Arunachal Pradesh's Taba Chake is a musician with a difference, who has a cult following in the state, mostly because of his soulful music and heart-warming lyrics. Apart from singing in Hindi and English, Chake also sings in the local Nyishi language, making him a fan favourite.

I have spent around a year and a half in Arunachal Pradesh. I was introduced to Chake's music during this period by a colleague. Though I understood his Hindi and English songs, the Nyishi songs attracted me the most. My colleague was always there for my rescue, and he used to explain to me the meaning of the songs.

"We love Chake, for he is making the Nyishi language popular across the globe. His music has a far-reaching effect, and it is quite refreshing," I vividly remember my colleague telling me when I first heard his music.

No Doma Lo, Hugulo, and Ngo Akin are Chake's three Nyishi songs with an unmatched fan base. I love the songs, though the language is foreign to me.

Chake's musical journey began at a tender age. Over the years, he has been producing songs after songs and performing at gigs and concerts whenever the opportunity comes. Though he wrote songs like Blush, Meri Dastaan, and This is the Day back in 2013, he became a household name only around 2018.

Taba Chake began writing songs from 2007 onwards, and he also used to be a part of a Hindi band, which was formed in 2009 and continued performing till mid-2011. The band also released two songs in 2011—one of which was called Sun Le Meri.

After parting ways with the band, Taba Chake became an independent musician. He has played in small Mumbai clubs and performed at packed music festivals, such as Ragasthan and Ziro.

And Taba is also a master acoustic guitarist, and his lyrics have evolved along the way. His first album was called "Bond With Nature," released in 2016. His second album, Bombay Dreams, was released in 2019, and this album is an ode to Mumbai.

Bombay Dreams has been loved and adored by music lovers. One of the songs, Shaayad, has been a massive hit, not just in Arunachal Pradesh but across the country.

Chake is the first musician from the state to sing in the Nyishi dialect. Many consider this a brilliant move.

"When the local dialects and languages of the state are being bulldozed by other languages, especially Hindi, Chake singing in Nyishi gives a ray of hope for the future generation. Suppose more singers start singing in Nyishi or other tribal languages of the state. In that case, we can dream of a revival of the languages and protect them from getting extinct," my colleague further said, seeking anonymity.

"To be honest, I have immense respect for Chake, as writing lyrics in Nyishi is extremely challenging, and Nyishi is not a language; it is a dialect. It is challenging to find the right word for the right meaning, " the colleague continued.

"The reason we can relate to Chake's songs is that the lyrics are simple, and Chake doesn't put tough words," he added.

In one of the interviews with a national daily, Chake said that he decided to focus on the Nyishi language because the dialect is fading fast. He feels that it is also his moral responsibility to promote the dialect and Nyishi culture to the world.

Chake's music breaks barriers, traverses genres, and addresses multiple themes like hope, loneliness, success, and even his family life. It would be accurate to say that Chake's music defies categorisation.