This is a story about the forgotten song of Kohima. Many of the Naga youngsters living here in Kohima in this 21st century may not even be aware that ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ is a song which used to be on the lips of many during the 1950s, 1960s and the early 1970s. During these years, many citizens of Kohima used to hum, whistle and sing this song wherever they go and whatever they do. In fact, for all those people who grew up here in Kohima in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, this song was like an anthem for them. Some elderly citizens of Kohima have told me that this song was always befittingly sung by the young men and women when they go through streets, gullies and footpaths in the evenings.
But the singing of this song probably waned after the mid 1970s. I think so because I have found out that those who were born after 1975 are not very familiar with the song. I also happened to hear this song rather lately.
I first heard this song in April 1994 through the lips of uncle Shürhosielie Ngao and uncle Neizie. In April 1994, my youngest paternal uncle got married. And in the evening of the wedding day, uncle Ngao and uncle Neizie entertained the gathering with some most unforgettable and melodious songs. These songs included some Hindi songs, Angami love songs and many oldies. The people who gathered there at my grandfather’s house that evening had an unforgettable evening as they were mesmerized and captivated with one song after the other by my two uncles. The voices of my two uncles were accompanied by uncle Ngao’s trademark guitar.
Among the songs presented by uncle Ngao and uncle Neizie that evening was this song ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ After hearing the song, I literally fell in love with it. Moreover, I also felt and still feel that the words of the song are so appropriate to be sung on a wedding evening. After hearing this song that evening, I started making my own enquiries about the song and really wondered how I was kept aloof from such a beautiful song about my birthplace for such a long time.
Here, I wish I could at least share the lyrics of the song with the readers. But I am unable to do so because I still do not know the wordings of this beautiful song. Even today, I know and can sing only the chorus of the song.
I have also come to realize that there are many theories, versions and speculations doing the rounds about the birth and origin of this beautiful song. Some people say that this song was probably introduced to the Kohima citizens by the British soldiers during the 1944 Kohima battle. I have also heard some people calling this song as Supplee’s song thereby indicating that the song was either composed or introduced by this American missionary. (Supplee was an American missionary who worked here in Kohima spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ). Someone had even mentioned to me that the song was probably sung here in Kohima even as early as the times of Rivenburg while some say that this beautiful song was composed by one C.R. Pawsey who once served in Kohima as the Deputy Commissioner of the Naga hills. Contrary to these theories, some believe that the song must have been composed by some locals only.
However now, I think that all these theories about the birth and origin of this beautiful song are untrue and unfounded. Yes, some information has surfaced which suggests that this song was originally not even meant for Kohima.
An uncle of mine has told me that while he was studying in Calcutta, he happened to come across the lyrics of this song in a song book. But ‘Kohima’ was nowhere in the actual lyrics of the song. In place of the term ‘Kohima’, there was the name of another place (most probably the name of a town somewhere in Europe or America). So this means that someone had simply taken out the name of this place from the song and instead substituted the term ‘Kohima’ in the song. All the other words of the song probably remained the same. This was probably how this most melodious song was born and came to be sung here in Kohima. It is as simple as this - nothing more and nothing less.
In this way, my encounter with this song also turned out to be very similar to my encounter with another song. One song which was in my school songbook and which we loved to sing while we were in school was the song ‘God bless my Nagaland’. For many years I thought that this song was composed by some local Naga musicians only for our lovely Nagaland. In fact, I even used to think that this song (God bless my Nagaland) could be used as the national anthem of Nagaland if Nagaland was to become an independent country someday.
However, somewhere in the mid 1990s, while watching the BBC news on television, I saw some American soldiers singing this song while they were patrolling an open field. These soldiers were singing ‘God bless America’ instead of ‘God bless my Nagaland’ and all the other words of the song and the tune remained the same as the song in my school songbook. Then I realized that someone had just substituted the words ‘My Nagaland’ instead of ‘America’ and this was the end of my national anthem for Nagaland.
And same is the story with the song ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ also. Someone had just substituted the word ‘Kohima’ instead of the name of another place in a song that was actually meant for some other place and some other people.
However, in the end, it really does not matter whether the song ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ was composed by missionaries, soldiers, local patriots or whether it is a manipulation of some other songs. A song is a song only if it is able to touch, heal and change hearts. And as far as the song ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ is concerned, I believe it has already touched, healed and changed many hearts and that it still has the charm and melody to do so.
Ever since I heard this song in April 1994 through the lips of my two beloved uncles, it has come to hold a special place in my heart. This song is special to me for many reasons. Firstly, it is special because it is about my beloved birthplace. Secondly, it is special because it is an old song which was sung here in Kohima long before I was even conceived in my mother’s womb. Thirdly, it is also special because the tune of the song is so simple and yet so melodious and appealing. Fourthly, it is special because the song is so versatile that it can be sung as a love song, a nostalgic song, a secular song, a wedding song or even a patriotic song.
Fifthly, the song is also special to me because of an incident which happened to me some years back. Once I jokingly asked a girl whether she would mind marrying me and she replied ‘Kohima will shine tonight’ - and our love story ended then and there.
Lastly, let me conclude by saying that this write-up is not written as a research paper. I also do not write this write-up to disprove anyone or any theory or any story. All the theories, versions and stories about this song are all dear and very close to my heart and I don’t mind hearing them over and over again. And therefore, I write this article out of my sheer fondness and nostalgia for this song. And yes, it really hurts me to know that this song is no longer sung in our streets, roads, gullies and in our lips and hearts…….
