[Romik Sai]
There has never been any dearth of talent in Arunachal Pradesh, but more often than not, these talents fail to get recognition that they deserve due to lack of exposure.
But time and again, a few gems make it to beyond the hilly terrains of Arunachal and leave dazzling trails behind. This time, making our state proud in national reality TV shows, we have Obom Tangu and The Trend. While Obom is mesmerising the audience with his soulful voice on ‘Indian Idol’, The Trend, a K-pop-based dance crew, is letting its groove shine on ‘Dance Plus’.
Hailing from remote Tuting town in Upper Siang district, 21-year-old Tangu’s journey to the ‘Indian Idol’ started out as a humble dream. A passionate albeit untrained singer, as a child he was always encouraged by his parents to sing in local festivities and programmes. His tryst with singing started out first in church, and then it evolved to other platforms like school functions and other festivities. At the age of 17, he emerged the winner of the ‘Upper Siang Idol-Season 1’ in 2019, and from then on, there has been no looking back.
Next, he was adjudged the winner of ‘Arunachal Idol Season-5’ in 2022. This garnered him instant popularity among the people of Arunachal. In an interview with Capital News in March 2022, after he had won the title of ‘Arunachal Idol Season-5’, he said that his dream was to represent Arunachal at the national level. Just a year later, he is doing exactly that.
In 2023, Tangu cleared the auditions round and is currently among the top 15 contestants in the singing reality show ‘Indian Idol’. His calm and gentle personality with a fresh, soul-piercing voice instantly made him one of the fan favourites. One episode after another, he continues to evolve and prove why he deserves to be on Indian Idol. Beyond his melodious voice, ‘Indian Idol’ also introduced us to the composer side of Tangu. So far, he has presented two original compositions in the reality show ‘Savera Hoga’, a song about his hometown Tuting, which speaks of his belongingness and rootedness, while the other one is dedicated to his father and expressed the deep bond shared between him and his father. Now, it would not be wrong to say that ‘Sukoon Mila’, a song sung by Tangu during the audition, is what we, as the audience, feel when we listen to his voice.
On the other end, K-pop-based dance crew The Trend from Itanagar, with their synchronised choreography and swag, have also risen to the top 12 of the dance reality show called ‘Dance Plus’.
The Trend is not just a dance crew – they are a cultural revolution on the national stage. Led by the fiery Aku Bengia, this K-pop inspired crew has taken the reality show by storm, their synchronised moves and dazzling charisma igniting the show and capturing hearts across India.
The Trend is not just winning hearts; they are breaking the internet. Their audition video has gone viral on the internet and they have become an instant sensation, their infectious energy and dazzling moves captivating audiences across the nation.
Formed in 2017, The Trend is currently a seven-member group comprising Charu Mateen, Li Ra Dui, Payang Misso, Deju Kamsar, Lindum Paul, Likha Tatam and group leader Aku Bengia.
The Trend’s magic lies in apt synchronisation. Their bodies move as one, a whirlwind of coordinated limbs and fierce precision, channelling the electrifying energy of their K-pop idols. While dancing, they rotate and change positions seamlessly, ensuring that every member gets their moment to shine, proving that true brilliance lies in the synergy of the whole.
Before making it to the dance reality TV show, The Trend had already carved a niche for itself among other dance crews as one of the first K-pop-based boy dance crew in Arunachal. This dance crew is nowhere short when it comes to accolades and awards. They have represented Itanagar multiple times in various K-pop contests across the country. They were the first runner-up of the Changwon K-pop Contest India 2021-’22. They were also the winner of the Itanagar region K-pop contest in 2021. Now they are representing Arunachal at the national level in a dance reality show that is watched by millions of people in the country, and with every performance they defy expectations and rewrite the rules of dance on the national stage.
With both Obom Tangu and The Trend representing Arunachal on the national stage, we have a lot to look forward to this year. Whether they win in their respective reality shows or not, they have already proven how talented they both are in their respective fields. And that, in itself, is enough.
