Padmashree Awardee Khangembam Mangi Singh :: Profile

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Padmashree Awardee Khangembam Mangi Singh :: Profile

PADMASHREE AWARDEE KHANGEMBAM MANGI SINGH

Full Name: Khangembam Mangi Singh

Father's Name: Khangembam Tomei Singh

Mother's Name: Khangembam Manjuri Devi

Birth Place: Lambal, Lamsang

Date of Birth: 10th November, 1925

Address: Thangmeiband Lourung Purel Leikai, Imphal West

Khangembam Mangi Singh is a leading exponent of Pena music of Manipur and one of the leading artistes of Manipuri Folk Theatre.

Khangembam Mangi Singh started learning Pena music at an early age from his father who was a well known Pena musician. He also learnt Pena music from a number of well known gurus of Manipur and established himself as a renowned Pena musician while he was in his mid twenties and received royal gift Mana fee from the king of Manipur, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh in 1951 when he was 26 years old.

Since his early age, Mangi Singh has been participating as a Pena player in the celebrated Manipuri pre-Hindu ritualistic annual festival Lai Haraoba.

Khangembam Mangi Singh is one of the pioneers of Sumang Seisak – an innovative Pena performance by more than one Pena player at a time. The credit for Pena Phamsak, another innovative style of Pena performance, also goes to Kh. Mangi Singh.

Khangembam Mangi Singh has given his performances in India and abroad. A good number of young Pena performers received training under him and some of his pupils received scholarship, fellowship, fellowship and award from the Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Academy.

Khangembam Mangi Singh is the principal founder of Laihui (Centre for research on traditional and indigenous arts of Manipur) and is an active worker for the preservation of ancient and traditional art forms specially Pena music of Manipur. Presently, he was the head of Pena Loishang (Royal Office of Pena Musicians of Manipur).

Khangembam Mangi has a flair for acting too and he is one the leading artistes of the Manipuri folk theatre Moirang Parva Anouba. He participated in a number of Manipuri folk plays like Mahaprabhu Phita Thaba, Nongeen Phaba, Mapa Macha, etc.

Khangembam Mangi has received several honours and awards including Lupa Leikham Sanglakpa, the second highest award of the Royal Office (Pandit Loishang) of the Palace of Manipur in 1976, Sana Leikham Sanglakpa, the highest award of the Royal Office in 1998, Sangeet Bhushan from Manipuri Sahitya Parishad in 2007, Manipur State Kala Akademi Award in 2005, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006 and Basanta Bimala Award in 2008.

Khangembam Mangi started learning Pena from his own father at a very tender age. He also learned Pena from other teachers namely Moirangthem Modhu of Lairenkabi, Phamdom Sanajao of Tera Urak, Thangjam Toyai of Lamshang, Tokpam Papu of Sangaiprou, Khumukcham Kanhai of Iroisemba, Yumnam Kanhai of Thoubal, Thokchom Tolomu of Khurai, etc.

He has been performing various Lai Haraoba occasions around the state. He joined Dance College (presently known as Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy) Imphal as a Pena performer in 1975 and retired as a Guru of Lai Haraoba in 1996.

He has toured and performed Pena in many venues in around the including Mexico, Washington, London, Berlin, Switzerland, Japan, France, and some other places in Asia. He also acted in Manipuri traditional plays of Moirang Parva and Sumang Leela during 1950 to 1970.

Khangembam Mangi has presented papers and demonstrations of Pena and Lai Haraoba at various seminars and workshops. He had directed innovative forms of Pena performances of Laihui namely 'Ukai Kappa' (2002) and 'Lamjel' (2003).

Many of his students have achieved many prestigious awards and recognition like National Scholarship and Fellowship given by the Ministry of Culture and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar given by Sangeet natak Akademi. Many of his students are performing many Lai Haraoba functions.

Awards and Recognitions:

o Padmashree 2011
o Manipuri Sahitya Parishad Shanman 2010
o LEIKOL's Basanta Bimala Award 2008
o Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2006
o Manipur State Kala Akademi Award 2005
o Manipuri Sahitya Parishad's Sangeet Bhushan 2007
o Sana Leikham Pena Sanglakpa 2002 of Manipur Pandit Loishang
o Hijam Irabot Memorial Charitable Trust Award 2011 (Pena Eeshei)
o Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 (Pena Eeshei) of Cultural Forum Manipur
o MTDTS and PC Award 2017
o Huirem Ranjit Memorial Lifetime Award from Cultural Forum Manipur
o Achievement Award 2018 (Lai Haraoba)