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Tetseo Sisters are a
quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
of
sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
from the
Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...
n state of
Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
. They are devoted to the art and tradition of the vocal
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
of the state and have been performing on stage since they were children.


Life and career

The Tetseo Sisters Mütsevelü (Mercy), Azine (Azi), Kuvelü (Kuku) and Alüne (Lulu) grew up in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, and belong to the
Chakhesang Naga The Chakhesangs are a major Naga ethnic group found in the Indian state of Nagaland. Chakhesangs were previously known as the former Eastern Angamis, now recognized as a separate ethnic group. The Chakhesangs are divided into two groups known ...
, one of the major
Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Ri ...
ethnic groups. They sing in
Chokri :''Chokri leads here. For Arabic-based name Chokri, see Shukri'' Chokri, (also known as Chakrü, Chakhesang and Eastern Angami) is one of three languages spoken by the Chakhesang Naga of Phek district, Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked ...
, the dialect of the region around
Phek District Phek District (pron:/ˈfɛk/) is a district in the Indian state of Nagaland. At , the district is the seventh-most populous district in Nagaland and 596th most populous district in India with 163,418 inhabitants. The district is home to 8.26% ...
.Vishü Rita Krocha: ''Tetseo Sisters : Cultural Ambassadors extraordinaire''
(Eastern Mirror, retrieved 1 September 2012)
From early days, their parents acquainted the girls with ''Li'', the traditional songs of their home region. They first performed as a group in 1994 and have been making regular appearances since 2000 at the
Hornbill Festival The Hornbill Festival is an annual festival celebrated from 1 to 10 of December in the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. The festival represents List of Naga tribes, all ethnic groups of Nagaland for which it is also called the ''Festival of ...
, Nagaland's biggest annual cultural event, and at several other festivals and events. Growing popularity made them enlarge their radius, performing all over Nagaland, the Seven Sister States, and other Indian states. During Mercy and Azi's period of study, they made numerous appearances as a duo in New Delhi; while Kuku and Lulu carried on in Kohima. The Tetseo Sisters, seasoned folk artists from Kohima, have been attributed to starting the folk fusion movement in the state. The sisters are regularly invited to show their art on the occasion of official promotions as Nagaland's cultural ambassadors/representatives both at home and abroad. Some notable appearances include- the North East Trade Opportunities Summit in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
in 2008 and the Handshake Concerts in Bangkok in 2012,
Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
,
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
in 2014,
Kunming Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
,
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...
,
PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in November 2015,
Gwangju Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial offic ...
,
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
in September 2016, Queen Baton's Rally for the
Commonwealth Games 2010 The 2010 Commonwealth Games ( Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India ...
at Touphema, Nagaland and
HRH Prince Andrew Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...
's visit to Kohima commemorating the
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II The year 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II being the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. The only diamond jubilee celebration for any of Elizabeth's predecessors was in 1897, for the 60th a ...
on 1 May 2012. In August 2014 Mercy and Kuvelü Tetseo were part of a 50 head strong Naga song-and-dance-troupe that performed at the 24 shows of the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh and 3 additional events at other places in Scotland. In October 2014 Mercy, Kuvelü, Lulu and their brother Mhaseve belonged to the entourage of the Governor of Nagaland and
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...
P. B. Acharya on a visit to the United States. Concerts took place in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, Bloomington (IL) and
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
. In 2012, they received the Trail Blazer Award at the 4th Nagaland Music Awards by Native Trax, along with Alobo Naga. In early 2014, they received the Eastern Panorama's Achievers Award for excellence in Music at Shillong. In November 2014, they won the MTS Discover title at the NH7 music festival and played at the Festival's stage in Kolkata, Pune and Delhi. In 2013, Tetseo Sisters participated in the making of the video "My vote makes my future", with
Alobo Naga Alobo Achümi (born 6 May 1984), known professionally as Alobo Naga, is an Indian singer and songwriter from Nagaland. He rose to fame with his debut album, ''Road of a Thousand Dreams''. He has hosted his talk show, ''The Alobo Naga Show,'' sinc ...
and other artistes, sponsored by the
Election Commission of India The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body. It was established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, dir ...
to promote voting for the Nagaland Assembly to younger voters. In 2014 they joined forces again with a lot of other artists from the region, notably Papon, Lou Majaw,
