ZIRO, 9 Mar: Popularly nicknamed the ‘Lata Mangeshkar of Apatani Plateau’ for her yeomen contributions in the field of music for the past three decades, Ania Leegang was conferred the Women Achiever Award in the field of art & culture during the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration at the Dorjee Khandu Conventional Centre in Itanagar on Wednesday.
Leegang started her singing career at a tender age in 1989 as a radio artiste at the All India Radio Itanagar, and recorded her first Apatani duet song, ‘Niim Kane Hendu Nimmi’ with legendary Apatani male singer Hage Tade.
In 1991, Leegang released an Apatani audio album, Popi Sarmi Vol-I & II, which popularised Apatani music and inspired other tribes to bring out audio music albums.
Leegang was also the first radio announcer at All India Radio, Ziro, in 2000. In 2003, she standardised, recorded and digitised the famous Apatani ‘Daminda’ folksong in audio format.
She has so far recorded more than 200 vernacular songs.
A graduate in agriculture from the College of Agriculture in Mezipema, Nagaland, Leegang is currently posted as a peripatetic training officer at the Farmers’ Training Centre here. (DIPRO)
