Music in time of pandemic
Six youths connected musically last year while on duty at a Covid centre in city
When the first wave of the Covid-19 infection last year was upending life across the state and leading to a major healthcare crisis, a group of young music artistes was witnessing a creative churning despite the hectic schedule at a corona care centre in Shillong. The result was the creation of the band Murda Klan.
The six members — Ksanborlang Mawlong, Pynskhem Khardewsaw, Raibhalang Basaiawmoit, Khraw Jyrwa, Wellborn Lyngdoh and Wandalinia Lyngdoh — were volunteers at the Covid Centre in Umsawli and connected with each other through music. They would jam in their leisure time and plan a musical debut. “Later, we met Frank (hip-hop artiste Frank Synister aka Erick Franky) through a mutual friend and we started working on a Halloween special together,” say the band members.
Frank Synister and Murda Klan recently collaborated to release their first song, Shan Ha La Ki Kjat (Stand on Your Own Feet) (click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BACX8Ocv0Ys). The band members say it was an unexpected collaboration and “everything happened so fast”.
The idea for the song came when the musicians were readying for the Halloween release. The inchoate thought took shape fast and the song was recorded in a few days. The young artistes were guided by professional musicians DJ Knack, aka Duncan Kharmalki, and Yoomiki Thangkhiew at every level.
“We needed this to happen as it is the Klan’s first song and all of us needed this as we have been working for this ‘slot’ throughout our lives. Music has a deep and greater meaning in our lives and we knew we could not just let it pass,” say the members.
Ksan and Skhem are childhood friends and they met Rai through rap and music. Wellborn, a beat boxer, B-boy and rapper, has always been a hip-hop fan. Khraw, a hustler, and Wanda met the others at the corona care centre.
It was Wanda who saw the passion and conviction in the budding musicians and approached Franky, who is a music producer.
The members say while promotion of their song is an important issue, “we would also want to support local artistes and identify talents”.
“We would like to thank everyone involved in the project, from the dancers to the actors to even the people who were acting as extras, our friends and family and everyone else who supported us,” they add.
