A Coffee With Kuvelii Tetseo

          The world must have been some 20 years younger than it is today; I remember as a kid, my grandma taking all the pain to make sure that her grandchildren learn some of these songs. These songs were once the basic foundation of a unique culture, unexplored and hidden somewhere within the thick forest at the tip of the vast Himalayan range, the land of the Nagas and the Culture of its people. Unfortunately, her grandchildren betrayed her for Michael Learns to Rock and Bon Jovi. Now, that culture is finding it hard to survive the present.

Tetseo Sisters (Source www.tetseosisters.com)

          North East India maybe considered as the hub to western music when we talk of the country India at large. Looking at the present scenario, someday very soon, I am afraid it might even host its very own version of the Woodstock, maybe somewhere at Shillong or Dimapur. The Hornbill Rock Contest is making waves already attracting lots of participants countrywide. Pick a random kid and give him a guitar, he will play it like Carlos Santana, no kidding (well of course I am an exception). That is a good thing right? Yes, it is a very good thing.

          Well, not at the cost of your own culture, your traditions and most importantly, not at the cost of the only one thing that is the only way your very origin is defined. As a Naga, we should always remember that we never had a written history, whatever it is or that we have today, it was passed down to us through our traditional folk songs. We can’t afford to lose this.

Kuvelii Tetseo (Source www.tetseosisters.com)

          Now we will be speaking with Kuvelü Tetse-O, from the very sensational “Tetseo Sisters”, who have been trying their best to mend this very gap with their “Li”. “Li” that has nudge out a new hope and inspirations for its younger generations and; a never experienced before culture to the rest of the world.

One-on-One with Kuvelü Tetse-O

Zhoniu: Hello Kuvelü!!! Very glad to meet you and you look gorgeous as always. *Smiles*

Kuvelü Tetseo: Thanks Zhoniu. You are very kind. Same here. *Smiles*

Z: Welcome!!! Would you like a coffee? *Set a coffee for two*

KT: Thank you. Yes, please.

Z: Before we begin, I wanted to say thank you for what you and your sisters are doing for our Naga culture, and give you a hug for that.

KT: We are grateful for the love and encouragement. Thanks. We are just doing a little bit. We all need to do our bit :)

Z: So I heard, Tetseo Sisters were on a tour to New Delhi recently. How was the experience?

KT: We were on our first South India Tour and then wrapped up with a couple of gigs in Delhi. Delhi is our second home and it is always great to be there, whether performing or just shopping :)

Z: That sounds lovely. So how long have you been singing with your sisters?

KT: As far back as I can remember. But we all do our own stuff too. As Tetseo Sisters on a proper stage, it’s been almost twenty years. Ever since I was a toddler, I have been singing.

Z: So, were you like “I had in me, this singing thing” and just started it? Or were your sisters a part of the reason/inspiration behind this career?

KT: I have always loved singing. It was just great that we could sing together and we inspire each other. My parents are very musical and they were the once who encouraged us to learn singing all kinds of songs. They are the ones behind our success so far.

Kuvelii Tetseo (Source www.tetseosisters.com)

Z: Apart from singing, you also write awesome poetries and blog about fashion. What inspires you and how do you manage all this things? For me, I can barely maintain my blog when I am painting (shame on me). *Sips coffee*

KT: I don’t write poetry. That is my sister Mercy’s interest. I blog about things that make me happy and people I admire and look up to. I do a bit of fashion in it, interview or write about beautiful and special people; and I love styling and getting these looks photographed. I am thankfully a good juggler and my sisters are always there to help me out. Blogging takes quite a lot of time and effort. And we travel and get real busy so I often stay up late to do new posts and this depends on the Internet network too. A lot of work but fun. You can find my blog “My salad days” at a new address now. www.kuveluart.blogspot.in

Join me there.

Z: Wow!!! I think I would need a crash course from you one of these days. *Laughs* and yes, please don't forget to follow her blog.

KT: I am sure you are doing just fine.

Z: As I can see, you and your sisters are doing very good job and going places, but I am sure you might have also faced a lot of difficulties in your journey so far. Would you like to take us through some of those times?

KT: Traveling from Kohima to other places is not the easiest trip to plan and work out for a team of 5 to 6. It gets hard to fix dates and schedule travel if we don’t get invites way in advance. That’s only one of the few hitches. Everything else has been going pretty smoothly. We are lucky to have wonderful audiences everywhere and people who sincerely appreciate our art. The only irritating thing is when scheduled and confirmed gigs get cancelled or postponed; it totally makes everything else crazily inconvenient and expensive. Also people who bargain for our performance fees and pay late. Ughh!!!

Kuvelii Tetseo (Source www.tetseosisters.com)

Z: Oh!!! That must have been really hard and frustrating; my readers and I wish you sisters all the best for the future.

