Music and Northeast food marks the 1st edition of Tribalhood Festival at Dilli Haat

Delhi: Set at Delhi’s third and biggest Dilli Haat, Janakpuri, New Delhi, the first edition of Tribalhood Festival hosted by VAY Entertainment was successfully organised with an audience turnover exceeding expectation. The festival kicked off with a shimmering headliner from Yanger Toshi and Imna Yaden followed by Somaya Rumthao’s country numbers, bringing nostalgia of the 80s, at the Dilli Haat auditorium. The other highlight of the festival was the host of art exhibitions, stalls from craftsmen, and food stalls at the cafeteria that offered variety of the region’s best cuisines.

The Northeast festival concert featured inducing rock concert performance from various popular bands and talented artists from different parts of Northeast such as DJ Karma for hip hop and R&B, Sunep Lemtur, Blind Sherpa, and Retrosonic, a Delhi based alternative rock band.

The first edition of the festival commenced with the arrival of the chief guest, Honorary Consul General of Montenegro in India, Dr. Janice Darbari.

The festival opened with a virtual message by British Indian pop sensation RIKA aka (Chandrika Darbari), singer-songwriter who is signed with Warner Music India followed by her MV Left to love featuring Mickey Singh with well over 3 million views on YouTube and counting.

Auztynn Shimray, one of the organisers of the festival and director of VAY Entertainment expressed his gratitude to the chief guest and the audience in his short opening speech. Quoting David Binder, Auztynn said, “Festivals promote diversity. It brings neighbors into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride. They improve our general, psychological well-being.”

Emphasizing the importance of Nagaland state and Northeast, the chief guest Dr. Janice Darbari in her exhortation speech, said that the region’s Nagaland has a very important place in history. Applauding the vital role of Rani Gaidinliu in the fight for independence of India from the colonial powers, Dr. Darbari shared a brief excerpt from her interview with Rani Gaidinliu, the story about how she fought off a British garrisons from the region using snakes. “She was gifted with the power of message, being able to communicate with snakes. And so when she called upon them to help her when the British garrison were going into Nagaland, the snakes were used as a weapon. So as they came through the forest, she threw the small snakes on them and they were immediately disarmed and they ran away leaving their guns. Hats off to such a brave woman in the Northeast. God bless her soul wherever she is. She kept our land India intact,” said Dr. Janice Darbari.

Expressing her delight and satisfaction with the various Northeast delicacies in the food stalls she emphasized how food plays an important role in giving an identity to one’s culture. “It’s very interesting to know that food and culture when it goes together, it gives you an identity of your own. And when it gives you an identity of your own, it is something to be kept and nurtured for years. It becomes a heritage of the country. And so, you are an invaluable heritage of India,” Dr. Janice Darbari exhorted.

Drawing relevancy to Rani Gaidinliu’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle, she shared a brief historical anecdote of her grandfather, Jagdishwar Nigam, an ICS (Imperial Civil Service) officer on how he raised the first flag of India during the Quit India Movement in 1942.

She concluded her exhortation quoting Shakespeare “If music be the food of love, play on play on.” The first edition of Tribalhood Festival, although conceptualized and executed in a very short period of time were able to pull in mega well wishers from the national and state ministers of the country.

VAY Entertainment expressed its gratitude to the chief guest, Honorary Consul General of Montenegro in India, Dr. Janice Darbari; Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju for his care as he conveyed his best wishes for the first ever Tribalhood Festival. Kiren Rijiju in the run up to the festival wished the organiser and said he is “confident that the festival will evolve into a vibrant hotspot for public and artist convergence in the heart of the national capital;” Nagaland higher education and tribal affairs minister Temjen Imna Along for his moral and financial support; and other special guest at the festival Linda Newmai, BJP leader from Nagaland, and award wining IAS officer, Armstrong Pame of Manipur to name a few.

The first edition of the Tribalhood Festival was supported by Delhi Police–Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER), Department of Tourism, and Tribal Affairs Department, Government of Nagaland.

The second edition of the Tribalhood Festival will be held in November 2022.

The four pillar objectives of VAY Entertainment aims to:

Identify and showcase talent with events with an example of local artisans and delicacies here at the National Capital.

To offer opportunities to artists to promote and connect the larger network of audience here in the mainland.

to bring a platform for performers and curators from the music industry to collaborate and create a springboard to find the next superstar.

The team emphasizes the integration of all tribes of minorities within a body of peace and brotherhood.

The festival is planned for each quarter, however this year being the launch year, VAY have decided to limit it to three editions.

The many Handicrafts and food stalls offering the best of craftsmanship and cuisines from NE that were part of the Tribahood festival are:

Food Stalls

BAMBOO HUT
NAGALAND RESTAURANT
KING CHILLI TRIBAL KITCHEN
BODOISING
MINISTRY OF PORK
ANGAMI NAGA KITCHEN
HAO KITCHEN

Handicrafts and Handlooms

TRIBAL CRAFT
ADELINE HONGRAY CRAFT
HAN BEAUTY
A&A CREATIONS
VERNA’S GALORE

VAY at a glance

Vishwas Tyagi is a businessman and a philanthropist who not only loves music but also aims in promoting talents, especially from the northeast.

Auztynn Shimray is prominent activist and a social worker who has been tirelessly working for the welfare of the northeastern community for the last decade.

Yanger Toshi is a police officer and a musician who believes in giving the right space to the talents of the northeast and also the advisor of the group.

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