Music is my heartbeat: Anon Cheran Momin

Preetty Chambugong Marak

Shillong, Feb 6: Meghalaya’s music enthusiast Anon Cheran Momin says, “Music is my heartbeat.” Anon has been nominated for the 17th Asian Film Award Academy for “Best Original Music”. Born and brought up in Meghalaya, Anon originally hails from North Garo Hills, he did his schooling at St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School and later studied Computer Science Engineering at Shillong Polytechnic. He got his BA degree in Fine Arts from Martin Luther Christian University and is currently pursuing his studies at Vienna Music Institute in Vienna, Austria.

Anon kick-started his music career with the movie ‘Rapture’, where he and Dominic Sangma both were nominated for the Original Music and Best Director award respectively. The event is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on March 10, 2024.

Speaking about all this, Anon says, “I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude, giving all the glory and honour to God and dada Dominic Sangma, who allowed me to work with him. The moment Dada Dominic shared the news of me being nominated I was filled with emotion as I never envisioned myself in this position so the acknowledgement and recognition from the Asian Film Award Academy was a delightful surprise. I can never thank God enough”.

ALSO READ: From memories to dreams: Dominic Sangma uses his past to pave the way to his future

This comment was made during an exclusive interview with Meghalaya Times, the excerpts of which are:

What first got you into music?

ACM. Music became my heartbeat from a very young age. At just 12 years old, I dove into the world of melodies by playing bass in my local church. This early exposure ignited my passion and set the stage for my musical journey. At 16, I took a leap into professional music education, honing my skills on the piano at Arnest Memorial Music School for a triennial. However, my musical education didn’t stop there; I continued to expand my repertoire through self-teaching, exploring and experimenting with various instruments and genres.

Since you started at a young age, who was your inspiration?

ACM. My primary source of inspiration comes from my own household. Both of my elder brothers Evangel and Ambasal are accomplished musicians, and witnessing their musical journey has been a constant motivator for me. From the moment I saw them perform on stage, I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps. The shared passion for music created a unique bond, and soon we found ourselves playing together in our local church. Their influence has been instrumental in shaping my musical identity, and to this day, the collaborative energy we bring to the stage continues to fuel my love for music. And, of course, I can’t overlook the unwavering support from my family, especially my parents. Their encouragement and understanding have been instrumental in allowing me to pursue my dreams and ambitions. Their prayers and constant remembrance are not just a source of strength but also a profound inspiration for me. I’m deeply grateful for their support, and it’s their love that propels me forward on this journey.”

Who or what inspired you to come up with the music that was nominated for the award?

ACM. Honestly speaking, for this music, I didn’t have a specific inspiration. However, I hold great admiration for Dada Dominic’s work, and working alongside him has been a source of continuous inspiration. Dada Dominic has played a pivotal role in my growth, both as a musician and as an individual. His encouragement, guidance, and constant push for improvement have contributed significantly to my development. ‘Rapture’ marks our third major project together and the second feature film collaboration, following ‘Ma.ama’. Our collaborations extend beyond the professional realm; we often engage in discussions about the philosophy of life, share ideas, and explore creative concepts. One of the best aspects of working with Dada Dominic is that while he provides valuable advice, he also allows for creative freedom, fostering an environment without limitations.

What do you think makes this music unique?

ACM. I wouldn’t label it as unique music per se. When Dada Dominic Sangma approached me to compose music for ‘Rapture,’ he had a specific vision in mind. He wanted the music to steer away from Western influences and embrace a more folk and traditional essence. This posed a challenge for me, given the limited availability of well-equipped traditional instruments in our cultural context. However, I soon realized that the beauty of music lies not only in perfection but in the distinctive sound, tonality, and texture of the instruments used. Throughout the process of composing and recording, there were both challenges and triumphs. Despite the limitations, the music resonated well, and I found immense satisfaction in knowing that the end result was not only to my liking but also garnered approval from the director himself.

Tell us about your creative process.

