Rewben Mashangva | |
|---|---|
 Closeup of Rewben Mashangva at Bangalore Literature Festival, 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1961-06-21)21 June 1961 (age 64) |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation | Hao music exponent |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, flute, folk fiddle, harmonica |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Website | rewben.com |
Rewben Mashangva, alsoGuru Rewben Mashangva (born 21 June 1961),[1] is afolk musician and singer fromManipur, India.[2] He is known for reviving musical tradition of theTangkhul Naga of Manipur, and use of traditional musical instruments in his songs.[3][4] Influenced by musicians such asBob Dylan andBob Marley, Rewben Mashangva has created manyNaga tribal folk songs based onblues andballad rhythms.[3] He is known by different names including, 'Bob Dylan of the Nagas' and[5] 'King of Naga folk blues',[3][6] plus 'Father of Naga folk blues'.[7][8] He received the National Tribal Award 2011–12, for his contribution to the development of tribal music from theMinistry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.[9] TheGovernment of India honoured him in 2021, with the award ofPadma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his rich contribution to art.[10]
Mashangva was featured in the first season ofThe Dewarists, along withThe Raghu Dixit Project.[11]
In 2023, Rewben made his acting debut in the Manipuri filmJoseph’s Son, which had its world premiere at theShanghai International Film Festival.[12][13] He received the Jury Award for his portrayal of Joseph in the film at the1st North East India Film Festival, Manipur.[14] He also won the Best Music award for the film at the 1stGuwahati Asian Film Festival 2025.[15] At the 16th Manipur State Film Awards, he was honored with the Best Lyrics award.[16]
Rewben's performance as Joseph in film was recognized byScreen Echoes Manipur as one of the Best Eight Performances in Manipuri Cinema of the Last Decade.[17]