India is a land of rich cultural diversity. Folk music has been an important part of our traditional practices since the very beginning of our civilization. Folk songs don’t just tell stories of the past but they also give us a snapshot of life either completely forgotten or on the verge of disappearing. They also tend to highlight facets of living which all cultures share, shedding light on the similarities people have as opposed to their differences. Almost every individual in society can relate to folksongs. Hence, folk music and its preservation are of utmost importance today, no matter from where or with whom the song originates.

One such region in India where folk music is still loved and in demand is the north-east- Assam in particular. The north-east has not only given us legendary artists such as Bhupen Hazarika, it is also a storehouse of many individuals who are making efforts towards modifying folk music and getting it back to the limelight, especially among the youth of the nation. One of the most prominent artists who has been contributing continually towards the upliftment of folk music all over India is none other than- Papon.

When you are born to parents who have largely come to personify traditional Assamese folk music, and are heir to the ‘King of Bihu’, it must take both- the love for challenges and great courage to venture into the unexplored territory of music, especially when unexplored almost always means fusing with western music and is often frowned upon. However, Papon’s music which comes under the ‘electro-folk’ genre, has always been able to maintain the balance between sounding rooted as well as fresh.

In a recent interview, Papon said that according to him contemporary acts have started looking at folk a lot more now, knowing that it has been so popular for thousands of years and that folk music is coming back into our lives. He further added that it is all about the same old stories, told in a new, vibrant and fresh manner since right now is an interesting time to do such experimentations with regards to new sounds. Papon truly believes that electronica is quite ‘now’ and with a mixture of electric and folk, you’re able to take the tried and tested tales and melodies, adapting them to what is happening right now since people easily connect with that.

When questioned by the reporter as to if Bollywood is his top priority at the moment, Papon readily said,” For me, everything is at the same priority level- my band, music festivals as well as films. On an average, we perform in Assam about once a month and we make it a point that we definitely do so. We really love playing there, there is a real Rockstar vibe to our concerts. It is something for which we keep wanting to go back there, the response, the warmth of the people and the vibe.”

Papon’s love for his hometown and folk music has been reflected time and again in his music and he only wishes to keep it intact. He has spent a lot of time understanding folk music and has then worked on making it his own. People hugely appreciate and love his music. Hence, the result has always been in his favour.

All we can say is that we need more such singers who appreciate their traditional background and find ways to enhance it rather than accept something that is already trending and has no originality to it. We absolutely love Papon, do you?

Almost everybody knows him by his nickname Papon, as the singer who has given us some amazing hits of all-time such as ‘Kyon’, ‘Moh moh ke dhaage’, ‘Jiyein kyun’, and ‘Bulleya’. But Angaraag Mahanta, son of popular Assamese folk singer-musicians Archana Mahanta and the late Khagen Mahanta, has been rooted in Assam’s folk music since he was very young. Folk music, he believes, must be carried forward till the end of time as it depicts our culture and traditional values. And he strongly believes that the only way to do this is by allowing it to evolve.

Papon says that his folk music is a contemporary form of this genre since the sound changes but the soul remains. His is one of the many exciting names to appear at the Paddy Fields Festival which happens to be India’s first folk and fusion music festival and is conducted at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.

In a recent interview, Papon said,” My musical journey started right when I was in my mother’s womb. Since childhood, I have spent a majority of my time in green rooms, which are usually behind the stage or in a recording studio where my parents used to record and I used to sleep on the couch. Everything came to me quite subconsciously. We used to travel all around for concerts, my father usually took us to and I used to sit on the stage playing a little instrument. I have seen him easily make a crowd of around 80,000 people sing along to his folk music, which greatly impressed me and stayed with me forever. That is what I do now. I feel that folk music has so much power and since then this has been a way of life for me. Everything was just passed on to me from my dad.”

Papon also told the journalist that his father understood folk very deeply and that is the very reason as to why he was popularly known as the ‘Bihu Samrat’ by the people of Assam. He further said that back in his father’s time, Bihu was only for the so-called ‘middle-lower’ class people and although his father belonged to a higher Vaishnavite caste where it was banned for people to sing, he revived it to the level that today Bihu has become the identity of Assam and its people. On being asked as to why is there a need to revive, perform and contemporise folk music, Papon readily said,” It isn’t just important, I believe that it should be the only way. It should be natural to carry on with folk music and allow it to evolve with time. Folk music has to change every 100 years, I’m sure it has to change; it has not been the same since the last 1000 years. That constant change maintains its freshness every now and then. It will be contemporary for now but 100 years down the line, it will become mainstream. It is a very natural process. I understand this and all thanks to my dad, his indulgence in folk music and his approach to life in general, it just comes to me spontaneously. I love folk, I love the ancient side of it. I can sing it; I can picture it well with modern sounds in the modern

If you’ve ever been to a music festival, you might be well aware of the fact that it’s an adrenaline rush like you’ve never experienced before. The entire ambience of a music festival sparks a light inside every single person present there. The electric energy pulsating through the crowd is an addicting rush that unites every concertgoer in perfect harmony. The power of music is an incredibly unique and important tool that aids human experience. When added to a social gathering where people from all walks of life have come to celebrate this particular art together, it becomes a force unparalleled to anything else.

One of the most popular singers and songwriters in India today- Papon, who has lent his magical voice to popular Bollywood movie songs such as ‘Jiyein Kyun’ and ‘Moh moh ke dhaage’, is of the opinion that such events are becoming an important part of the country’s music culture and with their soaring popularity, new talent is getting the opportunity to showcase itself. In a recent interview, Papon was quoted saying,” Indian music, especially Bollywood music has always got immense recognition not only in India but also abroad. Music festivals are becoming an important part of the music culture in India. Today, we see many Indian artistes going abroad for musical tours and shows.”

