TMB Report
Imphal: A festival of Maring folk song “Kuumtin” under the theme “Our history narrated through our folk songs” was held at Sandang Senba Maring village in Kangpokpi district on Monday.The event was organised by Kulbi Shonh Shong Tribal cultural Centre, Sandang Senba.
Roop-Raga president S.Nabachandra (Naba Volcano), Dr. Makhomani Mangsaba, Asst.Prof. Manipur University of Culture graced the function as special guest while Keishang Kothil PRO 6 Keirao AC attended as guest of honour. Kotang Mothil, Chairman VA attended Function President.
KSSTCC secretary Kopui Angphom said that the Maring folk songs , music and dance are material manifestations a medium for both narrating and preserving of Maring culture. The folk tunes conveying the feelings and sentiments of their ancestors, their lives and thoughts, their activities and achievements of their morals and discipline are of great values. Folk songs are of several kinds.
There are life cycle songs associated with birth, marriage, dignitary naming ceremony, and occasional songs associated with festivals, and religious songs sung when offerings are made to deities are sung under the teadership of Laarung. Moral songs sung teaching ethics, thoughtful songs, teaching the philosophy of human life, lamentation songs , expressing feeling sorrow and grief, love songs expressing feeling of emotion, and simple songs dealing with different seasons.
He said the songs which are sung at the time of Lhoushat or Truntwa(preparation of field land), Chada (seeds sowing), Chaling (planting paddy), Loutrunt (weeding), Cha uum (harvesting) etc. and songs relating to preparation of cultivator equipments and other materials of crafts. Folk songs may be classified into three classes, group songs, duet songs, and folk solo.
Duet folk songs comprises of riddle songs where one has to pose questions to his or her counterpart to answer. The children display great interest in such duets Seituum, Seiloulam and Seipaokhon, and the folk solo is performed by a single singer and known as ballad.
He said the group songs are generally sung by a group dances or a group of people working together in the fields at the time of clearing, pianting, weeding and harvesting. A group song “KUUMTIN” cha or Seilangkhal is performed by boys and girls or any one of the group who go to a particular village and sing, this group to be known as KANLIO guest, and host group is known as LOUSHON=host. This group song is sung under the leadership of Seirung, who poses the ability to narrated historical materials, places and events of the Marings. Artistes of KSSTCC presented Lhousa dance and folk songs.
