ABSTRACT
The Kabui is one of the indigenous tribes of Manipur. They popularly call themselves as Rongmei. The term rongmei is a combination of two words. Rong mean south and mei mean people. Thus the word rongmei stands for the southern people. The ancestral home of the Rongmei lies in the mountain range of Tamenglong district of Manipur and adjacent mountain areas of Nagaland and Assam. According to the writing of an ancient enthronographer of the British era, they are one of the twenty-two tribal communities who lived in Manipur. Today also, the Kabui have been enlisted as one of the 29 tribes in the Constitution of India. Folk songs are songs often of anonymous origin that are transmitted orally. They are a major aspect of national or culture identity. Folk songs exist in almost every society which are sung during the festivals, marriage ceremonies, competitive events and funerals, etc.
