification is the Hornbostel-Sachs system where musical instruments are classified into the categories of aerophones (instruments where sound is generated through vibrations through air and not strings or membranes), chordophones (instruments where sound is generated through vibration of strings stretched between two fixed points), idiophones (instruments where sound is generated by the vibration of the instruments themselves rather than a string, membrane, or a column of air), membranophones (instruments where sound is produced by the vibration of a tightly stretched membrane) and electrophones (instruments that produce sounds through electrical means).

Nrah
Nrah is a stringed instrument, a chordophone, used by the Ruangmei people, akin to a violin.[1] It has a hollow body made out of a coconut shell that has been cleaned and cut in half and covered with animal skin, preferably that of a buffalo. The strings for the main body and the iron bow are made from horse’s tail. The main body and its horsehair string are bowed and not plucked to generate sounds. The nrah has a separate removable component, a bridge made of wood to raise and support the strings to generate music. (Figs 1 and 2)

Fig. 1: An elder from Dailong village shows us the correct way to hold nrah. He was part of the khangchiu (men’s dormitory) in his youth and converted to Christianity in 1980. He is 98 years old and one of the oldest surviving Ruangmei elders in Tamenglong (Courtesy: Lungkiang Giang Pamei) — Fig. 1. An elder from Dailong village shows us the correct way to hold nrah. He was part of the khangchiu (men’s dormitory) in his youth and converted to Christianity in 1980. He is 98 years old and one of the oldest surviving Ruangmei elders in Tamenglong (Courtesy: Lungkiang Giang Pamei)

Fig. 2: The main body of nrah is made from coconut shell, wood, and buffalo skin, especially skin from softer, more stretchable parts of the buffalo’s body like the scrotum. The bow is made of iron and its strings from horse’s tail and the bridge, only removable component, is made from wood (Courtesy: Namthiubuibou Daimei) — Fig. 2. The main body of nrah is made from coconut shell, wood and buffalo skin, especially skin from softer, more stretchable parts of the buffalo’s body like the scrotum. The bow is made of iron and its strings from horse’s tail and the bridge, only removable component, is made from wood (Courtesy: Namthiubuibou Daimei)

Nrah was mostly played by the Ruangmei men, women rarely played it although not because they were forbidden from playing. Nrah has an almost melancholic yet peaceful sound and was a part of various moods and occasions from serenading the beloved to an accompaniment for songs about love, loss and death. However, nowadays nrah is restricted to special occasions and is seldom used in community singing.

Nkhuangh
Nkhuangh (drum) is the main percussion instrument classified as a membranophone, and is used during folk songs or ceremonies where the nkhuangh player plays it by beating the membrane with a stick.[2] It is the main accompanying bass and percussion instrument for folk songs and is mostly played in a straightforward 4/4 beat. The membrane of the drum is made from animal skin, especially that of the buffalo. Traditionally, nkhuangh was used during festivals and accompanied dances that were an integral part of Ruangmei celebrations. It is still a part of musical ceremonies and church festivals during Christmas. (Fig. 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Fig. 3: Nkhuangh made with metal wires instead of cane rope. The drumstick is made of wood and the beater is made from softer materials, in this case, rubber. The owner had replaced the cane ropes with metal wires for durability as cane ropes tend to loosen over time (Courtesy: R. Husuang) — Fig. 3. Nkhuangh made with metal wires instead of cane rope. The drumstick is made of wood and the beater is made from softer materials, in this case, rubber. The owner had replaced the cane ropes with metal wires for durability as cane ropes tend to loosen over time (Courtesy: R. Husuang)

Fig. 4: Nkhuangh viewed from the side. Nkhuangh is the main membranophone instrument of the Ruangmei people. The membrane is made from buffalo skin; the skin is dried in the sun, soaked overnight and its hair follicles are cleaned so that the membrane of the drum is smooth and provides a good echo when hit (Courtesy: R. Husuang) — Fig. 4. Nkhuangh viewed from the side. Nkhuangh is the main membranophone instrument of the Ruangmei people. The membrane is made from buffalo skin; the skin is dried in the sun, soaked overnight and its hair follicles are cleaned so that the membrane of the drum is smooth and provides a good echo when hit (Courtesy: R. Husuang)

Fig. 5: Nkhuangh, viewed from the top, with the tools required for its construction. These iron tools are required for carving and hollowing out the dense wood and giving it a drum shape (Courtesy: R. Husuang) — Fig. 5. Nkhuangh, viewed from the top, placed alongside the tools required for its construction. These iron tools are required for carving and hollowing out the dense wood and giving it a drum shape (Courtesy: R. Husuang)

Fig. 6: A traditional nkhuangh made with cane ropes. The drums in the old days used all the same materials except for metal wires. The naturally available cane ropes were used to bind and hold the membranes of the drums together; however, they had tobe rewired once in a while especially for the nkhuanghs played regularly (Courtesy: Ramrisuang Pamei) — Fig. 6. A traditional nkhuangh made with cane ropes. The drums in the old days used all the same materials except for metal wires. Naturally available cane ropes were used to bind and hold the membranes of the drums together; however, they had to be rewired once in a while, especially for the nkhuanghs played regularly (Courtesy: Ramrisuang Pamei)

Syamtuaic
Syamtuaic (clash cymbal), an idiophonic instrument, is used during folk songs and celebrations. A pair of identical cymbals, syamtuaic is believed to have entered the Ruangmei Naga folk consciousness through external influences, especially the Kuki people.

Syanmiw
Syanmiw (nipple gong) is also an idiophonic instrument and is traditionally used during special occasions such as marriage, funeral and baanruh (feast of merit) to signal the start of an event. Back in the day, along with the guaichai (bullhorn), syanmiw may also have even been used to alert against hostile attacks from neighbouring villages. (Fig. 7)

Fig. 7: Syanmiw with a raised centre boss. It produces different sounds depending on where it is struck — Fig. 7. Syanmiw with a raised centre boss. It produces different sounds depending on where it is struck (Courtesy: Kadiguang Panmei)

Alim
Alim (flute), an aerophone, is the main woodwind instrument of the Ruangmei people. An aerophone is an instrument in which sound is generated by vibrating air. Alim was mostly played by men of the society and was traditionally played at night before sleep. It is made from a bamboo stick and usually has four to six holes. It has an airy and mellow sound. (Fig. 8)

Fig. 8: A work in progress, an unfinished alim. Alim is made from bamboo stick and is either an end blown or a side blown flute. It usually has four to six holes with regional variations (Courtesy: Ramrisuang Pamei) — Fig. 8. A work in progress, an unfinished alim. Alim is made from bamboo stick and is either an end blown or a side blown flute. It usually has four to six holes with regional variations (Courtesy: Ramrisuang Pamei)

Each different from the other in their making as well as use, the Ruangmei musical instruments have historically been a part of the folk music of the community. These instruments complement folk songs and dance, and are particularly important because their constructions exhibit the ingenuity of the Ruangmeis who made the most out of available natural resources.

Notes
[1] Soundcloud.com, ‘Nrah’; ‘Nrah 1.’

[2] Soundcloud.com, ‘Nkhuang.’

Bibliography
Soundcloud.com. ‘Nrah.’ Accessed October 8, 2020. https://soundcloud.com/user-863073039/nrah/s-Trn3STnKCeQ.