Meet Kohima Girl Metet Jamir, the Singer with a 'Golden' Voice

BY: RANA PRATAP SAIKIA

Northeast Indians are no strangers to the rich culture of music that is indigenous to these regions. Many musicians from these parts have delivered musical power-punches by fusing influences from around the world with the lived experience of being a Northeastern and the unique sounds native to this place. The enigmatic Metet Jamir, a native of Kohima, Nagaland, is an example of what happens when talent and passion intertwine.

Metet's is one of the golden voices that oozes from the hills of Nagaland State and she spoke to Inside Northeast just ahead of the release of her first single.

The self-taught Jamir, who possesses a soulfully mellow yet distinct voice, started young. "I was all of six when I started to sing. It has always come naturally to me. I am a self-taught musician, it has always just come so naturally to me", she says.

She would like to thank the one person who inspired her the most during her journey. "The person who inspired me the most was Lui Tzudir from the Naga band 'Off'. He was the person whom I looked up to when I was a kid. And luckily, I got the chance to be in a band called the "Heritage in-House band" where he was the male vocalist and I was the female vocalist. That was enough to convince me that I could make it as a musician", she says.

[caption id="attachment_37105" align="alignnone" width="631"] Jamir performs at the 'Hard Rock Cafe'[/caption]

The 29-year-old has already notched up some high-profile gigs during the span of her musical career. "I've taken my craft to places like in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee in Scotland, and also at the renowned Hard Rock Cafe at Worli in Mumbai, but of course, performing at home, in the hills of the Northeast, is truly most fulfilling. For instance, I recently performed at the Commemoration of the 'Battle of Kohima', which was a truly humbling experience", she says, the pride palpable in her voice as she recollects the honor of performing a folkloric act during the momentous occasion.

And the good times have just started rolling for this talented youngster. Her band, 'Run Monday Run', on Thursday, has released its phenomenal first single, which is called 'WAZA' (listen to it here).

Just ahead of the single's release, Jamir reveals that the quartet, which originally started out as 'METET' is a Folktronica (a unique genre which is a heady mix of 'folk' music and 'electronic') band.

The band comprises of Jamir on vocals, Vitz Zhimo as the producer, Akum Aier on bass, and Kosapong Lusang on the six-strings.

[caption id="attachment_37108" align="alignnone" width="474"] Metet performs live[/caption]

Revealing how the band came into existence, she says they are all experimental musicians who accidentally met for a musical project where they had to work together. "We enjoyed working together, so we took it a step forward which led to the genesis of the band that is now known as 'Run Monday Run'", she says, grinning from ear-to-ear, with childlike excitement.

Shedding light on the type of music crafted by the newly-floated talents, the lead singer discloses: "Run Monday Run crafts a kind of pop that is dreamy, with a traditional folk spirit, as we like to stay close to our roots, in a musical sense. We launched the project with a performance at the Hornbill Festival's Opening Ceremony in 2018, and have not looked back since..."

[caption id="attachment_37102" align="alignnone" width="533"] Metet with her band 'Run Monday Run'[/caption]

"We extract elements from Ao Naga Folk story "Jena and Etiben", and our new single "WAZA" is all about young boys and girls singing in morungs/ Aruju", she says, with a hint of excitement in her voice.

The young songstress is all praise for the Nagaland Government's efforts to mainstream music as a full-time profession in the State. "One can take music as a profession her in Nagaland as the Government is trying their very best to promote Music and the Arts. For instance, TaFMA (task for for music and arts) IS providing so many platforms to artists in the field of music, dance, theatre, strings and arts by giving workshops, concerts etc. One cannot help but be grateful", she says, her face radiating satisfaction.

[caption id="attachment_37107" align="alignnone" width="601"] Metet Jamir[/caption]

The songstress also credits social media for making music more accessible. "Thanks to social media, bands like us are able to reach newer audiences. Our latest single is being released on three platforms -- Youtube, Spotify, and Indihut. This massive reach and access would not have been possible a few years ago. People can now stay tuned to the activities of the band through my personal social media accounts or the band's pages on Instagram (@runmondayrun), Facebook, and Youtube. Isn't that phenomenal?", she quizzes.

Upon being asked about the future and what possibilities await the band, Metet says with a mysterious twinkle in her eyes: "the future awaits, so only time will tell."

However, she admits that that band has some interesting projects up its sleeve. "Perhaps a full-length album? I feel like we are on the cusp and something transformative is coming. We wish our music to be empowering for the indigenous people. We want them to listen to the songs and feel proud and confident of our identity, because Northeast is a treasure trove of cultural riches. We want to make "OUR" people feel special about our roots", she says, brimful of confidence.

The band's latest single 'Waza' can be accessed here: Soundcloud link: Waza

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