NEW DELHI: All India Radio’s folk singer Mangka Mayanglambam mesmerised the audience with her lilting performance in Colombo as part of the ABU Radio Song Festival.

The Festival was organised over the weekend by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union at the Stein TV Studios in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The ABU Radio Song Festival aims to showcase and recognise the diverse, undiscovered musical talents of nations within Asia and the Pacific regions. ABU had invited entries featuring amateur unsigned talents in this regard from its member organisations.

AIR’s entry 'Tamla Loibi Napom'(Stylised Folk) in Manipuri language featuring Mayanglambam was selected for finals among entries from Australia, Brunei, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Mangka Mayanglambam, aged 17, is a Folk Singer from Manipur and has acquired her knowledge of Folk Music from her father Mangangsana, a well known traditional Manipuri Pena performer. At the age of nine, she started learning 'Moirang Sai'and 'Basok'(a rare folk performing art form of Manipur, which are performed only by female) from Guru Langathel Thoinu. She had also learned Hindustani Sangeet from the late Guru Mairembam Jiten Singh and is currently learning three years Manipuri Dance at Government Dance College at Imphal in Manipur.

She had been approved as a Child Folk Singer at All India Radio, Imphal, in 2009 and received National Talent Scholarship from CCRT, New Delhi in the field of Folk Song since 2009 and has been performing actively with Laihui Ensemble, a cultural troupe in Imphal.

Mayanglambam was accompanied by KonthoujamRatan Singh (Meitei Pung Percussionist), Laishram Prithibiraj Singh (Toudri/Flute player), Mayanglambam Mangangsana Meitei (Pena player), Ngangom Michael Singh (Percussionist & Effects) and Loitongbam Sunil Singh (Guitarist).

Bijaya Yumlembam, Programme Executive, AIR Imphal, accompanied the troupe as an interpreter. The delegation was led by AIR Programme Executive Y P Singh from Delhi.

Mayanglambam’s performance was appreciated by all and the organisers presented her a Certificate of Merit for her performance.

The show was co-hosted by Sri Lankan media group Capital Maharaja, the owners of Stein Studios, Colombo. The gala evening was streamed live on mtvsport.lk.

ABU Senior Executive (Radio Programming) Vijay Sadhu said the audience and viewers were given 'an exquisite offering of songs of various genres coupled with a brilliant production".

The singer was felicitated by Imphal AIR Station Director M Kanan Kumar Singh on her return after a great performance in the Radio Song Festival at Colombo.