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| Rinchin Norbu Thongchi & Jim Ankan Deka during the recording of a folk song in Jigaon, Arunachal Pradesh |
Sherdukpen folk songs are traditional orally transmitted musical expressions of the indigenous Sherdukpen community of Shergaon and Jigaon in West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. Preserved for generations through memory, performance, and community practice, these songs embody a rich cultural world shaped by Mahayana Buddhist influences as well as older indigenous spiritual traditions. Their themes often evoke nature, morality, ancestry, community life, and the sacred landscape of the Eastern Himalayas.
Historically, these songs were transmitted almost entirely through oral tradition, with elders serving as the principal custodians of musical knowledge. As modernization and changing lifestyles have placed many such traditions at risk, recent community-led efforts have focused on documenting and preserving this invaluable heritage. Initiatives associated with Shergaon Folk Quest, Music Malt Live Sessions, OK North East and Garung Thuk have contributed to recording and presenting Sherdukpen folk music in its authentic cultural setting.
Selected Traditional Songs and Themes
- O Male O Gi La – regarded by many community members as a deeply spiritual song associated with compassion, purity of thought, speech, and action, and the moral consequences of human conduct. It has been performed by respected elders such as Rinchin Norbu Thongchi.
- Mirgoo (Mrigoo) – a traditional Sherdukpen war song featuring symbolic dialogue and confrontation before battle.
- Gungte Chola – a well-known folk piece frequently performed by community custodian Leki Phunchu Khrimey, expressing a strong connection to the natural environment of Shergaon.
- Seley Seley – a traditional dance song performed during community gatherings and festivals such as Kro Chekor.
- Hingpu Abu Khaw - a traditional Sherdukpen folk song that expresses the community’s intimate relationship with nature and the spirits believed to inhabit the natural world. It is associated with ritual prayers offered through sacred elements such as juniper, sandalwood, rhododendron, and nearby water bodies, reflecting the Sherdukpen worldview of harmony between people, nature, and the spiritual realm.
Musical Style and Instruments
Sherdukpen folk music is characterized by expressive vocal delivery accompanied by traditional percussion instruments, including drums and cymbals used in ritual, ceremonial, and communal contexts. The music is often performed in collective settings where singing, storytelling, dance, and social interaction are closely intertwined.
Contemporary Documentation and Preservation
Contemporary preservation efforts have brought together traditional singers, researchers, musicians and filmmakers in collaborative documentation projects. Assamese musician Jim Ankan Deka has worked closely with Sherdukpen artists such as Leki Phunchu Khrimey and Rinchin Norbu Thongchi to record, document and help preserve the folk music traditions of the Sherdukpen community through live recordings, field documentation, and cultural initiatives.
Short documentary filmmaker Tse Ring La has also contributed to these preservation efforts by documenting community knowledge, performances, and cultural narratives through visual storytelling, thereby creating an important audiovisual record for future generations.
These initiatives have been made possible through the support and participation of community members and cultural custodians, including Ngawang Tsering Thungon, Gombu Tsering Thungon, Taangey Thungon, and many others who have generously shared their knowledge, memories, songs, and cultural guidance. Their contributions represent a collective community effort to safeguard Sherdukpen musical heritage for future generations.
A live recording of Mirgoo, performed by community custodian Leki Phunchu Khrimey at the historic Zengbu Gompa, Shergaon, may be viewed here:
