Enjoy an evening of songs by singer-songwriter-poet Ronidkumar Chingangbam

Get ready for a musical evening, as

India Foundation for the Arts

(IFA) is all set to present ‘Ema Gi Wari’ (Stories of My Mother): A Performance of Songs by singer-songwriter-poet

Ronidkumar Chingangbam

, aka

Akhu

, September 10, at 6 pm. To be streamed on Zoom, the show forms part for IFA’s ‘

Throwback Thursdays

’ project.
As the

pandemic

and the need to maintain physical distancing continue, IFA discovers new ways of engaging with technology and online platforms to share the work of their grantees. The ‘Throwback Thursdays’ virtual series comprises conversations, film screenings and performances. And the latest episode is by Ronidkumar, who will be singing songs from his album ‘Ema Gi Wari’. The performance will be followed by an experience sharing, where he will talk about the research and journeys for his musical work on the lives and stories of Manipuri diasporas. The session will be moderated by Sumana Chandrashekar, Programme Lead at IFA.
Ronidkumar had received two grants from IFA, under the Arts Practice programme. The discussion will also be streamed live on Their Facebook page.
The projects supported by IFA enabled Akhu to research, create and disseminate a musical performance based on notions of Manipuri identity that lie embedded in literature and folklore of the Meitei diaspora, spread across Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh. Through extensive field trips and interviews, the project explored the histories, stories and songs of the Meitei community and its subsequent migration, to understand the constructions and erasures of identity – both within and outside of Manipur.