Isn't it fascinating how music acts as this incredible bridge that unites people across the globe, regardless of cultural backgrounds or native tongues? It’s like witnessing a beautiful conversation where notes and rhythms replace words, and melodies become the language of understanding. In a video currently viral on Instagram, we came across an American man trying to play a unique musical instrument. On a closer look, one can see it is the 'gogona', a folk instrument popular in Assam. It is a traditional vibrating bamboo reed instrument, and is quite common. Women are predominantly observed playing the Lahori Gogona, a musical instrument crafted from bamboo stalks. Watch the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNTOLD NORTHEAST (@untold_northeast) The video shared by @untold_northeast on Instagram crossed 46,000 views. One user wrote, “he plays the gogona better than me man”. Another user said, “Bro It is called Gongona famous musical instrument of our Bodo community in Assam, please search on Google for more information”. A third user commented, “That was so cool.” What is the gogona? The Lahori Gogona, a traditional jaw harp, holds a significant role in the vibrant festivities of Assam's Bihu music. During the initial moments of the celebration, as women sway to the beats of the dhol and pepa, you'll often catch them adorning the gogona as a hairpin. Crafted from bamboo with a bifurcated end, this unique instrument is gripped between the teeth, while the free ends are rhythmically struck with the fingers, producing the distinct and lively sounds of the gogona that resonate throughout the festivities, an article on D’Sourc, written by Prof. Ravi Mokashi Punekarand Shri and Dijen Gogoi DoD, IIT Guwahati, said. Dijen Gogoi also explains the origin of the gogona in the article. He recounted the tale of an elderly woman who developed a fascination for the peculiar sound of a toad. One day, while pressing a thin piece of bamboo against her feet to cut it for household use, she heard a similar sound emanating from the bamboo as it flicked in the air. This realisation sparked the idea that bamboo could produce a sound akin to that of the toad.