KT: Thank you very much. We need all the support to spread the message of respect, acceptance and friendship through Music and showcase our culture in an appealing and attractive way.

Z: And what moment has been the best in your journey?

KT: Meeting wonderful and talented people, getting to experience new things, costumes, travelling to new places, shopping, eating out, performing…I love it all.

Z: Last I spoke with Mercy, she told me about these intense cat-fights, what are reasons behind these fights? *Smiles*

KT: It’s usually typical girly stuff like missing make-up, shoes, clothes, bags etc. Never serious, but short and over quickly. Peace prevails with a bowl of noodles and Rajah Mircha or Momos.

Z: Hahaha...That's more like it. Well, it’s been such a wonderful evening catching up with you, I wish we had more time and I could end up chatting with you 24 hrs in one stretch. *Laughs*

KT: This was fun. Thank you for having me over.

Z: Thank you again and I hope someday you and sisters will drop by and perform one or two “Li” for us. A very good evening to you and “Hiyohey”.

KT: That would be awesome. Thanks again and Hiyohey!

 

Sharing "Hiyo! Hiyo!" by Tetseo Sisters. Enjoy the music... :)

 

          Last Word: It was Kuvelii’s birthday yesterday, July 11^th, and we are so sorry that we somehow missed it. Anyway, we wish you a very Happy Belated Happy Birthday. May blessings be upon like a downpour.

Tetseo Sisters: An Evening With Mercy Tetseo

With the genre of music they follow and became a sensation in the tinsel world, I would say that they the “Tetseo Sisters” have got the guts. And as for my blog, to have them as a guest here these evening, it’s star struck. I think my blog might just crash. Hahaha… Jokes apart, I am truly honored and honestly I have no clue where or how to even start introducing them and their sensational music. I am taking my chances.

Tetseo Sisters Performing: Via www.tetseosisters.com

In a land far far away where beauty never ends and the cold kisses the girls cheeks pink, where words were never actually written down and history passed on through generations by the word of mouth; these were the songs of love and of romance, the songs of joy and of sadness, the songs of victory and of loss, the songs of seasons and of festivals, the songs of history and of life once lived. These were the songs of the Nagas and these were the songs that once were a way of life. These were the songs that evoke goose pimples all over. Now it stands near extinction. 

Against the backdrop of the western music and its glamor catching up, within the high walls of the Indian Bollywood music industry rising and with the diminishing appreciation for its value and its aesthetic beauty by her own people and her younger generation, these once a very beautiful and rare form of art now stands at the verge of being wipe out of the face of earth. It stands somewhere in oblivion. Very soon, this rich legacy might never get passed on to the next generation. Or maybe not…

Tetseo Sisters: Via www.tetseosisters.com

Described as the “True cultural ambassador of the North East” by the North East Sun magazine, the Tetseo Sisters are here to win hearts with their “Li” accompanied by an age old Naga traditional one stringed instrument. “Li, the music from a forgotten time and place. Li, the song of the people” as they called it. A Naga folk act comprising of three siblings - Mercy, Kuvelü and Alüne Tetseo, the Tetseo Sisters are leaving no stone unturned on their journey. A journey of the forgotten. A journey less taken. And a journey of the people called the Nagas and their traditions and its folklores.

Now we are One-On-One with Mercy Tetseo.

Zhoniu: Hello, Mercy!!! It’s such a pleasure to have you here these evening. I am already so excited. *smiles*

Mercy Tetseo: Thank you, I am so excited myself. *smiles*

Z: Oh!! By the way you look so gorgeous in that dress. Is it a traditional Naga Dress?

MT: Thank you very much. Yes. It is a traditional Naga Dress worn with a happy twist. We keep playing around with earrings, colors and head pieces – there is so much color and creativity inherent in our traditional gears.

Z: So I heard that most of the dresses you wear on stage are designed by yourself. Is it just a rumor or it is true?

MT: Yes. Some of the modern Naga dresses that we wear are designed by us; some by our mother and all the jewelry are pieced together by us. Lately, we have also worn outfits designed especially for us by our friends –the very talented Naga designer, Keds Krome, and Boney Darang of Arunachal Pradesh. 

Mercy Tetseo: Via www.tetseosisters.com

Z: So, it is true that you make them under the guidance of your mother’s watchful eyes?

MT: She is the guiding force and our inspiration with a lot of support from our father.

Z: So “Li”, can you share us some light on it?

MT: Li is simply “folk songs” – the songs people sing as a community, to express, to bond, to enjoy. We call them the songs of the people because it is precisely that. Our people’s original songs, sung in the local dialects covering a range of topics and emotions – that is Li. Our Li is sung in Chokri – our mother tongue, a dialect spoken by the Chakhesangs of Nagaland. It is a musical and lilting clear tongue.

