All posts tagged: Manipur

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I Saved Up To Buy My First Camera | Wedding Photographer – Thangminlun Tonsing

Published by Shiori Chan

Thangminlun Tonsing is a self trained wedding photographer from Lamka, Churachandpur, Manipur. When he realized that he was stuck in a boring job where he saw no future, he saved up and bought a camera and thus began his journey. He has made endless pursuance of techniques and education in the field to perfect his art – and continues to do so passionately. Hi Thangminlun! Tell us something about your interest for photography. How did it all start? I vividly recall the time when I was working at a call centre and couldn’t afford a DSLR. So I decided on starting to save a little and meanwhile played around with a Sony cybershot camera and experimenting. Later, when the interest in grew,  I decided to take it to a little serious level, and purchased a bridge camera with my savings. It was a Fuji film S2950. That was the day, I started capturing almost everything around me. The excitement of being able to frame moments and expressions into something that was real but created by …

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Praveen Khwairakpam | 23 Year Old Medical Student and Paper Craft Artist

Published by Shiori Chan

Praveen Khwairakpam from Manipur is a 23 year old medical student at Sikkim Manipal University. About a year ago, this student-doctor discovered his talent and passion for paper art. He says, “Paper is a beautiful medium to work with. It is delicate and comes in various distinct shades. The most interesting thing about working with it is how versatile it can be – you can fold it, roll it, layer it and let it flow to suit your design!”  A doctor in the making or an artist? How do you identify yourself? Tell us something about this dual personality you balance.  It’s a bit of both. I grew up in Imphal, Manipur and attended a boarding school in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh. That is where I figured my passion for art. It started with painting. Then, I moved to Delhi for my higher secondary education and my passion for painting and art continued there. Then I enrolled at the Sikkim Manipal Student, Gangtok and that is when my curiosity and creativity for paper art started. So …

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Sipping on Childhood Dreams | Meet the Founder of Dweller Teas – Eli Yambem

Published by Shweta Rao

Fresh, dynamic and young Eli Yambem brings us a story not very different from other young entrepreneurs of today.  Yambem was living the good life being a financial analyst at multinational firms in thriving cities like London and Singapore. But, a few years ago, Yambem had an epiphany.  And that’s where her story gets unique. Eli found the disconnect of staying away from her family and her home exhausting. But when she did begin looking for opportunities to move back home, she found there were none. Instead of sitting back and lamenting about it, Yambem took charge of the moment and asked herself, “Can I do something about it?” “I was born in Imphal (Manipur) and left home at the age of 12 for education. Fourteen years later, I decided to come back to live close to my family and work on Dweller full-time. Prior to this, I spent three years in London and Singapore, working as a Financial analyst and auditor respectively.” Inspired by the pure nature and culture around which she grew up, Yambem …

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Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – An Inspirational Manipuri Folk Performer.

Published by Shweta Rao

Indian classical music has reached international fame and recognized at a global level. But, the Indian folk culture, talking of the existing in predominantly rural communities today, does not enjoy the same celebratory status. Partly, because tribal and folk music is not taught in disciplinary formats similar to Indian classical music. Fortunately, that’s changing today, as Indian youths are picking up folk music to express themselves on various platforms and sustaining their roots and culture for the ages to come. Today at R&L, we showcase an important folk performer, Mangka, who’s a musical revolution that state youth forums are rejoicing over. She has put Manipuri folk singing on the international map and is the voice that has popularized Manipuri folk song form, Pena. Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – Folk Song Artist and Performer at the Laihui Ensemble from Imphal, Manipur. Mangka acquired the knowledge of folk music from her father, Mangangsana, a renowned Pena artist and recipient of Ustad Bismilah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2008. Mangka started learning Moirang Sai and Basok (a rare traditional female performing …

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Harajuku Inspired Fashion Designer | Chingngam

Published by Imliren Jamir

  Meet Chingngam Awungshi Shimray, a Mumbai based fashion designer who recently started her own label inspired by the fashion scene in Harajuku street – centre of Japanese youth culture and fashion – which started as a result of the young people’s curiosity towards western culture. Harajuku fashion can be described as an outer expression of something inside that is just waiting to get out and this is how people in Japan use fashion – as a means to express themselves. Chingngam Awungshi Shimray is one such designer who brings out her inner expressions and creativity through her clothes and describes her clothing label as ‘fun fashion‘. I had a brief chat with the upcoming designer over WhatsApp , and here’s an excerpt : Tell us something about yourself “I am from Manipur. After graduating from St. Mary’s college in Shillong Meghalaya, I followed my heart to become a fashion designer and moved to Mumbai. As a fashion designer, I believe that inspiration does not have a measure. It hits me at random moments . But, I do have …