Archive for category Art & Culture
When We dead Awaken: Another Masterpiece of Ratan Thiyam
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on October 24, 2009
By Meghachandra Kongbam
Ratan Thiyam
Well-known theatre director-actor M.K.Raina once remarked, “ Ratan’s plays are strongly rooted in a local context. The classical Manipuri dance and tribal martial arts, accompanied by local costumes, have shown us that if we tap into our local traditions in the right way, the world will listen to us.”
Ratan Thiyam himself strongly believed that aping western traditions in Indian theatre would not be called Indian theatre. Only regional performing arts traditions which were very rich in India could enliven Indian Theatre.
That is why he had intensified in inviting local performing arts Gurus from all nook and corner of the country to teach the local traditions to the students of National School of Drama, New Delhi while he was the Director of the premier theatre institution of India in 1987-88.
He is a great dreamer of aesthetics as well as a great communicator who is able to visualize the meaningful aesthetics to the varied audience with a great impact.
Ratan Thiyam once stated that he had always endeavoured to create all the pieces of local performing arts in a classic or refined form when it had been fabricated to his plays.
When we dead awakenNo one can stop his amazing visual aesthetics in the plays. His latest production-WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN which was premiered on December 17 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi here during the Delhi Ibsen Festival from December 10-20, 2008 has again proved his more perfection in the field. He created the production of Henrik Ibsen’s play as if an Indian production emerging from the Manipuri soil. It was another masterpiece which could give an impact to the Norwegian audience and Indian audience as well. Read the rest of this entry »
IN THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on September 11, 2009
B.I. Sharma
Source: Northeast Telegraph, Guest Column
Termed by Nehru as a jewel state, Manipur has the rare dignity of being the first to be liberated from British colonialism & a unique cultural amalgamation.
RasLeela. Photo by Amal Sanasam
A small community, with their unique and distinctive cultural heritage, living in the remote eastern corner of India, surrounded by hills, is perhaps not very familiar with the people outside the Northeast. However, the world outside has been fascinated by this little hill state of Manipur. Enamoured by the natural beauty of the state, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once said Manipur is really a “jewel state” of India (mani meaning jewel). The aerial view of Manipur during World War II prompted the Japanese to describe the state as “a flower on a lofty mountain”. Read the rest of this entry »
Nongmaithem Pahari
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on April 30, 2009
Call him a legend or the melody king or a man with a magic voice. A singer, a composer or a music director. The name Nongmaithem Pahari stands out in a ‘tune’ of his own among the many maestros of Modern Manipuri Music.
He was the desperate lover troubled by the enchanting song of the Tamna (a nocturnal crooner bird), the patriot who shouted from the top of his lungs to his motherland to bloom and shine alone. He was the voice of the dried-up paddy field requesting the flute to produce ‘that’ sweet music to call the villagers to make it green again, he was the silent observer reporting the sinful nightlife in the marketplace and the musician who could not keep himself away from his music.
From listening to KL Saigal on the gramophone when he was only six years old to composing some of the most memorable instant classics of Modern Manipuri Music to being conferred the Sangeet Ratna, it was quite an eventful musical journey for the Melody King. Like Romain Rolland’s Jean Christophé a character he so endearingly admired perhaps because of the many facets of similarities with himself, Pahari would boldly face whatever challenge life throws at him however untimely, and invariably would come out of it harmoniously to be the humble man people will always remember him as.
For more please check out Nongmaithem Pahari site.
MANIPURI SUMANGLEELA: A UNIQUE EXERCISE IN MASS EDUCATION
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on April 22, 2009
By Dr. S. Sanatomba*
Artist Performing Sumangleela
While Sumangleela traces it origin as far back as the prehistoric period, it had a dramatic development from the comic skits of the jesters of Sir Chandrakriti Singh. The jesters in the Manipur tradition are favourite attendants of the king who are witty and humorous, who make frivolous jokes and gestures. Their witty comments and jokes always kept the king and his company in good humour. When the comic enactment of Kharibam Laishuba and Abujamba Saiton, the two favourite royal jesters, was shown to the public in the Durga Puja Festival by the order of Sir Chandrakriti Singh, it came to be known as Fageeleela. Then groups of comedians formed small troupes and toured the country with their humorous acts. Thus Abujamba Fagee (comic enactments of Abujamba), Amuthoi Fagee, Yotshubi Fagee, Chengba Fagee were the popular plays of the time. These Fagee plays were the precursors of the Sumangleela in Manipur(Arambam Somorendro: seminar paper).
Small money, big dreams
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on April 21, 2009
By Ranjan Yumnam
Source: www.manipuri-cinema.blogspot.com
If there is one thing that keeps Manipuri digital films alive more than anything else, then it is the sheer love of the art by its patrons and filmmakers. This may be true of any other film industry. But if you look at the size of the industry and the time, energy and enthusiasm that Manipuris put in the production of films, one thing would strike an observer: so much for so little stakes.
Consider the budget of an average Manipuri film budget. A modest amount of 5-6 lakhs is a respectable allocation for a film that is entirely shot in Manipur. Stars’s salaries which usually take a lion’s share of a film budget are incredibly low in Manipur. Leading Manipuri actors in the equivalent league of Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee take home—hold your breath—a mere fifteen to thirty thousand. Directors are luckier with fifty thousand followed closely by editors and script writers.
