Some of the early memories of my childhood are those of my Grandma singing
lullabies to me. Her familiar beautiful voice would often calm my discontented
restless little body and lull me to sleep. As my Grandma crooned over and over
those soothing tender tunes I would often feel swiftly transported into
dreamland, a fantasy world of vibrant colors and sweet imaginations. Today the
tables are turned. I often struggle with my kids who at many times tire me out
with their boundless energy and their insatiable thirst for stories and songs.
I then felt the need to remember, mixed in fond memories, those quaint old
songs to sing to my little ones. And help came unexpectedly and in pleasant
surprise.
Mr Rajen Baruah of Houstan , after painstaking research, has collected and
compiled , in the Roman script , around twenty of those lyrical lullabies
which in Assamese are called " Nisukoni Git". On a recent trip to Austin, Rajen
da came over to my place and we worked together in compiling and giving voice
to these age old songs. Rajen da believes that sound has its own energy; sound
breathes and shapes itself into musical work, and the importance of getting the
pronunciations phonetically correct in order to preserve and uphold our
Assamese language.
We were also delighted to have Alpona Barooah ( Lonee baidew ) of Houstan in
midst of us that day. Lonee baidew possesses insurmountable energy and has a
great passion for life. She enthusiastically volunteered to give her voice to
recording those sweet lullabies. We watched in awe and delight as she began
singing, putting her heart and soul into each song, some of which she would
often sing for her own little grandson. A few of the lullabies also got laced
by the melodious voice of Ajanta Baruah of Houston and Ranu Dutta of Austin.
Dear Readers, for all those with little children to enjoy, and for the rest
who are far away from their homeland, these beautiful lullabies will touch your
hearts and bring back memories of times gone by. You can read and listen to
them at the website
www.friendsofassam.org
And selecting the menu NE Languages / lullabies
Alternatively you can click directly to the url
http://friendsofassam.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=71
On that page, you will find an audio link alongside each of the lullaby. To
listen, move your mouse over audio, right click and select open in new window.
Most of the Laptops now-a-days come with an in built speaker. While this is
sufficient for audio, external speakers offer a better volume.
Thanks and I would appreciate your comment and suggestion.
Ankur
Austin , Texas
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