A group of men and women singing and dancing to 'Har Khungpaa' and 'Puulraang'.

Men and women singing and sancing Har Khuungpaa and Puulraang

A man sings Inn ksaa laa, a song about building a house,”lumen cheen neh”, Inmun Ksii o” and “inluu ee.” He mentioned how a dog was killed, then he told it has to be demonstrated by killing and also in some places where they cannot afford to kill a dog they will perform it with eggs.

This performance features Elders from various villages who are experts in traditional songs, stories and dancers from different villages who are invited to perform at the seminar, including Beshot Thulong of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Shangwar Dilbung of Khuibung. “Khujin Laa” is the song which is sung at the end of the dancing. The song itself talks about the fall of the dusk and as the birds and animals are heeding to their nests and homes and we humans calling the neighbors to go home from the field.

Dancers from various villages were invited to perform during the Lamkang Student Union [Lamkang Kurchuknao Kunpun] seminar. This a special dance called Likhaa Kardaam (The Drumming Dance), where the drumming is different from the other types of dance, a faster drum beat which allows the dancers to take their steps faster. All the dancers are requested to join the dance and they perform the Yaangkaa Kardaam, at Charangching Khullen village.

Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching sings three different songs: Phairongsaa, Khungphaai, and Simthlei. He sings about the Haika village, Aibul responded we are populous and we draw our water from streams dry. Raalveen said we are the border and we fought the war against the enemies. Chkhum boasts about their celebrating the Merit Festival called the Totlang Kam. At dawn they sang Var khuu thleng nge,pyu busuk pva busuk ting-tang. Meikhunu hinni’ktlun nuh.

Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, and Belun Sankhil of Phaidaam sing in praise of Puulraang for its beauty and the relations that they had with the Puulraang, a bird whose feather is used as a decorative item during the cultural traditional dances in Totlang Kam festival or any other festivities in the community.

Elders who are experts in traditional songs and young women and men dancers perform the Reelruu Kardaam. Reelruu Dance is a typical dance where the Reelruu, a long bamboo and gourd musical instrument, is played and a special dance is performed with this song. This dance has unique dance steps which only the Lamkangs perform and its one of the old traditional dances that still is unchanged in steps or song. The Reelruul is also very unique, as it is only played by the Lamkangs. This recording was done during Lamkang Naga Kurchuknao Kunpun (LNKK) seminar at Charangching Village.

Elders from various villages who are experts in traditional songs and dance, including Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching and Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi sing the Reelruu song while the dancers are performing the “Reelruu kardaam". This is a dance where the “Reelruu”, musical instrument made of a long bamboo and gourd, is played and a special dance step is performed. This recording took place during the Lamkang Student Union [Lamkang Kurchuknao Kunpun] seminar at Charangching village.

Elders who are experts in traditional songs and dance, including Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Shangwar Dilbung of Khuibung, and Beshot Khullar of Phaidaam perform the Bamboo Instrument Song [reelruu-laa]. The “Reelruu” is a musical instrument made with a long bamboo and gourd and played for specific dance steps which are performed with this song. This recording was done during Lamkang Student Union [Lamkang Kurchuknao Kunpun] semimar at Charangching village.

This performance features a group of Elders from various villages who are experts in traditional songs and dance, including Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Shangwar Dilbung of Khuibung, and Beshot Khullar of Phaidaam sing Saa Kraang K'aai Laa. This song is sung in celebration when a fierce animal such as a tiger is killed. A feast is held in celebration and this song is sung on that special occasion. It was believed that only able men can kill a fierce animal, risking their own lives back in the days when there were no guns or other sophisticated ammunition, and only spear and bow and arrows were used to hunt.

Elders who are experts in traditional songs and dance, including Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Dilbung Shangwar of Khuibung, and Beshot Khullar of Phaidaam sing a traditional song called “Saa Kraang K’aai Laa", a song sung in celebration when a fierce animal, such as a tiger, is killed.

Elders from various villages who are experts in traditional songs and dance, including Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Shangwar Dilbung of Khuibung, Belun Sankhil of Phaidaam, Shetwor Dilbung of Keithelmanbi, and Beshot Khullar of Phaidaam performing the dance “Tharon Thoe, Tharon napi napao”. In this dance, while the group of dancers are performing, the singers are in two groups as they had to respond to each other in teams which the dancers cannot do while dancing, so the singers are required even if the dancers sing as their voices are not audible and one runs of out breath while dancing.

Suungnem Bunghon of Leingangching and group performed first the dance in Tharon Thoe, then khuu kak’kplap laa, and lastly they perform the “reelruu” dance at the end.

Young men and women dancers from various villages and elders who are experts in traditional song including Beshot Tholung, Bunghon Suungnem, Belun Sankhil, Beshot Khullar, and Shangwar Dilbung perform “Umi Reelruu Pukee”, “Raalki song nge” and “ Akhuukjing sumkhuu Kjing”. The group of elders sang these three songs while the dancers performed the dances Reel Ruu Kardaam, and they ended with the Khuujin Laa where the song talks about calling all the neighbors to come home from field as the dusk had set in and the birds and animals have gone in to their nests and homes.

Lamkang Student Union [Lamkang Kurchuknao Kunpun] opens with prayer, followed by a welcome song by two elders Rengkarnung Leivon and Bunghon Suungnem from Leigangching village. Stephen Sankhil, President of the Lamkang Student Union, made the welcome address and presentation.

This performance features young women and men dancers from various villages and elders who are experts in traditional songs, including Beshot Tholung, Bunghon Suungnem, Belun Sankhil, Beshot Khullar, and Shangwar perform "Yaanki Khuungpaar laa", "Puulraang laa", "Laam laa". This dance is performed during the Totlang Kam at nights as the songs and dance are performed only during the nights.

Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching tells what he did to establish the school in his village and in culture promotion, and then Shetphong Jangvei of Charangching, who was earlier in Manipur Rifles and later elected as Member of District council, shared the light of education and how Shekarnong Sankhil organized a student conference where he demonstrated how they shoot the sun. Shetphong Sankhil describes learning about Haikaa, and he requested to discuss how Chuva and Khava went to heaven, how people killed elephants and Sumphai was sold by her brother to ask villages to come prepared and how he appreciates them. Then Bunghon Suungnem explains the ornaments and dress that dancers wear during performances.

Mantripukhri was a pond made after Lamkang Thamsul for performing a ritual for the Meitei king to have a baby. When the king had the baby, he came to look for him, but the families thought that the king was looking for him to kill him. So, when they asked the family they answered he went ‘Panthaba chet khre” and they thought it was the name of the village, so that is how the village Mantripantha was named.

Folk songs and love stories recorded with family members. Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching tells the traditional folktales “Akhuu Kmaakna”, “Dii Laa”, “Bungkhuu” about villagers who left the village due to the leech, ”K’sil chelraaangpa” about a beautiful cow eaten by the tiger.

Bunghon Suungnem of Leingangching, Beshot Tholung of Thamlapokpi, and Bu Ringo Dilbung of New Chayang tell the story of how Shenoi was kept by the captives. A messenger was sent to bring him with two “dingduu” and on top chilly were tied together to identify he is carrying an important message to convey and no one will disturb him. “Cheldep” thir sun dat pdainu mkuul k’am pii. And today it was kept with the people. Bu Ringo Dilbung tells the story of Chbuphei and Haikaa. They also named the names of some Lamkang heroes, and heroes who have their story with songs ascribed to them.