BY HAZEL TARIANG
SHILLONG:
It’s no secret that most of us have experienced heartbreak at least once in our lives. But how many managed to channelise it to make it a work of art? Well, meet Penngayung Khamrang. Popularly known as Yung Yung amongst his fans, Penngayung has turned his bitter experience in love into not only a song, but a nationwide tour. And on June 30, when he took to the stage at U Soso Tham Auditorium, scores of screaming fans raised their hands in the air and swayed to his peppy yet emotional renderings.
As chants of “we love you Yung” echoed in the auditorium, a humble, soft-spoken Penngayung grabbed the microphone. And the auditorium erupted as he broke into the first song of the evening – Nganon Kahai Khara. But before he swayed his audience, The Meghalayan caught the rising star of the Tangkhul community for a chit-chat and he readily obliged.
“I was dumped by my girlfriend and so, I turned my experience into an original song,” Penngayung tells The Meghalayan. Elaborating further on the song and the tour, which goes by the name “Yung Yung Phenai Music Tour 2022”, Penngayung says the word “phenai” loosely translates into “getting dumped” and through this tour, he wants the country to know of his “pain” and about “moving on”.
Born and brought up in Dewlahland, Imphal, it wasn’t easy for the 25-year-old to pursue his passion for music, let alone embarking on a multi-city tour. “Being a tribal, there isn’t a lot of scope in the entertainment industry. But for me, the silver lining came in the form of Hau Media, a talent-grooming and media agency, which helped me realise my dreams,” says Penngayung.
The tour, he says, is a six-city tour including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Shillong. “I love performing in Shillong. Tell me one artiste who wouldn’t like to perform in the hub of music in the Northeast?” he asks.
The sole reason why he got into singing, says Penngayung, is because he wants to leave behind a legacy in the Tangkhul community history. “I want to leave behind a little bit of me in the Tangkhul cultural history through my songs. And it is for this reason, I’m pursuing my passion in music,” says the young artiste.
Penngayung says that the main aim behind the nationwide tour is to encourage tribal artiste to come out and pursue their passion for arts. “The main aim of this tour is to encourage young tribal artistes to come out and display their talent across the country as more often than not, they only confine themselves to their respective states,” he says.
And the Shillong chapter of tour couldn’t have been a better one for Penngayung as he got to share the stage with veteran singer-songwriter from the city, Lou Majaw. Before young Yung Yung’s set, it was Majaw, who in his trademark, smooth, subtle and enriching style entertained a packed auditorium and paved the way for the youngster to showcase his talent. And boy, he didn’t disappoint!