Hornbill On Tour

The Nagaland government’s Music Task  Force (MTF), the only state government body in the country that promotes rock music, is taking the famous Hornbill International Music Festival, held annually in December, outside of Kohima for the first time.  Hornbill On Tour is a three-city tour of concerts that will be held over the next two months in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, which will help shortlist bands that will participate at the 2015 edition of festival.

Vocalist Kevi Pucho of Nagaland-based band We The Giants at the 2013 edition of Hornbill Festival. Photo by Danii Lee

Hornbill International Music Festival organizes India’s most lucrative band contest that attracts dozens of bands from across the country to participate every year. The winner gets a prize of Rs 10 lakh, and the first and second runners up Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh respectively. Past winners include Bengaluru’s prog-metal band Slain, Delhi rockers Indigo’s Children, glam-rock outfit Adam’s Apple from Darjeeling, and Kolkata-based rock bands The Hobos and Underground Authority.

Hornbill On Tour [HOT] will help shortlist the bands from the respective cities that will be allowed to participate in the rock contest.  The tour is being organized by MTF in association with Rolling Stone India. The magazine publisher & editor Radhakrishnan Nair recently met Shri Khriehu Liezietsu, Nagaland’s Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resource & Sports, Music Task Force, in Mumbai to finalize the details.

Hornbill International Music Festival is part of the larger Hornbill Festival organized by Nagaland’s State Directorate of Tourism every year to show case the state’s rich cultural heritage. The events last year ranged from tribal dances and photo contests to motor cycle rally, night carnival, Naga chili eating contest, literature and cinema festival, theater  and various other cultural performances.