ACM. The process for the music score began with Dada Dominic sharing a fascinating movie concept with me, depicting a village in disarray where people are bewildered and unsure of what to do. This chaos in the village is meant to reflect the complexity of our modern lives, where some notice the nature of things, while others remain oblivious. I found myself inspired by this narrative during a late-night session at my piano. As I delved into the process, it felt like every tune and melody was naturally falling into place. Despite facing limitations in equipment and lacking the necessary software, I collaborated with my friend Taidy, and together we worked until the early hours of the morning to create a foundational demo. Upon completion, I shared the demo with the director, who gave the green light to proceed with recording the full set of instruments. This recording took place with Bah Julius Basaiawmoit at Prodigi Recording Studio, helping me out on playing the instruments Batlador Khongnoh on Flute, and Pioustian Singtang Marak on dotrong and Nagra. The final touch to the music, including the mixing and mastering, was handled by Vineet from Mumbai who also served as the sound designer for the entire movie ‘Rapture’.

Any positive/negative responses you received for this music?

ACM. So far, the responses have been positive. The music has resonated well with audiences beyond our community. It’s heartening to see the appreciation pouring in from various quarters, and I am grateful for the positive feedback. One aspect that brings me immense joy is the opportunity to showcase our traditional and cultural instruments through music. It allows people from different parts of the country to experience and appreciate the richness of our heritage. The positive responses serve as encouragement to continue exploring and sharing our cultural treasures through the medium of music.

How do you describe the music that you typically create?

ACM. The music I create is primarily in the form of a movie score, commonly referred to as an Original Sound Track or OST. In crafting these soundtracks, my focus is on composing the music to enhance the emotions, scenes, and overall narrative of the film.

Where have you performed? Any upcoming songs?

ACM. I’ve had the privilege of performing both individually and as the ex-keyboardist of the Band Rum and Monkeys. My musical journey has taken me to various music festivals, concerts, radio stations, TV channels, government events, cafes and weddings in different states of India. At the moment, my main focus is on learning, improving, and shaping myself as an artist. Additionally, I’m enthusiastically working on several original compositions. Nevertheless, I’m not ready to unveil specific details just yet.

Being a music composer, what skills do you think you need the most?

ACM. Being a music composer requires a diverse skill set. Firstly, an openness to various musical genres is crucial. Listening to a wide range of music can draw inspiration from different styles, which adds depth and versatility to the compositions. Observation is another vital skill. Understanding the surrounding environment helps me capture the mood and essence of a scene, enabling me to create music. Moreover, having a fundamental knowledge of music theory and musical instruments is essential. It not only allows me to communicate effectively with musicians during the collaborative process but also provides a strong foundation for structuring compositions, harmonizing melodies, and ensuring the coherence of the overall musical piece.

What advice do you have for others who want to make a name for themself?

ACM. I may not be an expert in giving advice, but I believe it’s crucial to step out of your comfort zone. Embrace boldness, try new things, and explore different environments. Work hard in what you love to do and you’ll bear the fruits in it. Always strive to be the best version of yourself. Importantly, express gratitude for the journey, acknowledging both challenges and blessings and never forgetting to thank God. Moreover, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the people who have been involved in this project. Without their support, this endeavour would not have been possible. The collaborative effort and encouragement from others play a significant role in bringing creative projects to fruition.

From memories to dreams: Dominic Sangma uses his past to pave the way to his future

By Preetty Chambugong Marak

Shillong, Oct 19: In a life filled with stress and momentary joy, most of us don’t even remember what our childhood looked like and even if we try to it’s just ‘faint’ memories that exist. But is it possible for anyone to carry their childhood memories and portray them through other means? Perhaps a ‘No’ for most of us, but for filmmaker Dominic Sangma, this is an exceptional innate ability. He lives, creates and again recreates his memories through films while reviving his childhood struggle and memories of innocence.

