Various cultural troupes from Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur performed colourful cultural dances on the fifth day of the ongoing ten-day Hornbill festival at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.
Cultural troupe from Lotha community performed folk song, “aloe loroe rumphi khen”, a female procession song which performed at the advent of Tokhu Emong – the premier post harvest festival of the Lothas.
The young females move from door to door as in a procession singing and dancing every household prepare different delicacies that are served to the visitors.
Cultural troupe from Angami tribe performed the demonstration of traditional stone pulling by the menfolk of the olden days.
Cultural troupe from Garo community performed harvesting dance and displayed drink offered to chief with chanting of words, wine offering and sowing seeds for germination.
Cultural troupe from Kuki community performed folk dance, “khulkon lam”, the dance depicts the journey undertaken by the Kuki forefathers from their subterranean under world “khul” to the upper world in search of good land.
Cultural troupe from Sangtam community women folk demonstrated the cotton spinning songs. While spinning the cotton they sang songs to make themselves comfortable and to ease their monotonous chore. Cultural troupe from Konyak tribe displayed war dance, “yehok taipe”. In olden times, after a successful raid, warriors returned to their village with the enemy’s head that were considered as trophies. Cultural troupe from Pochury displayed traditional game, “hala hulu” while Cultural troupe from Zeliang tribe performed fish dance, “ heka lim”.
Snow Lion cultural society Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) performed yak dance which captivated the tourists and thousands visitors. One of the famous dances of the Monpa community, where the masked dancers represent the members of a family who are said to have discovered a yak with the help of a magical bird, hundreds years ago. The yak has a major role in the property and the economy of people with its multipurpose use. Snow lion cultural society Tawang Arunachal Pradesh also performed Lion dance.
Art and culture department of Manipur performed a mixed dance and martial art displayed with the theme “we are one” with choreographic dance presentation showing togetherness among peoples of the Manipur by their rich cultural traditions.
In the second session, cultural troupe from Ao community performed battle dance “ arpu tsungsang”, cultural troupe from Rengma tribe presented folklore “ phunsen”, cultural troupe from Chakhesang tribe presented indigenous song , “devi khu”, cultural troupe from Phom community performed dance, “ laakho asho”, cultural troupe from Yimchunger tribe demonstrated shaving beard, “ Miikhiinam hut khi”, cultural troupe from Sumi community displayed drama “ amalimi kuphulu: Sumi tusu tize”, cultural troupe from Kachari community performed folk dance, “ bai maijai” and cultural troupe from Khiamniungan tribe presented folk song “ chesao”.
HIPFEST 2017: Appreciating the things that are taken for granted on a daily basis, Heather Layton, an interdisciplinary artist and senior lecturer of Arts in the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Rochester, is interested in our ability to empathize; her paintings and installations attempt to reimagine the world from a perspective other than her own.
With over 25 exhibitions in the past five years, and having given artist talks and conference presentations, Layton’s exhibition has been put up at HIPFEST 2017 – watercolour and pencil on paper.
Heather Layton’s works includes a series on ‘dirt,’ and speaking about it, she said that it tries to highlight the importance of dirt, how nothing can grow apart from it. Usually, people focus on the flowers and plants, forgetting the dirt, which is essential for the growth of flowers and plants.
Heather Layton along with renowned Naga photographers, Rokovor Vihienuo and Merimvu Doulo judged the HIPFEST 2017 photography contest on Dece,ber 4.
While appreciating the beautiful works done by the Naga photographers in the competition, Heather Layton hoped that their works can also be showcased to the outside world. Judging the photography contest on the theme ‘Colours of Nagaland,’ Rokovor Vihienuo was of the view that the photos should have a ‘touch of Naga’ to it, something that is unique to Nagaland. Expressing a similar view, Doulo cited the case of a picture which shows a Naga traditional house with a church in the background, captioned ‘From darkness to light,’ saying it aptly depicts the essence of ‘Colours of Nagaland.’
Altogether, 45 participants took part in the photography contest, of which nine participants were in the children’s category (13 years and below). The judges focused on the artistic and cultural side, giving importance to Naga culture in particular. The results will be announced on December 7 and prize distribution will be held on December 10.