Z: Thank you Mercy, that’s very insightful and my readers would really appreciate it as they are mostly from abroad with no clue whatsoever about the Naga culture and music (folksong).

MT: There is a lot of musicality and creativity in our land. And it is wonderful to be a part of the world of music, art and history. Life is a beautiful journey of discovery and understanding if you have the patience.

Z: Could you briefly take us with you in your journey so far?

MT: We have been singing for almost twenty years now – at least for me. Our music has taken us from the remote hills of Kohima to the dazzlingly choreographed stages of International Music events and very interesting audiences. We have always had wonderfully appreciative audiences all over the places we have performed. Thank God for that. Between the four of us, we have covered India from Uttarakhand to Tamil Nadu, Mumbai to Arunachal and Thailand. We have performed Li for the Prince of York to the Folks of Pfutsero and have had the most exciting times in between. We do hope to be able to do more in music, culture and art in the coming days.

 

Z: And how is the experience working with your own family/sisters? Any regrets or any moment you wanted to hang on to?

MT: It is a lot of fun. The commitment, comfort and trust level is very high, the cat fights also intense (kidding). It helps that we enjoy each other’s company and we are well adjusted. We shop together, watch movies together – basically do a lot of things together and it is so much fun when we have the other person to take care of you or look after. We are a very content lot and pretty efficient. We know each other very well and take good care of each other not allowing any negativity. Democracy rules in our household :)

Mercy Tetseo: Via www.tetseosisters.com

Z: Originally, it was four of you. So what happened to Azi Tetseo? Is she coming back, because we really look forward to see her again perform?

MT: We are four sisters but it rare for all of us to come together on stage for every gig. Azi hasn’t really gone anywhere. She is on maternity leave enjoying motherhood and being a great mother to her little son who will be one soon. Since she got married, she has been occupied but she has joined us on stage for most of the shows we have done except the South India tour of 2013.

Z: Okay, this may sound a little awkward but somehow I have to pop-up because this might be the questions of thousands men out there, including me *giggles*. Are you single?

MT: * No comments *

Z: Oh!!! That’s heart breaking *sad face* but I will leave it there and not intrude your privacy. Sorry guys :(

MT: Let’s just say “It is complicated” :D

Z: Thank you Mercy, it’s been very lovely to catch up with you, I really wish we had more time to chat. Please drop by again very soon, we can’t wait.

MT: Thank you for including us in your musings. It sure was a delight to share with you.

Z: Good Luck and best wishes from all my readers for you and your gorgeous sisters, and from me. “Hiyohey” *smiles*

MT: “Hiyohey” *smiles*

Tetseo Sisters on Stage: Via www.tetseosisters.com

Please do remember to support the Tetseo Sisters and share their cause.
Sharing one of their “Li”. Enjoy the music and spread the word and love.

Thank you.

*Cheek Kisses*

For tour and performances details, please visit http://www.tetseosisters.com

You can also find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Tetseosisters

Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/TetseoSisters

And Reverbnation at http://www.reverbnation.com/Tetseosisters

Kuvelii Tetseo: Via www.tetseosisters.com

          
          Last word: Oh My Gosh!!! They are all so very gorgeous. I think I am falling for them, I can barely concentrate now. Hahaha…Stay tune: Next One-On-One with Kuvelü Tetseo.

Randomness

          A small time gangster decides to leave behind everything that was once his and start a brand new life with the country girl his parents had arranged marriage for him. Don’t exactly remember the years, but three kids later, I was born. It was not a very classic love story but that was how the story was. Four more kids followed but two died as an infant. But this part of the story is not for today.

Title: Random Me

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas 

Size: 30x24 Inches 

Price: Please contact the artist directly. 

Signed and dated at the bottom left hand corner. 

          I was born so tiny that to imagine growing up as a man sounded like a joke, of course it was a good joke.  Then I found my second love within the lines and pages of some random book my big sister bought and it stayed. Soon, I started keeping journal but most of the pages ended up blank. I started writing down some random stories but never got completed. That was the love story.

          Year 1997, a civil riot divided our family into three. My father, my mom and me. My father; because he couldn’t quit his job, so he stayed with my older brother and sister who were in college. My mom; because it was not safe to stay in the town with the civil riot gaining momentum, so she shifted to our now permanent place with my two little brothers. And me; because I had to swap places between mom and dad’s because I was through quarter at school where my dad was and also trying to adjust shifting to a new school where mom relocated. Now it’s all settled.

          Physics was what I should have and math is what I graduated with. It all happened in New Delhi. Then my first love decided to come back again in my life. As expected, we fell madly in love again, romancing between colors and canvas. I quit my job. The journey continues.

          Last Word: Randomness is everywhere and this life we live is a very small part of this very big randomness, I think.