Melinda Pavek, US Consul General of Kolkata speaks at the launching of the 22nd edition of the Hornbill Music Festival 2021 at RCEMPA, Jotsoma on December 2. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Jotsoma | December 3
Based on her time at the Hornbill Festival on the first day, Melinda Pavek, US Consul General of Kolkata, who formally launched the 22nd edition of the Hornbill Music Festival 2021 at RCEMPA, Jotsoma on Thursday evening said that, “it is perfect and fitting that a celebration to preserve the Naga culture includes a standalone event focused on music.”
She expressed how she “loved hearing how the Naga performers used traditional beats and songs and blended them with new influences to keep the music vibrant and meaningful and celebrating the rich culture and keeping it alive and changing.” Recalling how she learnt about the Hornbill Festival while in Washington, she said she was glad to take their advice- “the most important thing that I needed to do was come to the Hornbill Festival.”
Speaking of the festival, she put across that “it is the fact that it builds people to people connections and that is a critical part of what the US government strives to do as it works on supporting arts program.” She further shared that the US department of state administers several exchange programs for musicians and artists.
“For the last 42 years, we have brought American artists to India to perform and engage with local audiences through the American music abroad program. Over 36000 people from student and adult musical groups around the world have participated in this program and through our OneBeat Exchange we bring together emerging musical leaders to collaborate to create original works and develop civically engaged music initiatives,” the Consul General highlighted.
Further taking the audience through several cultural exchange programs of the US Department of State, she put across that “we do that so we can foster cross cultural understanding collaboration.” In this regard, she also emphasized that “we can demonstrate our share values and aspirations and we can address foreign policy aims and objectives because people to people are the real exchanges.”
She said government talks to government but added that, that is one level of communication and expressed that “we really communicate when people through our arts, through our music, through our culture, through our food, through our dancing.”
Melinda Pavek also referred to Theja Meru, Advisor to TaFMA, “as a brilliant representation of what the program does”. Meru was an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program, USA.
‘Truly India’s biggest music festival’
In his brief address, Theja Meru highlighted that the Hornbill Music Festival is truly India’s biggest music festival, having hosted musicians from USA, UK, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Hungary, and various bands from the across the country and also a multi genre music festival including Rock, Pop, EDM, Choral, Hard Rock, Hip Hop, Blues, folk and fusion.
As an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program, USA, he also expressed his gratitude to the United Sates, and in particular, the US Embassy in Kolkata who selected him to be part of the program “Peace through the Arts’ in 2014.
“Thank you for all that your country has done, the experiences and lessons learned on that journey still remains fresh in the mind and the many best practices I observed have helped me immensely in my service to the state and its people, especially the youths,” he expressed.
He also hoped to see “closer cooperation between the people of Nagaland and the United States so that we bring our people closer through people-to-people contact.”
“Areas like Culture, music, the arts, media and sports are positive areas for confidence building. As alumni of the prestigious IVLP I look forward to making efforts and contributions towards strengthening ties between our people for mutual benefits,” Meru added.
