Echoes of a Guitar: The Life, Music, and Legacy of Chongtham Vikram Singh

Echoes of a Guitar

The Life, Music, and Legacy of Chongtham Vikram Singh

By SB Luwang

Before his name appeared in headlines, Chongtham Vikram Singh was a guitarist, teacher, mentor, husband, father, son, brother, and friend.

His life belonged to music.

Growing up in Manipur in a family with a strong musical background, Vikram became part of a generation that helped shape the region’s developing rock culture. His musical journey became associated with bands including Ultra Vires, Phoenix, and Eastern Dark, before life eventually carried him from Imphal to Delhi.

In Delhi, another important chapter began.

Vikram continued his musical journey while becoming a dedicated teacher and mentor. Through years of instruction, performances, collaborations, and personal guidance, his influence moved beyond his own guitar and into the hands of the students he taught.

Then, in September 2026, his life came to a sudden and tragic end in Delhi.

But Echoes of a Guitar refuses to allow the manner of his death to become the whole story.

Instead, this biography turns back toward the decades that came before it—the family that shaped him, the music that defined him, the bands and friendships of Manipur’s rock scene, his migration to Delhi, his development as a teacher, and the memories preserved by those whose lives intersected with his.

Inside This Book

Readers will explore:

• Vikram Singh’s musical roots and family background
• The emergence of rock culture in Manipur
• His association with Ultra Vires, Phoenix, and Eastern Dark
• His development as a guitarist
• His journey from Manipur to Delhi
• His work as a music teacher and mentor
• His Delhi musical collaborations
• His family life and personal character
• A carefully framed account of the events surrounding his death
• Community reactions, vigils, and demands for justice
• His influence on musicians and students
• The importance of preserving Manipur’s rock-music history
• A provisional life and career chronology
• Research notes and archival directions for future documentation

More Than a Biography of a Musician

This is also a story about music, migration, memory, mentorship, identity, and belonging.

It examines how an artist can have deep influence without mass celebrity and how a teacher’s legacy may continue invisibly through generations of students.

It also raises a larger question:

How should we remember a person whose public recognition came only after tragedy?

The answer offered by this book is simple.

Remember the life before the headline.

Remember the music.

Remember the teacher.

Remember the person.

Because some songs end.

Their echoes do not.

Ideal For

Readers interested in:

• Indian musicians and music biographies
• Manipur and Northeast Indian music history
• Rock music in Northeast India
• Guitarists and music teachers
• Cultural history of Manipur
• Stories of musicians and mentors
• Northeast Indian experiences in metropolitan India
• Biographies about artistic legacy and remembrance