Tapta LAAK-AE, website LAUNCHED!!
As a New Years gift Tapta presents to the world his website www.taptamusic.com
Please visit Tapta’s website, it’s a website *made by the fans* for Tapta, for the fans, for the whole world. It has got all the information on Tapta, most significant one is the Analysis section, where the philosophy of Tapta is *dissected*. The outspoken, the bolder new generation has arrived!! The Tide Is Turning.
Features of the Tapta website are:
* Biography
* Discography
* Lyrics
* Concerts
* Band Members
* Interviews
* Awards
* Gallery
* Analysis
Here we continue from the Part 3 of Tapta Series.
In 2002, Mr Jayanta won the ‘Creative Music Award’, and in 2003 he won the ‘Roop Raag Award’.
Mr Jayanta categories his songs into 4 types:
The Power of Attraction – Tapta
a. Volume - (Social)
b. Series - (Romance)
c. P.R.U.C.K. Series - (Political & Patriotic)
d. G.V. of Tapta - (Group Volume and Duet)
In 2004, he started to make G.V. of Tapta. This was done to benefit the upcoming singers who don’t have a teacher, who don’t have money to release audio cassettes, but have the talents.
In 2006, he started a project to give opportunities to the young talents who wanted to sing fusion music. Without taking money, and by giving away the lyrics and the tune in cassettes, ‘The Tapta Music Band’ conducted a selection test on 20th November 2006, where 169 promising artists participated. From amongst them 18 participants were selected, for Group Volume and free schooling course.
Not to lose the enthusiasm of those who were not selected, further a competition named “First Open Song Competition” was held at Kangla, where the participants were made to sing the songs from the album “Tapta’s Wanted”. The event was sponsored by KIMACS.
About 25 male and female singers have sung duet songs with Tapta, and they had been released till Nov 2006. 50 duet songs by 2007 is his target.
From 1996 till 2006 about 800 solo concerts and 50 guest appearance concerts have been performed.
He usually used to sing about 15-20 songs in each concert. SALAI Bros organized 30 songs of Tapta in 2001, since then it has become a trend to have a number of songs for a concert, like 40 songs of Tapta.
LASING organized yet another concert called “50 songs of Tapta”. Due to the overloaded, overreacted crowd, high headed security, the commandos forced Tapta to close the show at 47th song. 50 songs of Tapta have become a common concert since then.
He wanted a challenge, and he gave the go ahead signal to Ghambhir Singh Shopping Complex approached to organize the concert.
Leave alone appreciating ones talent and caliber, people started writing in local dailies things like - “haana-gi leijaramba flow thu-ghai-re” (breaking the convention), “naat-ki oiba ariba sur shanda pumna-mak maang-hanga-dourae” (a threat to the ethnic music). Dishearten with the unsupportive and envious writing he cancelled the 100 songs of Tapta.
The reasons why Tapta feels one cannot be successful in Manipur are:
a) Kaleja (gab-sab) thaak waang-jarabasu lairaba leibaak-ni Manipur
b) Lairabana enaak-khunbadagi henna esei nongmaida thwai yaoba helli
c) Artist-ki senpham yam-na peek-e
d) Mee amagi thabak-ta atoppana mateng pang-nade
e) Phaogat-lakpa mee namthababa hot-nei
f) Hoon-naba kalli, khanthaba youde hot-naba talli, hoo-raanba paammi
g) Saatrana oja oiningi, khangdana khangba saaningi
h) Bebhar leinade
i) Art ta politics chang-ee...
Due to things like - composing songs of 50-60 songs a year, non-stop concerts, practicing in the early morning (before dawn), carelessness in diet.. Doctor started giving warning about his health by 1999. By 2004, his vocal chord began to break. By 2005, he started declining concert offers. In 2006, he went to CMC Vellore for treatment.
His still wants to compose 60-70 songs a year, and release to the public. Many concert offers keep pouring in, some with emotional attachments like for ‘shorat’ which are hard to decline. He likes to perform but he needs too be very cautious about his health. He is still undecided on many of those concert dates but he remains optimistic.
Here is a special message to all the Tapta fans from Tamo Jayanta. He said - ”There are no words enough to thank you but I thank you all very much. The morality of the land is degrading. There should be character and discipline that will help in bringing about a progressive society”.
After years, Mr Jayanta is back with a soon-to-be-released album called “Mobile”. On 12th Jan 2008, a concert is scheduled at Pishum Ground(Hao Ground), near Manipur College, Imphal. For more information and updates please visit www.taptamusic.com
“Was it really fair, Dear Respected Authorities?”
As fans of Tapta, as youths who believe in freedom of the artist, in freedom of expression, we would like to break the silence and express our displeasure with the authorities of the land.
Tapta’s upcoming concert was planned to be held at “Hatta Kangjeibung”, keeping in mind the fans from far off Thoubal side. There was even plan for free transport from Thoubal. But the Deputy Commissioner of Imphal East, denied. In the last few days, even after extensive persuasion by fans and friends, no permission was given. After “Hatta Kangjeibung” was denied “Kekru Pat” was requested to be allowed as the venue. But it was again denied. Finally Pishum Ground (Hao Ground) was given as another option, and permission was granted.
England’s Roger Waters was gracefully allowed to hold the “The Wall - Live in Berlin” concert at - Potsdamer Platz, a location that was the "no-man's land" of the Berlin Wall, between erstwhile East and West Germany. The concert was the largest ever on the German soil with a crowd of over 400,000 people.
This was an SMS that was received by one fan yesterday from Mr Jayanta from Manipur, “‘Concert of Tapta’ Kekru Pat yaaraktre. Because ka-henba meeyam pungani haibagi chingnaba leiba. Ei kok ngaore. Ningtamna eshei faoba shakchaba funglaroi”.
When an artist like Tapta that speaks the voice of the common people, wants to hold a concert to create ‘social awareness’, why was he denied the freedom to perform at location he requested for? We wonder - why if other artist were given the permission and why not to Tapta? We wonder – what the problem is when Tapta’s show is from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm? Would it be a security concern when the concert is planned for a broad-daylight-concert; when other artists do shows from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm at the same venue - “Hatta Kengjeibung”?
CREDITS for this Tapta Series at E-Pao (In alphabetical order):
Bhalindra Waribam (Chicago) : For introducing me to the song ‘Problem Ni Problem’, some months ago. Listening to that song motivated me to write this series.
Duran Thiyam (Mumbai) : For designing the TaptaMusic.Com and the graphics works in this series
Jeeban Khaidem (B’lore) : For writing/translating all the lyrics in this series
Jyneswar Laishram (Delhi) : For the words and ideas
Ravisekhar Moirangthem(B’lore): For the words and ideas
Robert Pebam (Belguam) : For gathering information and data from Manipur
Ronid Chingangbam (Delhi) : For the words and ideas
INSPIRATION for all of us: Dhiren Sadokpam (Delhi)
Also read Part 1 |
Part 2 | Part 3
* Ringo Pebam, a Software Engineer in Bangalore, and a Free and Open Source Software enthusiast, contributes regularly to e-pao.net. The writer can be contacted at ringo_pebam(AT)yahoo(DOT)com. This article was webcasted on 31st December, 2007
|