Manipuri artiste Mangka Mayanglambam began writing Apocalypse: The Call of Mother Nature during the Covid-19 pandemic, shaken by the loss of human lives. But the composition remained unfinished for four years, until the ethnic violence that erupted in her home state in 2023 gave her the words to complete it.
Performed midway through her folklore-driven set at Jodhpur RIFF on Friday, the song reflects her response to both crises, its sombre message carried by the soulful strains of the traditional single-stringed instrument pena.
“It felt like human civilisation had come to an end during Covid-19 and mother nature was taking revenge on us for our behaviour. I could not write more than two paras. Then in 2023, so many innocent lives were lost, even small babies were murdered,” Mangka told PTI.
Manipur has been gripped by an ethnic conflict between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities since May 2023. The violence has claimed at least 306 lives, with several people still missing. Three Meitei men were killed in an ambush on October 19.
The final two paragraphs of her composition speak of humanity's collapse under the weight of hatred.
“The last two paragraphs said that because of the hatred we have for each other, humanity has lost. There's no love between us. There's no harmony. It is in a metaphor: the birds are mocking us. The trees are dancing. The rivers, the lakes feel that humans are going to end,” the 30-year-old said.
The conflict, she said, has transformed the songs and stories of Manipur, making it difficult for artistes to perform even their most peaceful compositions without recalling the violence.
“The songs, the stories, everything has changed. Even when I am telling a story of love, peace and harmony, it takes me back to that year and it all turns black. I may be dressed up well, putting on make-up and costumes, but deep inside, whenever I sing the songs of Manipur, it gives me that pain that cannot be explained in words,” she said.
One of the last remaining players of the Meitei folk instrument pena, once performed at Manipur’s royal courts and traditionally played by men, Mangka uses her music to preserve the state's cultural heritage while drawing attention to its suffering.
Her nearly two-hour performance traversed centuries of folklore, opening with a prayer on the creation of the universe before moving to the love story of goddess Tampha, the romance of Khamba and Thoibi -- often called the Manipuri Romeo and Juliet -- and the 1891 Khongjom war between Manipuris and the British. She also performed the festive song Lai Haraoba.
Yet, the state’s ongoing crisis remained a recurring theme. “Music is my weapon, my power. It is the only thing that I can share with the world and say that Manipur used to be a peaceful, calm, and beautiful place. Every song I perform, every story I narrate, it reflects in a different way,” she said.
Organised by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur RIFF features more than 250 folk musicians from Rajasthan and other Indian states, alongside roots musicians from six continents and around a dozen countries.
This year’s line-up includes Filipino-Murrawari rapper Dobby, Latin American duo Camila y Silvio, British Uilleann pipe player Michael McGoldrick and American folk and blues singer Martha Redbone, all making their festival debut.