Earlier this year, renowned concert pianist and composer Neil Nongkynrih passed away while in Mumbai. Uncle Neil, as he is fondly known, was the founder of the Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC), which shot to fame after winning the reality show India's Got Talent in 2010. The Padma Shri winning founder and composer was born in the Khasi Hills district of what is now Meghalaya state, and always championed his local Khasi language and culture through his music (he even wrote an opera in the language Khasi -- Sohlyngngem, based on a tragic folktale). Nongkynrih left India in the late '80s to study music in the UK. When he came back in 2001 he founded the SCC and they performed a wide ranging genre of music from Western classical, gospel, Bollywood, as well as pop.
The choir was in Mumbai to record music when Nongkynrih passed away at the age of 51. Before his passing they had recorded a new song, The Great Indian Train Journey, a larger than life, celebratory anthem. The SCC has now released the song along with a vibrant music video that also pays homage to the late musician himself. The lead singer of the choir William Richmond Basaiawmoit remembers the maestro and tells us more about the song. Excerpts from the interview:
Tell us more about The Great Indian Train Journey.
Musically, the song has different elements. It is Bollywood, but at the same time it challenges the typical norm of what Bollywood music is. During the choral scene Uncle Neil has incorporated a piece from Handel's Messiah -- a piece that is about 500 years old. The track has Punjabi in it. It has a dance beat going through it which signifies the chugging along of the train.
Another interesting thing about the song is that it does not have a traditional verse-chorus-verse pattern. It actually has more of a linear movement that takes place from one theme to another. And it is intended to be linear, in terms of the music, because it depicts a journey. A journey doesn't go around in circles, it goes in one particular direction.
What was the shoot for the music video like?
It was one big joyride from the beginning to end. It was a two day shoot. We had to be up at 4 o'clock in the morning, get ready, get into the cars, head out to a massive studio space in Mumbai.The sets were built from scratch.There is something about the music in itself that made it so fresh. It is full of life and energy. The video also depicts a time gone by. We start with Howrah station in the '60s, at a time when a train journey was still a very romantic experience. The choir is seen singing together there in the backdrop, signifying a time where togetherness was so precious, and natural.
And then there is a dream sequence. It's just madness. It's fun, The director of photography Amit (Roy) did a fantastic job, Satish (Raj Kasireddi), the director did a brilliant job as well. The result is a nostalgic and colourful music video.
How does it feel to bring this song to life now that Neil Nongkynrih is no more?
Uncle Neil had written and conceptualised this song about ten years ago. And it already had a life of its own in live concerts and it was always an instant hit among the crowds because of its uniqueness, and the humour that it brought. So in one sense it was already brought to life when he was still there. The response has been amazing and touching. Especially from people like Amitabh Bachchan, Rahul Bose and Suhel Seth and our fans. All of them posting it and retweeting really touched our hearts.
How was Uncle Neil to work with?
One of a kind. Never will we ever meet a man who pursued excellence the way he did. Who could not bear to remain in a box or to do the same thing over and over again. Never again will we meet a man who knew each of his singers, their strengths and their weaknesses so well. Never again will we meet a man who made singing and teaching the art of singing and choral music so innovative and so inventive.
And I think more than anything else, what he taught us was a mindset. He toughened our mindset, he brought about a certain disciple which is needed in order to survive. He was a truly, truly an inspiring human being - the way he would talk to the audience, I learnt so much from that. He also had a great sense of humour and wit that you could hear in his music. It was very humbling to work with him.
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Could you share some fond memories of your time with him?
To single out one particular memory would be unjust to the joy we shared together. And the years that we spent together. Because every single moment and the lifetime in itself, was filled with one memory after another. He loved to cook together, he would get everyone involved. He loved to prank people! He had a wicked sense of humour. There was never a dull moment when uncle Neil was there.
So what's next for the choir?
There is a lot that we have in store. We have possible tours of Scotland, the UK, Europe that are immediate plans. The main reason why Uncle Neil and the choir went to Mumbai was to record and shoot a spiritual album called the Songs of Dawn. This was Uncle Neil's final gift to the world. They are songs of healing, songs of inspiration and songs of comfort. There are 33 songs in English, Hindi and in Khasi. 11 music videos have already been shot and recorded. Then there is Uncle Niel's opera called Sohlyngngem which is a huge mammoth production. It is about 80 per cent done. Many a great composer has unfinished works -- Beethoven has his unfinished symphonies and Schubert's unfinished opera --- this is also an unfinished opera. We now have to look out for a recognised composer who will have to finish it. It is a beautiful piece of work, it's sung in our tribal dialect of Khasi.
Watch the video here: