Kohima: The Rattle and Hum Society of Nagaland has organized the sixth edition of the ‘Handshake Concert,’ which is scheduled to be held in Jakarta the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia on June 19.
According to the convener of Rattle and Hum Theja Meru the Handshake Concert is being organized with an effort to promote cross-cultural goodwill.
Since its inception in 2008, the concert has provided a stage for Naga artists to showcase their musical prowess to a global audience and the concert was envisioned to promote Naga music and culture to the world.
He said that the event is a celebration of friendship and camaraderie through music.
This year’s edition of the event is organized under the theme ‘Bringing people closer, one handshake at a time.’
The event will be held as a part of the larger Jakarta Festival, which is an annual event in Indonesia and the Indonesians love for music and culture would provide a fitting venue for the concert.
Mr. Meru informed that a total of 20 to 25 Naga artists would perform at the event and to finalizing the list, the participants would be chosen on the basis of their musical achievements and contributions to Naga music.
He informed that representatives from the Rattle and Hum Society had met members of the Gedung Kesenian in Jakarta on April 5 to hold discussions on the event.
He further expressed gratitude to Aosenla Jennifer Pongen, Associate Refugee Status Discrimination Officer for the UNHCR in Jakarta, who played a vital role in making the event in Jakarta possible.
Mr Meru said that this year’s event would include an exhibition of Naga culture.
He stated that a stage would be provided to showcase Naga traditional items. This, he termed as an opportunity to promote Naga culture and tradition to the outside world.
In a world filled with cultural divisions, the Friendship Concert presents an avenue for Naga musicians to act as global ambassadors for Naga culture.
The idea of the Friendship Concert originated with the NE Music Festival organized by the Rattle and Hum Society under the tutelage of the North East Zone Cultural Center in 2008.
Since then, the annual event has been held at Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Bangkok.
It must be noted that the Mumbai edition in 2009 was held in partnership with Rolling Stones Magazine.
Mr. Meru also informed that the first international edition of the event in Bangkok was organized with partnership from the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Thailand and the Nagaland Government. (UNI)