Why Manipurʼs Capital Is Indiaʼs Best-kept Cultural Secret?
GQ India|December 2019
Why Manipurʼs capital is Indiaʼs best-kept cultural secret
Vivek Menezes
Why Manipurʼs Capital Is Indiaʼs Best-kept Cultural Secret?

Soft rain enveloped my footsteps the first time I walked the streets of Imphal to meet Ronid (Akhu) Chingangbam. The 38-yearold musician dropped me an internet pin to reach his recording session in the haphazardly overbuilt neighborhood of Khuyathong, but the location proved stubbornly elusive. When my phone buzzed “destination reached”, I found the entranceway forked three ways into dizzying stairwells. It was only after huffing up and down two of them that the Shallow River Studio finally revealed itself. One step across the threshold and I was captivated by the instantly recognizable, wistful treble voice that had drawn me all the way across the country from my home in Goa.

Back in 2012, Akhu first came to my attention via The Dewarists, the long-running MTV India series, pairing musical acts from around the world to create collaborative tracks. Episode 7 showcased an all-time favorite, the swaggering British electronica pioneers, Asian Dub Foundation. Right alongside their gut-pounding grooves was an unknown voice, singing lyrics, unlike anything I’d ever heard before. This was the brilliantly surreal “Qutub Minar”, the story of a Manipuri who casually picks up the centuries-old iconic Delhi monument, and hefts it directly back home, “Please convey to Manmohan/When AFSPA is repealed/you can take back the Qutub Minar/Otherwise I will be on my own course/ Draped in a phanek I hope to install it at the Samu Makhong.”

Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av GQ India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av GQ India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA GQ INDIASe alt
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
GQ India

The 30 Best Watches Of 2024

Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
GQ India

Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...

Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
GQ India

The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame

In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
GQ India

"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
The Wedding Singers
GQ India

The Wedding Singers

Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.

time-read
5 mins  |
October - November 2024
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
GQ India

A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face

As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Fluidity of Cartier
GQ India

The Fluidity of Cartier

Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024
A Princess with Passion
GQ India

A Princess with Passion

From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.

time-read
6 mins  |
October - November 2024
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
GQ India

THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ

The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.

time-read
10 mins  |
August - September 2024
DEMNA UNMASKED
GQ India

DEMNA UNMASKED

He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024