Born and brought up in a small village of Nongthymmai in Ri-Bhoi District, the Garo filmmaker Dominic Sangma has been re-living his childhood memories through his films. He says that his inspiration for making ‘Rapture’ comes from his childhood memories which can be witnessed in the film. Apart from this, his simplicity and unique perception of viewing minute details have contributed to his journey of making films and winning accolades globally.

Making Meghalaya proud, Dominic Sangma, the writer, director of the film ‘Rapture’ recently won the Cultural Diversity Award at the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and premiered at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival. It is all set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2023 (IFFLA). This is his second film after Ma’ama.

Talking about the film he says, “RAPTURE is the second part of the trilogy I am working on, the trilogy is based on my memories in the village. Rapture is about this young boy who is affected by a common decision taken by the adult”, says Dominic.

When asked about the difficulties in the filmmaking process, he said, “We shot just after the second lockdown, it was a stressful time, everything seemed difficult to execute, and our terrain is tough for the vehicle to take heavy equipment, so one day somehow one of the vehicles and a jimmy jib went up this slippery road and managed to reach the location, we set the camera on the jimmy jib and rehearsed the shot, somebody from the team ran over the switchboard that connects to the jimmy jib and there was a loud noise of something exploding inside the switchboard and to our shock we realised the remote control of the jimmy jib had stopped working, I was completely broken inside but thanks to my great team, both cast and crew, someone came up with this ingenious idea of tying a rope to the jimmy jib and operating it. If the whole team believes in the idea of a Director anything is possible. To back it up I had an amazing producer and executive producer Gunme R Marak during the shoot, who was the Iron Lady of Rapture, once she gave her word, there was no looking back for her. She even managed to train a horse to pull cart in just one day”.

Sharing a funny anecdote while filming ‘Rapture’, he said, “There are many funny anecdotes from the shoot, one among them was, my production designer team had to design and gather lots of props before the shoot. And these designs are circulated in our WhatsApp group of the core team for approval. One of the designs was a police warrant for one of the characters in the film, my executive producer saw it and she freaked out and gathered the core team in an emergency, I was very worried, she whispered and told us about it, the design was so realistic she thought that it was real police warrant but it was a just a prop for the film. We all burst into laughter when we found out that she was freaking out because of it”.

He believes in the sincere approach to telling stories while keeping in mind that audiences are a part of the film, he says, “As a director, we should be very sincere in our approach to telling stories, we should never underestimate our audiences and try to spoon-feed them. Trust their abilities to understand the film, maybe their interpretation will be more enriching than what we intended to be. And it is already happening with Rapture, so many people who have watched the film wrote to me about their experiences of watching Rapture. There is no spoiler for a good film”.

While talking about his inspiration for filmmaking, he says, “It goes back to the time when going to school was a herculean task. My school was 5 km away from my village, my village is on top of a hill, and going up and down every day was something I dreaded, I hated school, but in retrospect, I realised our education system is the place where all our creativity dies but somehow I manage to retain a bit of it by using imagination to get away from the reality of climbing the bad road to my village, I would make up stories to myself like I am some hero where I am fighting with bad guys and rescuing people from some bad events, I will completely be lost in the stories and forget the tiredness of climbing. Also when I was growing up, I liked to hang out with old people maybe because I lost some of my close friends very early in my life. My grandfather and grandmother would tell stories, I think these are the seeds that made me a filmmaker today. Another bad experience in school led me to join film school, I was studying in Higher Secondary taking Science just because I got first division and it was one of the most depressing two years of my life, there was no time for anything except for studying, so one day I bunked my class and went to attend a workshop of filmmaking conducted near my school, for the first time I realised there was a place where I can study film making in FTII and SRFTI, ever since then I put DIRECTOR on my study chair. I got into SRFTI and I discovered myself here”.

Regarding the film scenario in Meghalaya, he said there is a drift in film-making and “Yes, it is changing, there are many new talented filmmakers who are emerging from the state. Hoping to see more good films in the future”.

He concluded by saying “Gather lots of memories” as advice to the upcoming filmmakers.