Summersalt performs at Government Senior Secondary Girls’ School and (right) St Mary’s School in Delhi

Shillong, Nov. 27: A Shillong-based band took its music to the national capital as part of what it called a “cultural interface investment” where messages, through songs like “we need to be the change that we need…” were disseminated among schoolchildren.

Known for its unique genre of transfusion music, Summersalt visited three schools in Delhi on Wednesday and yesterday — Midfields School, Najafgarh, St Mary’s School, Dwarka and Government Senior Secondary Girls’ School, Mohan Garden — to share “the culture and music of Meghalaya and the Northeast” among the students.

Lyrics like “Let us be awake/Before it is too late/Think of the mercy and forgiveness/If we just forgive, and try to let it go...” resonated in the schools. There were Khasi songs as well, like Shi Shamoit Rit (a teaspoon), which went: “La khot ia ngi ban long, kum ka mluh ba bang – la khyndiat kam pher (We’re all called to be like salt in a curry. Doesn’t matter if we’re a minority).”

The “cultural interface investment” came in the wake of the occurrence of “racial overtones” which led to stress to people from across cultural sections. Summersalt expressed its concerns on this by responding to this challenge.

Dawadhok Shangpliang, a band member, said, “For the sake of peace, there is this need for the mature Indian society to reason together, starting from our young ones in school. This will go a long way to promote social-national integration”.

Band managing member Kit Shangpliang said, “It is our intention to communicate responsibly through our songs about the culture and the worldview of our people, including the values derived from our faith. We believe that this will be helpful in imparting value-based education, coupled with indigenised entertainment.”

While two of the band members could not make it to Delhi this time, the other four — Ador, Baiaineh, Dawadhok and Kit — have found their place in the buzzing city.

“The response of the students to Summersalt’s music was positively unexpected! The lyrical content is helping the students of Delhi to understand the people of India’s Northeast,” said Summersalt’s Delhi event coordinator, Caleb M. Pamei.

The Delhi trip was supported and co-supported by the Meghalaya government’s directorates of arts and culture and information and public relations.

Besides, performing in schools, the band also put up a show along with the other cultural troupes from Meghalaya during the India International Trade Fair on Monday.

“Summersalt is using music as its messaging tool to communicate peace, forgiveness and responsible living, and to that end, New Delhi has received tohem well,” Shangpliang said.

Midfields School principal Bindu (Lohchub) Narula said Summersalt “has come here at a very right time”.

“It was a very meaningful for the children. Next time we would like to gather more schoolchildren and local leaders. Summersalt has come here at a very right time when a pocket of irresponsible people has done wrongs to the people of the Northeast. The story-telling experience in music form has given the opportunity for our children to learn about the Northeast; more of this should happen,” she told the band.

On Summersalt’s plans, Shangpliang said, “If we are in a position to gather funds, we would be more than happy to do more of this in other places of India. We invite like-minded organisations to think more on how to support purposeful arts projects in the future.”

Indeed, if the need of the hour is peace, Summersalt’s call — “Oh the love, oh the joy, that we miss so much/Oh the peace, that passes all understanding/Free us once, free us all/So we can understand the call — Oh the Love...We need to be the change that we need” — will stand the test of time.