ITANAGAR, 19 Dec: Indigenous cultural custodian Omak Komut passed away on Thursday evening at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences in Naharlagun, following a stroke.
An Adi folk singer, hymnologist, and cultural exponent, Komut is survived by his wife, two daughters and one son.
Born in Rumgong village in Siang district, Komut belonged to a legacy of shamanistic Donyi-Polo priestly tradition, inherited from his forefathers. From this sacred lineage, he emerged as a rare, god-gifted artist, combining ritual authority, spiritual depth, and exceptional musical brilliance.
Komut was widely respected for his profound mastery of Adi oral traditions and rhapsodic folk forms. Through his powerful voice and knowledge of rituals, he preserved and narrated endangered traditional music genres such as Padam Nyanyi, Tangko Nyone, Pasi Kongki, Bari, Nenem Rellong, and many other sacred expressions of Adi heritage. His music carried the ancestral wisdom, rhythm, and soul of the Adi people.
He was not merely a folk singer but a born shamanistic Donyi-Polo priest, believed to possess extraordinary spiritual qualities. In the modern era, his ability to blend ritual sanctity with artistic presentation was exceptional. His rendering of Bari, both musically and spiritually, remains immeasurable and unmatched, earning him deep reverence among elders, priests, and cultural practitioners.
Komut performed nationally and internationally with his renowned ensemble, ‘Omak Komut Collective’, carrying Adi folk music to global audiences. The collective, promoted and supported by the Getem Apang family, played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s journey. His innovative approach inspired the younger generation and set new trends in folk-fusion music while remaining firmly rooted in traditional values and cultural purity.
He was closely associated with the Donyi-Polo Vidya Bhavan as a cultural instructor and liaison.
He also served for several years with the Department of Art & Culture, contributing as a folksong instructor and choreographer, nurturing young talents and strengthening institutional folk pedagogy.
His passing has created an irreplaceable void in the cultural, spiritual, and artistic fabric of Arunachal Pradesh.
His last rites were performed on Saturday at his residence in Pasighat, in the presence of a large gathering of artists, cultural bodies, admirers, and well-wishers.
The Adi Artists Association, the Karpung Karduk Cultural Artists, the Adi Cultural & Literary Society, and the Public Welfare Society of Anggong, along with numerous cultural enthusiasts and members of the public gathered to pay their final respects.
The Adi community in particular and Arunachal as a whole mourned the loss of a towering cultural torchbearer whose legacy will continue to guide future generations.
Noted singer Dr Delong Padung mourned Komut’sdemise, saying, “An artist like Omak Komut is not born in every generation. He was a great hymnologist, an extraordinary folk singer, and a true custodian of Adi oral tradition. Such a legendary figure may never be born again in the Adi society. I was deeply inspired by his musical and spiritual journey.”
Renowned cultural icon and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Olen Megu Damin also remembered him as a rare soul, noting that Komut’s spiritual depth, ritual authority, and artistic excellence were divinely bestowed, and that such a synthesis of priesthood and performance is rarely witnessed in contemporary times.
