Nagaland musician Moa Subong, who was awarded Padma Shri earlier this week for his contributions in the field of Arts, was received by his family, Mongsenyimti Senso Telongjem Dimapur, and numerous well-wishers on his arrival at Dimapur Airport on Friday.
In an interaction with the media at the airport, Subong, the founding member of folk fusion band Abiogenesis expressed happiness on being honoured with the Padma Shri award and attributed it to God and encouragement of his family and supporters.
He said the award is not only a recognition for his personal achievements but also a triumph for the entire Naga community.
On the present music scenario in Nagaland, Subong said it is going in the right note with many musicians actively involved in composing, performing, producing original songs.
While maintaining that doing cover songs is a good way to start a musical journey, however, he said it is important to for musicians to compose their own originals as they progress in order to establish themselves as professionals in the industry. He also expressed happiness on many Naga artistes producing original songs and entertaining the audience.
Speaking about the invention of musical instrument Bamhum, Subong said that when his wife Arenla was appointed as a guru to teach folk music, they began searching for traditional Naga musical instruments and found a few one, but it had limitations as they could not produce all the required notes.
He said that incorporating instruments like the guitar and violin into traditional Naga folk music felt too Western, and so they experimented with various methods to create a new instrument that would suit their musical style, and after many trials and errors, the Bamhum was eventually created.
In his message to the people, Subong stressed on the importance of perseverance, patience and consistency to succeed. He added that failure is a part of the process, and with hard work and passion, one can overcome setbacks and ultimately achieve their goals.
Subong and his wife founded the band Abiogenesis, which has received numerous accolades, including the Governor's Award for Excellence in Music on January 26, 2017, at Raj Bhavan in Kohima. The band was also honoured with the Pride of North East Award by Global University, Guwahati, on February 7, 2020.
Apart from these, Abiogenesis also won several other prestigious awards for their contributions to the music industry.