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It was a VIP event, so as to speak. A decadent event where the drinks and tandoori chicken flowed.. bearers dressed in white whisking in and out of the carpeted hall carrying platters of food.

Guests sat on sofas, partaking in polite conversations with their neighbours, while listening to the singers who graced the stage. Right, the music, which was the reason for this particular gathering, and which my father thinks deserves a review from my side.

The music. Two years ago, I happened to attend the same event, and by no means do I mean this as a compliment, they sang the same songs.
The same faces, the same kind of music, the same gaudy lights.

Manipur is rich in diversity.. of people, of flora and fauna, and so on.But when it comes to music, specifically the mainstream music, it is sadly still lagging behind.

Most of this so called "Manipuri music" are "inspired" (a more generous word to replace "copied") by/from Hindi or Korean music.. to the extent that you could pick any popular Hindi principles Korean song, and be able to find a Manipuri one with the same beats and tune.

This is rather a depressing phenomenon, which bothers most of us..

Comments

  1. All Kaps12 May 2013 at 08:37

    I'm afraid you are missing something here. You say "Most of this so called Manipuri music are inspired", but how would you define "most"? We are so lucky that many of the musicians in our generation are experimenting with different forms - old, traditional, folk as well as fusion and others. No one would deny the influence of Bolywood/Korean pop craps, yet it is only half the picture. I would recommend you to watch this opera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNLAXRm_EHU . Listen to the music!

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  2. Bem23 June 2013 at 01:14

    Hey Da, I used the word "most" rather liberally I guess.. But really, I don't know the statistics and all but most of the songs that I hear back home, be it on the radio, tv or wherever all sound the same!! I agree, Times are changing and there is more creativity in music, but sadly it's still a minority..

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  3. Bem23 June 2013 at 01:15

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