Moa Subong

Moa Subong is a musician, composer, actor and audio-video editor from Nagaland who has invented two musical instruments, the bamhum and the tikzik. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023 in the field of art, from Nagaland ^[1].

Two new instruments

Subong was born on 8 September 1960 ^[2]. His best-known creation is the bamhum, a new wind instrument made of bamboo, which was unveiled by the Governor of Meghalaya at the International Bamboo Festival in Shillong on 3 May 2005 ^[2]. It won him a national grassroots innovation award, presented by the President on 4 March 2017 ^[2]. His second invention, the tikzik, is a bamboo percussion instrument that can make many different sounds; it was unveiled in May 2014 ^[2].

Abiogenesis and Howey music

With his wife, Guru Arenla Subong, he formed the Naga folk fusion band Abiogenesis ^[2]. Together they developed what they call Howey music, which blends Naga and other Indian folk music with modern rhythms ^[2]. The band has played in eight countries, including Finland, Estonia, Russia, Bhutan, Tunisia and Myanmar, and gave a special performance for Bhutan’s royal family at the Indian embassy in Thimphu in 2011 ^[2].

In March 2017 he was one of a few innovators invited to live and work at Rashtrapati Bhavan ^[2]. He was a founding member and music director of the Mokokchung District Art and Culture Council from 1996 to 2000 ^[2]. Abiogenesis received the Nagaland Governor’s award for excellence in music in January 2017 ^[2].