Hornbill Festival 2009

An overview of Nagaland:

Nagaland is a state of diverse tribal culture & a land of festivals. It’s a narrow strip of mountainous territory with rugged hills, emerald valleys, sparkling streams and a rich variety of flora and fauna, the 16th State of the Indian Union has salubrious climate throughout the year

Nagaland represents unimaginable beauty, moulded perfectly for a breathtaking experience. For the adventurous, the State is an ideal place for trekking and jungle camping and offers limitless possibilities for exploring its lush sub-tropical rainforests, which are a treasure trove of medicinal plants. The 20-lakh-strong Naga people, by nature, are fun lovers, and life in Nagaland is one long festival.

Each of the 16+ major tribes and many sub-tribes in the State has its own way of maintaining its distinctive cultural traditions and customs, through various forms of performing arts, which are an integral part of Naga festivals. Each of the tribal communities that dwell in the hills can be distinguished by the colourful and intricately designed costumes, jewellery and beads that its members wear. The traditional ceremonial attire of each tribe is different from that of the other. There are the multi-coloured spears and daos decorated with dyed goat's hair, the headgear made of finely woven bamboo interlaced with orchid stems and adorned with boar's teeth and hornbill's feathers, and ivory armlets. In the olden days, warriors had to prove their valour if they wanted to wear these.

One of the many dances of the Nagas displaying their rich cultural heritage.

Naga damsels in their rich cultural ethinic wear.

A brief insight about The Hornbill festival:

The Hornbill Festival is a rich inter-tribal cultural festival held in Nagaland since 2000, the festival is named after the state bird “Hornbill” which is a 7 day annual festivity observed during the 1^st week of December to mark the stunning natural beauty and to sustain the rich cultural heritage of the varied tribes by calling a rich fare to tourists, during its event, the Naga artists present their traditional arts in the form of paintings, wood carvings, sculptures etc., Naga troupes perform various dances, sing folk songs and play games. Music concert is also organised during its event which is one of the most integral aspects of the event.

One of the many Naga tribes with their traditional attire ...notice the Hornbill feathers on their headgears

Another Naga tribe in The Hornbill Festival.

Naga warriors mimicing a dance fight amomgst themselves.

The 7 day Hornbill festival displays various facets of Naga life and culture. The Hornbill festival 2009 was held from December 01^st ‘09 to December 07^th ’09 in the amphitheatre of Kisama Heritage village, Kohima, which took all the tourists through their rich cultural dances and feats; during its festival, The state observed its 4 day long integral event: the “Hornbill National Rock Contest “ and as many as 19 bands from 6 states participated to bag the prizes.

A band from national capital, Delhi, took part in the four day Hornbill National Rock contest, 2009.

Please find below the names of the bands from each state –

1)Nagaland - Demenitia , Melodrama ,OFF, Sunep Assemble Band , Incipit ,Kronik and Eastern Hatz.

2) Manipur: Kanglasha and Cleave.

3) West Bengal – Kalika, Baraka, Cyncial Recess, Silverscreen, and Kaivaalya.

4) Assam - Harmonic Curtains and Lucid Recess.

5) Meghayala - Pip Of the Fourth Mother

6) Arunachal Pradesh - Church OV Blood

7) Hypnosis – New Delhi

(The Verbs from Meghalaya won the Hornbill National Rock Contest, 2008 but didn’t participate in 2009)

Nagaland’s ‘OFF’ band won the title and cash amount of Rs.5 lakh presented by Airtel.

Hypnosis from New Delhi was placed second and won Rs.1.5 lakh

while Kaivaalya from Kolkata was placed third and also won cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

All the cash prizes were sponsored by Airtel.

Ironically the ‘OFF’ band doesn’t have its portfolio in the Google yet; after winning 5 lacs they should have had been making news, pictures and waves for fame and popularity in the internet world but they seem to be very immature to use their platform to achieve further accomplishments. Many other bands participating in this festival were new and a very few band profiles are present in the internet world. Nevertheless, I managed to dig up some which I have written it in words and the rest are in pictures…….

One of the many contestants 'Lucid Recess' in the Hornbill rock fest '09

Local state contestant 'Dementia' from Dimapur.

Thank you! :-)

Rock and Roll Origination

Rock and Roll is a genre of popular music that evolved from the blues scale in the United States, after World War II in the late 1940s, from the African American culture, Rock and Roll did not acquire its name until the 1950’s. An early form of rock and roll was rockabilly, which combined country and jazz.

The term "rock and roll" now has at least two different meanings – rock and roll as synonymous with rock music or specifically to the music of the 1950s with the combination of blues, country and jazz.

In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced by guitar in the middle of late 1950s and gradually classic rock and roll came into the picture, Classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars, an electric bass guitar and a drum kit.

The massive popularity and worldwide view of rock and roll, went on to spawn various sub-genres, commonly called "rock music" or "rock".

Alan Freed.

In the mid 1950’s, people like Elvis Presley (singer/musician), and Alan Freed (disc jockey and concert producer of rock and roll) had made rockabilly popular.

"Rock and Roll" is a river of music that has absorbed many streams: rhythm and blues, jazz, rag time, cowboy songs, country songs, folk songs. All have contributed to the big beat.

Oh! I bet you know who this is!