Play it by ear: Blind pianist from Nagaland finds solace through music

Takosangba Pongen had his vision for 14 years. He has been blind for the past 13. But in front of a piano, nobody can tell.

“Playing the piano transports me to another dimension. After losing my vision, music has been one thing that has kept me alive. It opened a window to see the world. It gives me energy and hope to go forward,” he said.

On Sunday night, he performed for a crowd at the Brillante Piano Festival in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

Pongen, 27, plays by ear. He is self-taught, with help from YouTube tutorials that he began in 2020. He said he would like to be a professional musician someday but that finding an institute that teaches the visually impaired has been a challenge.

He first noticed problems with his sight when he couldn't read what his schoolteacher was writing on the blackboard. Then he recalls having difficulty seeing small glass marbles as he played with his siblings. Surgery made the problem worse. By 14, he was blind.

“I sometimes wish I could see. But after all these years, I have accepted my fate as God’s plan for me. He wants to use me as a tool to inspire and motivate others. If a blind man can do it, why can’t others who are fully able?” he said.

Brillante originated in the small mountain town of Kohima, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, not far from where Pongen now studies. Festival organizers said they “believe in the transformative power of music as an agent of social development.” Pongen is a part of their “Specially Abled Musicians” program.

He played Nocturne in B Flat Minor by the 19th century composer Frederic Chopin. It is a piece inspired by the night. Pongen said Chopin is his favorite classical composer and that he also hopes to play modern and fusion jazz someday.

“I love music that is expressive and emotional,” he said.

Pongen had travelled more than 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) to Bengaluru with his white cane and sister by his side to play at the fifth edition of Brillante. His heart was racing, he said, when the festival’s director, Khyochano TCK, introduced him to the other musicians.

The nervousness crept back when his time to perform arrived. He took a deep breath and reassured himself. Then his sister Imlibenla gently guided him onto the stage and seated him in front of a grand piano. From there, he soared.