In the far eastern hills of Arunachal Pradesh, where the air still carries the scent of pine and memory, I came across a voice. Not just a musical voice—but a voice that echoed from the heart of tradition, carrying stories older than time itself.
That voice belonged to David Ango, a folk fusion singer from the Galo tribe.
In a world filled with fast beats, electronic sounds, and viral tracks, David Ango chose to do something rare—he looked back. He listened to the fading songs of his childhood, songs once sung by his grandmother while cooking, while weaving, while waiting for rain—and decided they should not be forgotten.
This is the story of how one young artist blended ancestral songs with modern music, and in doing so, touched more hearts than he ever imagined.
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It All Began With a Joke
“Dalaiyaan daali li daalo gaaiyaan…”
That’s what David Ango used to sing as a child—not out of devotion, but to tease his grandmother. He’d mock-sing old folk lines just to see her reaction. But something unexpected happened. Instead of getting angry, his grandmother smiled. Her eyes lit up.
“Arre, mera beta ga raha hai hamara gaana.”
My grandson is singing our song.
That moment stayed with David. He realized that folk music wasn’t just music—it was memory. It was love. It was identity. And one day, sitting alone with his guitar, he asked himself:
“Why not fuse the music I love with the songs I was born into?”
Galo Tribe Folk Meets the World: A Fusion That Felt Like Home
Most of us have heard fusion songs before. But what David Ango did was different.
He didn’t copy Western beats and layer old lyrics on top. He understood both worlds—the soul of rock and the silence behind folk. His music is not just fusion. It’s a meeting of generations.
I heard him perform one evening in a small community gathering in Aalo. No stage. No spotlight. Just a circle of people, a guitar, and a voice that felt like it had walked through a hundred monsoon stories.
“Dala re dala, o dala…”
The crowd fell quiet.
No one moved. Children stopped fidgeting. Elders nodded with teary eyes. The young ones stared at him as if hearing their roots for the first time.
David Ango is Preserving Tradition Through Rhythm
David Ango told me later,
“When I sing our Galo folk songs, I feel like I’m holding my grandmother’s hand again. I don’t want these songs to be locked in old diaries. I want them to live—in headphones, in concerts, in cities, in playlists.”
Through his music, David Ango is doing what many tribal youths struggle with—keeping their culture alive while moving forward. He uses modern instruments, but his lyrics, scales, and emotions come straight from the village hearth.
He is not trying to make folk music ‘cool’.
He is proving that it already is.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In many tribal regions of India, ancient songs are vanishing. Elders who remember them are growing fewer. And without revival, languages and music risk fading away.
But every time David sings “Goiya goiya bhaiya…”
Every time he shares a fusion version of a Galo harvest song or a lullaby…
Every time someone hears it on Spotify or YouTube or Instagram…
He builds a bridge between the old world and the new.
And it’s working.
Young students from Arunachal, Assam, even Mumbai and Delhi are messaging him, asking: “What does that word mean?” “Can I learn that song too?”
This is how culture survives—not just in textbooks, but in playlists.
From the Hills to the World, One Song at a Time
There’s something powerful about music when it’s real.
Not made for views. Not made for trends. But made from love and longing.
David’s music doesn’t just entertain. It reminds us of who we are. Of where we come from. Of how rich India’s unseen corners truly are.
As I walked through the Galo village the next morning, the hills still echoing with David’s tunes, I felt something deep. These aren’t forgotten tribes. These aren’t remote cultures. They are India’s heartbeat, still strong, still singing.
And in young voices like David’s, that heartbeat is reaching the world.
A Note to You, My Reader
If you ever hear a tribal song and feel something stir inside you, don’t ignore it. That’s not just a tune. That’s history calling. That’s culture breathing.
Follow artists like David Ango. Share their work. Support their voice.
Because every time a traditional song finds a new home in someone’s heart, India grows stronger.
Until next time, follow ShivaTells.
Always happy.