UHKRUL: Padma Shree Guru Rewben Mashangva and a group of elder master trainers concluded a specialized five-day workshop on the Tingteila, the indigenous folk fiddle of the Tangkhul Naga people.
The “Workshop cum Culmination on Tingteila,” organized by the Hao Music & Dance Academy (HAMUDA) in collaboration with the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC, Dimapur, saw 30 students from various schools across Ukhrul gather at the TTA Memorial Hall to learn the art of crafting and playing the ancient instrument.
For Guru Rewben, often called the “King of Naga Folk Blues,” the workshop is more than just a musical class. Instead, it is a desperate race against time.
“There are only four to five of us left who have the knowledge of Tingteila,” Mashangva shared from his residence. “We are all aged now. If anything happens to us, the knowledge of Tingteila will be lost forever. To preserve the value, we taught the students not just how to play, but how to make the instrument and the basic rules and regulations governing it.”
The Tingteila is a unique one-stringed fiddle. Traditionally crafted from horsehair and Shon (bottle gourd) but the modern versions often utilize coconut shells for the resonator.
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During the workshop, the master trainers including MSKA Awardee Guru Rawung A.S. and Tingteila expert Awo Ningmaso A.S. emphasized that culture cannot be preserved in a glass case.
“The best way to preserve culture is to pass on the skills to the younger generations,” Mashangva noted. “When it is kept in a museum, it will only deteriorate. The idea of this workshop is to conserve the living knowledge.”
Beyond the technical skills of carving wood or bowing strings, the masters focused on the spiritual connection between the musician and their craft. Guru Rewben urged the 30 young participants to look inward, stating that the beauty of performance lies in its sincerity. “Connection between music and the person as a human is more important than learning music. There is no beauty in performing music when it is not done from the heart. The same song, when sung from the heart, is more pleasant to listen to,” Guru said.
The master trainers departed from Guru Reuben’s residence on Sunday. The departure marked a new beginning for the Tingteila. With 30 new pairs of hands now capable of coaxing sound from the one-stringed fiddle, the voice of the Tangkhul ancestors finds a new lease on life in the hearts of the younger generation.