Songs of the people

IMPHAL TALKIES AND THE HOWLERS

Akhu Chingangbam, who founded the band Imphal Talkies, did not consciously choose the folk genre at first. However, singing songs in his native tongue of Manipuri meant that the band automatically imbibed some of the local flavour. It was after the first album came out that Akhu realised that the sound definitely had folk undertones.

“Most Manipuri bands either stick to completely traditional formats or are purely Western in their sound. We decided to bridge that gap and that happened primarily when we decided to compose our songs in Manipuri instead of English. We have also incorporated some folk instruments in our sets and that adds to that effect,” Akhu explains. The vocalist however does not believe that folk should be limited to age-old songs of the soil.

“Folk songs are songs of the people. As long as you write songs that are about the people, I think you can call that folk. Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger can both be considered folk artistes, yet what they sang was not traditional, rustic songs, but rather songs about the people.

“So, when we sing our songs of protest and activism in Manipuri, we are creating folk songs in our own right. That is how the tradition goes forward,” he asserts.

As long as you write songs that are about the people, I think you can call that folk. Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger can both be considered folk artistes — AKHU