Soulmate A soulmate is a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity. This may involve similarity, love, romance, platonic relationships, comfort, intimacy, sexuality, sexual activity, spirituality, compatibility and trust. D ...
and Alobo Naga, when singing ''We are the 8!'' the hymn of
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federa ...
-club
NorthEast United FC NorthEast United FC is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural season of Indian Sup ...
. 2015 saw in addition to numerous performances at national festivals and venues, the release of several
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...
s in different styles: * ''Barso Re'', a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" ...
-hit, written by
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
for the film
Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
, originally sung by
Shreya Ghoshal Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
* ''Marvin Gaye'', with Kenny Rio, originally by
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...
and
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
* ''Nobody'', with Rose Vero, the Korean Version of a song by
K-Pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, go ...
-girlgroup
Wonder Girls Wonder Girls () was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in February 2007 with the single " Irony" and 5 members: Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna and Sohee. After Hyuna's departure in July, Yubin was added int ...
* ''Nothing On You'' by
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
, with David Sawang * ''Silver Bells'',
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
's Christmas carol, with Tuden Jamir Tetseo Sisters recited the National Anthem at the opening ceremony of the Pro Kabbadi League Season 1 in Kolkata in July, 2015. 2015 ended on a high with winning the Best Folk/Fusion Act award at the first ever Indihut Music Awards 2015 handed out in December 2015. In 2016, Tetseo Sisters participated at Sarang, the Festival of India in Korea and performed in the city of Gwanju at the Asian Culture Center, South Korea. Tetseo Sisters closed the annual Hornbill Festival of 2016 with a smashing performance. January 2017 saw Tetseo Sisters tour several districts of Nepal as part of the ICCR/Indian Embassy Festival of India in Nepal. Tetseo Sisters were photographed by Mario Testino for Dove Real Beauty Campaign and featured in the May Edition of Vogue India. Later that year, Tetseo Sisters headlined the first International Edition of the Tata Samvaad 2017 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand in November. Tetseo Sisters performed at the Opening Ceremony of the first edition of the Nagaland Olympics on 12 December 2017 at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur. In early 2018, Tetseo Sisters gave their first Tedtalk at TedxIIMRanchi where they shared their story under the theme "Defiers of Murphy's Law" on 28 January. Tetseo Sisters performed live on Day 2 of the Lakme Fashion Week Mumbai Summer/Resort 2018 at the show titled NorthEastMojo celebrating textiles from the Northeast. Tetseo Sisters went on a three city tour supported by Hard Rock Cafe India as Venue Partner in April 2018. They performed at HRC Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Tetseo Sisters performed at the Mix the City IIT Guwahati and Delhi Editions as part of the British Council's 75 year anniversary celebrations. They also made their debut at Ragasthan, India's only luxury destination music festival held in the sands of Jaisalmer. Tetseo Sisters were part of the World Environment Day Celebrations in Kohima on 5 June 2018 and lent their voices to a collaborative single - "Contemplation" by Band Powerfaith featuring various other top Naga artistes. In one of the first within the Naga music circle, Naga artists came together for a common environmental cause. The collaborating venture is part of a project called ‘Creation Care’ initiated by the Powerfaith Ministry, a ministry focusing on positively impacting the young through music. In June 2018, Tetseo Sisters received an Achievement Award for their contribution to Music in Nagaland hosted by M-Table Nagaland, at a function called ‘Acclamation Night 2018’ to felicitate Naga individuals who have achieved recognition in the field of music and for their contribution in leading the music industry in the state. In August 2018, Tetseo Sisters received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Music at a special function on the occasion of the Indian Independence Day at the Nagaland Raj Bhavan. In December 2019, Tetseo Sisters presented their music and storytelling art at the first ever Hornbill Festival Box Office Show from 1 to 10 December. The daily ticketed shows of 2pm and 6pm were well attended by visitors both domestic and foreign. In the first half of 2020, Tetseo Sisters released 2 singles and kicked off a collaborative Ad Campaign with the Himalaya brand on a song celebrating Happy Hair Moments. The singles were "Road to Somewhere" - the sisters' first rap song in Chorki/English/Hindi and "Say Yes to Life" - a life-affirming anthem in English. Their Punjabi cover of popular film song Dil Diya Gallan which released on YouTube went viral on social media and was called a moment of National Integration through music. Tetseo Sisters presented an hour-long Christmas Special on the eve of Christmas of 2020 and was well received. In January 2021, Tetseo Sisters joined activists, celebrities and important personalities of the country to commemorate Network18's Mission Paani Waterthon and performed Live on National Television. They debuted a single "Paani Lizo" a tri-lingual song about the importance of saving water.


