Songs of Tarao

Project Type

Language Documentation

Location

Manipur

Year

2025

Overview

The Tarao are an endangered tribe spread across 4 small villages in the Southern districts of Chandel and Tengnoupal, Manipur. With an approximate population of less than 900, the Tarao’s are spread across Khuringmul, Tarao Laimanai (Bukthrol), Leishokching and Heikakpokpi villages. With increasing threats due to population decline and cultural loss, this project aims to document twenty traditional songs sung by the Tarao’s, with songs ranging from agricultural to ones sung during social gathering, to love and death. These songs express the people’s emotions, stories, and way of life.

The songs will be recorded properly using a sound recorder. Then it will be transcribed and translation will be done in consonance to the dictionary maintained by the Tarao Literature Committee (TLC). There will be two translations; poetic and literary. Further, a note on the song, context, footnotes, when it is sung etc will also be included. Before we finalise and complete the project, the project will be reviewed along with the community elders through the TLC.