…I got skeletons in my closet
Dirty white lies in the basement
I don’t deserve you at all
Crocodile tears on the floor…
If you felt the nostalgia and goosebumps after reading through these lines then you are not alone. The song Dirty White Lies by Jessie Lyngdoh is one of her many creations that have lyrically caressed the tender heartstrings of its listeners. With 70,642 views on YouTube for this song, Lyngdoh, the ‘Rita Ora of Meghalaya’ (a name that her fans came up) is becoming a well-known musical sensation over the years.
The musical ways for Lyngdoh were shaped by her family. “Rewinding cassette- tapes day and night, huddling around the fire and strumming guitars, each of my uncles being in successful bands, and witnessing the power of music that contained in their souls whenever they sang expressively was the beginning of my inclination for music,” said the singer. However, the then starry-eyed singer after imitating her family members realised the importance of finding her style of music. So, at a ripe age of 12, she started penning down lyrics.
“There are memories where I sang in a school at my hometown is by far my favourite moment,” said the Lyngdoh whilst recounting her initial singing days. With her at the center stage, surrounded by her schoolmates, in the packed five-storied gallery was a moment she holds dearly. “I was turned around gazing in endless circles to such an amazing sight. The surrounding was enclosed and you can only imagine their screams when collided,” she added.
Born and brought up in the musically rich environment of Meghalaya, the vocalist always enjoyed songs of Headingson Ryntathiang, Skendrowell Syiemlieh, Maxter Warjri, Marwein Sisters, Desmond Sunn to name a few. According to the singer from Meghalaya their songs has a compelling story which is poetically pleasing as well. Thankful for her home place which allowed her to form a base for her songwriting process. Lyngdoh said, “The boost here is absorbing their art abundantly and having these legends from your land that I am proud of to have led a life in music before we have proven the vast possibility.”
From White Lies, Keep on Loving You, Without to World Without End, each one of her songs scored on the emotional and profound aspect of human nature.
Talking about her source of inspiration, Lyngdoh said, “All the tracks that I have created since the year 2008 are all based on real events and experiences.” However, at times pure imagination does the trick as well. The key is to be empathetic, said the artist.
Lyngdoh’s songwriting process is as unique as her voice. Terming it as a “multi-process task,” she writes her lyrics as she goes on forming the melody for any song. She added, “I can never know when I can create a new song, but when you can produce spoken words every day and when your body runs on emotions even when you might want to deny, why you can’t write? And Rhyme at the last word?”
The song Keep on Loving You which was shot in Meghalaya Governor’s house reflects utter devotion towards her music. To be able to shoot a music video in the Governor’s house needs the exchange of many letters for its approval. Shot in just five hours and that too with just two of her friends – Kamki Diengdoh and Alexandria Kharshiing, the task was nothing less than a Herculean one. Considering that the music video was a zero budget one (with the obvious help from the staff in Raj Bhavan), it bagged a whopping 71k views on YouTube.
In just over eight years Lyngdoh has amassed quite a score of fans. With over 11k subscribers on YouTube and 25.7k followers on Instagram she values both their inputs and their dedication towards her music. So much so that in October of 2019 she had an impromptu meet-up with many of her fans in Mairang. Exchanging pieces of advice, bouncing off ideas with “a ton of fun” is something that she dearly holds on to. “I would give them as much as they deserve because if it is not for them, then my music would be only dust in the air,” she added.