Discography

In 2011, the Tetseos released their debut album titled "Li Chapter One : The Beginning" at the Hornbill Festival. In February 2015, they released a single ''Cepho Celho Lizo'' on the music platform indihut.com. Tetseo Sisters dropped the official video of a (yet to be released) version of their popular track single "O Rhosi (dance edit)" on their YouTube Channel in August 2018. In November 2019 Tetseo Sisters officially released their EP, ''A Slice of Li'', comprising seven tracks and three bonus instrumental tracks. In June 2020, Tetseo Sisters released a single, "Say Yes to Life" to commemorate the World Anti Drugs and Trafficking Day. The song also garnered top spot on the Top 10 campaign song list by the Narcotics Control Board. In July 2020, Tetseo Sisters released a single "Road to somewhere" - a pop/rap song in Chokri, Hindi and English. In August 2020, Tetseo Sisters collaboration song with Himalaya Hair Care, "Happy Hair Moments" went live. In November 2020, Tetseo Sisters released a single, La té, Veteho (Stop. Enough!) as part of a collaborative album "We stand with her" with Bluesanova, Mumbai-based producer; littlesound.in and bettercollabs. The song is a protest song in Chokri Naga and English.


Li

''Li'' is the Chokri Naga word for folk songs or songs of the people. The Chakhesangs have a huge repertoire of folk songs that have been compiled into a traditional songbook, ''Li kukre kutiko'', that consists of 223 common songs. Most of the other songs have been handed down through oral tradition (much like any other Naga tribe) from generation to generation in the villages of the region. There are ''Li'' for special events, love songs, children's songs, laments, war songs and songs that are related to agriculture and its seasonal activities. The repetitive "Ho-he-ho"-"hiyo-hiyohey" choirs are shared between separate groups, either ad lib or echoing one another. These songs are sometimes accompanied by the one-stringed instrument '' tati'' or ''heka libuh'' ( mithun horn) which they play.


Personal life

Mercy Tetseo earned a university degree in
Psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
from the
University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE ...
and is an avid foodie, traveller and writer. Azi Vezivolü is a former ''Miss Nagaland'' runner up and earned a university degree in
Political Sciences Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and l ...
from the University of Delhi. She does modelling, sings in other formations and is on a sabbatical from tours since her marriage to raise her two young sons. Vishü Rita Krocha: ''Azi Tetseo : The singer and her song''
(originally: Eastern Mirror, retrieved 1 September 2012)
Kuku Tetseo studied at University of Delhi's
Lady Shri Ram College for Women Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) is a constituent women's college, affiliated with the University of Delhi, and has a legacy in women's education. History Established in 1956 in New Delhi by the late Lala Shri Ram in memory of his wife ...
and is an active fashion blogger and social media influencer at My Salad Days now rebranded as "Naganess". Lulu Tetseo is the youngest of the four sisters and is attending Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
.


References


External links


Tetseo Sisters
(Personal Homepage, retrieved 1 September 2012)
Official YouTube Channel

Tetseo Sisters
(Interview, Woman's Panorama, December 2011, retrieved 1 September 2012
PDF


(Interview, Deccan Herald, Juanita Kakoty, 25 February 2012, retrieved 20 September 2012)
"Nagaland's siblings sing for peace, with a smile"
Interview, Surekha Kadapa-Bose, Kashmir Times, 5 August 2012)
Top 10 female bands northeast india
Sevendiary.com, John Hingkung, 2013, 12, 21
Tetseo Sisters
(Interview with Satish Gurung, 13 January 2016, retrieved 23 January 2016) {{authority control Musicians from Nagaland Indian women folk singers Indian folk music groups Women from Nagaland 20th-century Indian women singers 20th-century Indian singers 21st-century Indian women singers 21st-century Indian singers