Khasi Folk Metallers Dymbur Offer Surging New Salute to War Hero ‘U Tirot Sing’
Folk singer-songwriter Desmond Rimaki Sunn joins the Shillong band for their first release of the year
Shillong's Khasi folk metal band Dymbur. Photo: Bibhav Gewali
Shillong metal band Dymbur dig further into their Khasi roots for folk-metal on their latest song “U Tirot Sing,” a rousing tribute to a 19th century freedom fighter, with folk singer-songwriter Desmond Rimaki Sunn joining as guest vocalist.
On their first release of 2023, Dymbur continue to keep things socially conscious, while also taking on Khasi folk instrumentation and djent riffs as they’ve done on songs like “Child Abuse,” “Back Home” (both from 2022) and the incendiary song “Rape Culture” from 2021. On “U Tirot Sing,” Dymbur and Sunn start off in a campfire ballad kind of jam, singing of the eponymous chieftain as a warrior and a ruler who live in people’s memory forever for his contribution to fighting against the British Raj in different parts of India. There’s anthemic hooks going over frenetic prog metal riffage for the song, with a powerful message of resistance and unity being transmitted by the band.
The band says in a statement about the song, “This is a tribute song on U Tirot Sing, a freedom fighter who was one of the chiefs of the Khasi people who waged a four-year war against the British, scholarly depicted as the 1st Anglo-Khasi War for attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India.” The statement describes the song as a “war cry anthem.” The band adds, “[It] calls out attention to remind everyone of us that we are the ‘Tirot Sing’ of our generations and that we must all stand together for our motherland, our roots, our cultures, our fights, our unity, because this is not just for us but something that we must pass down to generations to come.”
In the video directed by Dymbur founder and guitarist-producer Cornelius Kharsyntiew, the band and Sunn gather around to sing about the legend of U Tirot Sing, with torches to perhaps signify their fiery intent. It’s interspersed by animated visuals of the freedom fighter’s actions on the battlefield, with animation helmed by Benji Syiem.
Watch the video for “U Tirot Sing” below. Stream the song on Spotify and Apple Music.
