Rooted to the Sound

Melding folk music with modern influences, the Tetseo Sisters have taken their Naga roots to an international audience

- Bhanuj Kappal

In the music video for the Tetseo Sisters' 2019 hit 'Hiyo', the four Chakhesang Naga siblings stand in the centre circle of a misty football field, garbed in white traditional dress. Straight out of K-pop, a pitch-shifted vocal melody repeats a simple phrase in Chokri as the sisters perform elegant folk dance moves. Bright synths shimmer, the production dripping with contemporary-pop gloss.

However, the beating heart of 'Hiyo' is the earthy vitality of its inspiration-a traditional Naga work song that weaves its beauty out of the simple rhythms and harmonies of communal labour. 'Hiyo'-like much of the Tetseo Sisters' recent music-is a masterclass in how to bring folk i n conversation with contemporary music, without losing the purity of emotion of the original.