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The Courage and Valour of our Fore-Fathers
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on January 18, 2009
By Dr. Aheibam Rishikesh Singh
Thang-Ta
From the pages of history and also from the oral tradition that was handed down to us from the past generations we come to know the courage and valour of our forefathers. The stories portraying their fearless love of truth, patriotism and their abiding obligations to safeguard the sovereignty even without the least concern of their personal safety were found treasured for ages. To elucidate further their valour and courage were unambiguously mentioned in ancient Manipuri texts like ‘Chaitharol Kumbaba’, ‘Ningthourol Lambuba’, ‘Thawan Thaba Hiran’, ‘Shamsok Ngamba’, ‘Takhel Ngamba’, ‘Awa Ngamba’, ‘Khagi Ngamba’ etc.
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Sekta Mound
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on September 13, 2008
By Basanta RK
During my last visit to Imphal, I thought of visiting some of the historical places which are not so well known but do have great significance. One such place is the Mound at Sekta. The Sekta mound is important not only from an archaeological point of view but also because it reveals deep insight of the way of life prevailing at that point of time in history.
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A brief Interaction with Kate Paona in the Golden land
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on August 24, 2008
By Angelee Wolleng
On Nov, 2004, the first ASEAN Car rally crossed the Moreh Gate No. 1, India’s gateway to the South East Asian Countries. It was a great opportunity and a dream come true for many who want to visit and interact with the South East Asian Countries especially Myanmar, the Golden land. After I plunge into my academic research work on ‘Manipuri Diaspora in Myanmar’ I remember the episode of my short visit to Mandalay of Myanmar. As a young girl I was among the 64 delegates from Manipur. Here in this piece I just want to share my indelible experience of it.
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RKCS
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on August 8, 2008
Raj Kumar Chandrajit Sana Singh or better known as RKCS, was born on October 13, 1924 at Keishamthong Longjam Leirak. He started his career as an apprentice to his illustrious father, RK Yumjaosana (1870-1954). During a career spanning some 65 years, he produced more than 10,000 pieces of art, mostly paintings covering a wide range of subjects as mythology, historical and cultural subjects and distinguished himself as a portrait artist.
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A Nation Under Different Nomenclatures
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on July 16, 2008
By Nehginpao Kipgen
When invited to write an article for the ‘The Chin Student Journal’ on the topic I am passionate about, varying thoughts begirded my mind. Of the umpteen important issues, the impact of nomenclatures on the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people was one unparalleled subject.
Historically, our people were independent from foreign domination. In the evolving process of international politics, we have been dispersed in different parts of the world – notably in Bangladesh, Burma and India.
Ratan Thiyam – A Maestro in Manipur – Nurturing beauty among currents of violence
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on April 30, 2008
Author
Ramachandra Guha
Source: The Telegraph, Kolkatta, India
If the masthead of this newspaper were long enough, or if the type it used were smaller, this column could have carried the title: ‘MEETING A MAESTRO ON A MISTY MORNING IN MANIPUR’.
Over the past decade, the little and beautiful state of Manipur has replaced the larger and even more beautiful state of Nagaland as the second most troubled part of India (the Kashmir valley, of course, being the first). Other insurgencies in modern India have been, for the most part, a straight contest — between the insurgents and the Indian State. True, the rebels have had their factions, but these are all united by the dream, or fantasy, of taking their territory out of India to construct a new, sovereign, nation. In Manipur, on the other hand, there are three distinct insurgencies in simultaneous operation.
The first insurgency is led and staffed by the Meiteis of the Imphal Valley. This seeks to make the whole of Manipur, as it now stands, into an independent nation-state. The second insurgency is promoted by Thangkul Nagas who wish to merge their districts into a Greater Nagaland, or Nagalim, this to likewise exist outside the framework of the Indian Constitution. The third insurgency is the handiwork of the Kukis, another group of hill tribes who are less than satisfied with what they see as domination by the Meiteis. The Kuki radicals hold out not for complete independence but rather for a new state of their own within the Union of India.
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Cultural Globalisation in Manipur
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on March 14, 2008
Author
Amal Sanasam
Manipur has been experiencing various forms of cultural interactions since early historical times. Streams of migrants came to this state in different phases of history. The State, thus, has experienced the assimilation of the people of South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia, South-East Asia in general and the Aryan culture, the Tai culture and the Mongoloid culture in particular. Many religions viz., Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity transformed the social and religious practices of the state in a remarkable way. At the same time the emerging socio-cultural elements were also transformed to adapt to the earlier socio-cultural environment of the state like traditional animism, heliocentric and different tribal cults.
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Shamu Makhong
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on March 14, 2008
Author
Basanta Rajkumar
The statue of the legendary king of Manipur, Maharaja Bhagyachandra taming the wild elephant of Assam stands at the heart of Imphal city. It has been standing there since the last few decades reminding us all of our rich heritage and culture. However, it is with great sorrow that the once mighty and majestic figure now lies neglected and surrounded by heaps of garbage, stained by paan spits and guarded by street dogs.
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