Later that month, Papon performed at Bollywood Music Project 4.0 in Mumbai. On being asked about his performance at the festival by a reporter, Papon exclaimed,” My performance is going to be very unique and special! You will also see me jamming with my fans. It is good to see a dedicated music festival just for Bollywood.” His excitement was at its very peak during the entire event and rightly so, the festival had a line-up of over 60 other prominent artists from the music industry.

Papon truly believes in the power of music. He has often been noticed saying that when we connect with the music and the people around us, life becomes a movie- its truly the most euphoric experience that one can possibly encounter in this lifetime and music festivals are the most capable mediums of providing this experience. He further adds that as an artist, it is his absolute honour that he can share this empowering feeling with the people around him while jamming amidst a crowd of thousands and a perfectly beautiful environment with there being nothing else really left in the world that could possibly enhance their mood. To him, the rush of the crowd is complete ecstasy.All of this only makes us wonder where the world would have been today if every single artist out there understood music as Papon does. He has already made it to the top of our list of favourite singers and is surely one of our favourites in the industry as a person too.

Music, at the very heart of it, is all about expression. When you see a folk artist playing somewhere near the street corner, or a flute player somewhere out and about the city, these people are expressing something in a way that may come easier to them than words ever will.

Independent music has the ability to break free from rules- rules about what material to sing about, what instrument to particularly bring to use, etc. We all know musicians who have, at some point in their life, walked out on rich record labels only because they were being told what they could and could not sing about. A number of musicians have challenged what music should be like over the years and we should all thank them for that.

One such artist who is an active promoter of independent music in today’s times is-Papon. He is a leading singer for today for many Hindi and Assamese films. Winner of two Radio City Freedom Awards (Best Folk Fusion Artist- Judges’ Choice Awards in 2014 and Best Indie Collaboration- Judges’ Choice Award along with Midival Punditz and Malini Awasthi in 2016), Papon had started off as a lead singer in an independent band namely East India Company. He spoke about the importance of independent music and why it needs to be promoted in a recent interview.

On being asked how independent talent scene has evolved over the years, Papon said,” It has definitely come a long way since we started 6-7 years ago. In the past few years, independent music has become more prominent and we know of people who are talking about it. There are festivals and other platforms to play at. But we still have a long way to go. We also need to have dedicated radio stations that play independent music, irrespective of whether they feature in films or not.”

The reporter further asked Papon that since he was at an established position himself now, how according to him can successful names in the industry help in building the bridge between aspiring musicians and big record labels. Papon readily said,” A number of factors are at stake here and although people have money, they are stressed about return on investments. We still do not have basic things such as a TV channel that plays music from bands in different parts of our country.” He also told the journalist how he bypassed the label stage with his last album since his music wasn’t being promoted anywhere, so why have a label at all.

Papon is someone who strongly believes that independent music is a lot of things, because it can be that way and it is our responsibility to make sure it stays that way. He says that we need to collectively make sure that there is a platform for the unusual, the ones who do not wish to follow the crowds since without the independent musicians, the music scene would only be one-dimensional. He believes that the music industry often overlooks the effect that independents can have on it.

Papon is one artist who surely understands the importance of individual talent and does everything he can to promote it, which has been seen time and again. We wish there were more artists like him in the industry!

Music has always been an important aspect in the lives of Indian people and our rich cultural diversity has greatly contributed to different forms of folk music. Like many other aspects of the country, folk music too is diverse because of the cultural diversity. Folk songs has also played a crucial role in socio-religious reforms. Even though folk music had lost its popularity with the advent of contemporary music such as rap and pop, but that has changed today and the youth is enjoying modern forms of folk music- all thanks to popular singers such as Papon who have gone out of their way and taken folk music to new heights.

Papon’s sonorous magical compositions and earthen voice have established him as one of the greatest musicians of all time, not only in Assam but across the country. His fresh experiments with traditional Assamese folk music, electronica and ghazal created such a wave that he got an ardent fan following among the youth of the entire nation, even before Bollywood happened to him. In a casual chat, Papon talks about his musical sojourn, life and much more.

When being questioned by the journalist with regards to how easy or difficult the path to achieving success in life really was, Papon said,” It wasn’t easy or tough because I never set out to reach a goal. I wanted to make music because I love music. There have been different moments, achievements but what matters the most is the happiness that music has brought in my direction. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Yes, it definitely took some time but my patience truly worked in my favour. I am happy with what comes my way and don’t worry about how much I should or ought to get when it comes to money.”

Papon further added that he, first and foremost attributes his success to his parents since he considers himself lucky to be born in a family where he received great musical upbringing. He also says that growing up in the northeast gave him exposure to different styles of music. Later, shifting to Delhi exposed him to different new sounds of the Asian underground and rock influences. He says that he derived his own sounds from all those influences that he had grown up with and all those new sounds he was exposed to. Then he wrote Jonaaki Raati and that was the turning point in his life. ‘Jiyein Kyun’ was another important milestone for him and got him recognition in Bollywood.

On being questioned about future endeavours, Papon said,” There is so much happening in the music scene and people internationally are reaching out to us, which is a great feeling. The kind of support that we are receiving from the industry and the scale it’s on right now is just phenomenal.” He also supports a whole lot of social causes- the Assam River Dolphin Conservation Project, Clean the Brahmaputra Mission and the Assam Flood Relief Project- to name a few.

Papon is loved by people not just in India but all over the world. People just don’t want him to get off the stage, the connect he has with the audience wherever he goes is just amazing. That is the sort of vibe he creates and we absolutely love it!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton