NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble (IIE) achieved remarkable success at the recent NUS Achievement Awards (NAA), securing four group awards for their groundbreaking production, Desi Lah!: The Rhythm of Home.
Led by passionate student leaders such as IIE President Uma Gowri Ramanathan (Year 4, Sociology), and Chan Xin Tong, (Year 3, Music), Desi Lah!: The Rhythm of Home was a captivating musical tribute honouring Singapore’s migrant community via the format of a 'radio show' that featured songs from six Indian states.
IIE’s AY23/24 Club President, Uma Gowri Ramanathan giving an acceptance speech during NAA when the team was awarded Distinction for Arts Production of the Year.
This achievement reflected IIE’s dedication to innovation, cultural engagement, and community outreach. Their extensive efforts included reaching out to over 30 institutions and collaborating with the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement Group and Big At Heart to ensure 131 migrant workers attended the show.
The production’s success lies in its ability to merge artistic excellence with social impact, earning widespread praise and setting a new standard for meaningful, community-driven performances at NUS. OSA caught up with Gowri and Xin Tong to get insights on the road leading up to Desi Lah!’s admirable success.
OSA: Congratulations on IIE’s achievements at NAA! What was your first reaction when you realised IIE was up for so many awards in one night?
Gowri: When the news reached our executive committee, creative team, and IIE members, we were in immense shock. All our chat groups exploded with messages of utter disbelief and well-wishes. We had hoped to win at least one award but never anticipated receiving multiple accolades. It left us feeling extremely grateful, proud, and delighted to receive such widespread recognition.
OSA: How did the idea to produce Desi Lah!: The Rhythm of Home come about? Who or what was your source of inspiration?
Gowri: Desi Lah!: The Rhythm of Home was dedicated to our migrant brothers and sisters in Singapore. The team’s primary vision was to make Indian music more meaningful to a wider audience. We wanted our performance to be a welcoming space where migrants could enjoy an evening of nostalgic, heartwarming music. We interviewed six migrants from various Indian states and based the production’s concept on their experiences in Singapore and India, presenting it as a radio show interwoven with music inspired by these narratives.
Members of IIE during practice a few days before the show. A total of 33 NUS students and alumni were involved in the production.
OSA: How different is Desi Lah!: The Rhythm of Home from other IIE productions?
Xin Tong: Desi Lah! stands out because it prominently features the migrant worker community in Singapore, drawing inspiration from their stories and incorporating multi-disciplinary elements for the first time. We used video, multimedia, and a radio theme that included soundbites from migrant workers. Our past productions focused more on cultural traditions and aesthetics, while Desi Lah! had a significant community engagement element. Still, we stayed true to our CCA’s core spirit of originality and the preservation of Indian music by creating unique song arrangements and original compositions.
OSA: You worked with many external organisations. How were they involved?
Gowri: Collaborations with external organisations were crucial to our success. Discussions with multiple migrant worker institutes gave us insights into the community's needs and helped us connect with migrants for interviews. Indian organisations, like the Indian Heritage Centre and Indian art academies, promoted our programme to diverse audiences. We reached out to over 30 migrant worker institutes, including the Ministry of Manpower and Big At Hearts, which provided 131 migrant workers the opportunity to attend our show. External guest musicians, such as Dhol Drummers and a Chenda Melam Ensemble, added cultural authenticity. The High Commission of India also supported us by providing copyright-free multimedia content for all six Indian states.
OSA: Desi Lah! draws inspiration from many genres of Indian music. Could you give us a quick overview?
Xin Tong: In Desi Lah, we explored the diversity of Indian music from states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Telangana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Bengal. Each state’s music features its own distinct folk, classical, and even film songs, varying in melody, rhythm, ragas (a melodic framework), and instrumentation. To authentically represent this diversity, we collaborated with guest musicians. For instance, the Dhol, a key drum in Punjabi music, and a Chenda Melam group, a traditional percussion ensemble from Kerala, played a major role in our performance.
IIE performing alongside our dhol drummer guest musicians from Punjab.
OSA: What challenges did IIE face when putting together the production, and how did you overcome them?
Gowri: One significant challenge was selecting, rearranging, notating, and mastering 28 compositions from different musical genres and languages within a tight timeline. These pieces had to reflect migrant narratives, showcase unique elements of Indian music, and include instrumental solos and transitions. We overcame this by forming six sub-creative groups to work on different sets of pieces and inviting sectional tutors to coach members, ensuring they mastered the music styles specific to each state.
Desi Lah! The Rhythm of Home was held at SOTA Theatre and featured music and instrumentation from six Indian states.
OSA: What were some touching moments in the process of producing Desi Lah?
Xin Tong: There were many heartwarming moments, especially witnessing how our entire CCA united to bring the show to life. Multiple teams worked tirelessly on song arrangements, the theme, and interviewing migrant workers. It was a true community effort involving our principal tutor, members, alumni, and our executive committee. On the day of the performance, the audience's cheers and applause deeply moved us. Receiving heartfelt messages from migrant workers expressing their gratitude for the show made all our hard work feel genuinely worthwhile.
OSA: What are some upcoming performances we can look forward to from IIE in the next few months?
Gowri: We’re looking forward to our annual collaboration with NUS Indian Dance in 2025. This performance draws inspiration from the narratives of women in Hindu mythology and aims to uplift the voices of women, highlighting their pivotal roles and decisions. It’s an empowering initiative that may resonate with the lived realities of women today.
IIE shares a group photo with their principal tutor, Mr Nawaz Mirajkar after their show.
OSA: What are you looking for in students keen to join IIE?
Xin Tong: We welcome anyone interested in Indian music to join us, regardless of musical background! In fact, we not only have members trained in Indian classical music, but also members coming from different music cultures, like Vietnamese, Chinese and Western music. For example, I play the Guzheng, a Chinese traditional instrument, and learnt a lot about playing Indian music in this IIE community.
Ideally, members should have at least two years of experience in Indian classical music or three years of experience in other musical traditions. However, if you’re passionate about Indian music, do express your interest during auditions. Our ensemble accepts diverse talents!
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