Tetseo Sisters

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 tribe, one of the major Naga tribes. They sing in Chokri, the dialect of the region around Phek. 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, Nagaland's biggest annual cultural event and 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 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, Thailand in 2008 and the Handshake Concerts in Bangkok in 2012, Yangon, Myanmar in 2014, Kunming, Yunnan, PRC in November 2015, Gwangju, Korea in September 2016, Queen Baton's Rally for the Commonwealth Games 2010 at Touphema, Nagaland and HRH Prince Andrew's visit to Kohima commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II 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 P. B. Acharya on a visit to the United States. Concerts took place in Chicago, Bloomington (IL) and Detroit.

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 and other artistes, sponsored by the Election Commission of India 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 and Alobo Naga, when singing We are the 8! the hymn of Indian Super League-club NorthEast United FC.

2015 saw in addition to numerous performances at national festivals and venues, the release of several cover versions in different styles:

2015 also 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.

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 www.indihut.com.

Li

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 from the University of Delhi 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 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. Kuku Tetseo studied at University of Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College for Women and is an active fashion blogger at My Salad Days. Lulu Tetseo is the youngest of the four sisters and is attending Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in Nagpur.