Ethiopian artistes add an extra dash of rhythm, colour and culture at the Tri Hills Ensemble II festival

Reported by Purbasha Bhatacarjee

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urged the people of his state to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the state’s three tribes—Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos and underlined the importance of documenting the unique crafts, cuisine, and culture of Meghalaya’s tribes. He said this at the “Tri-Hills Ensemble II” festival, organized by the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Meghalaya. The festival, themed ‘rooted in nature and connected to culture,’ aims to revive and celebrate the heritage of these tribes.
Six villages—Nongkynrih, Mustoh, Ïalong, Babadam, Umladkhur, and Wahkhen—were honoured as ‘Arts and Crafts villages’ at the festival.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Sangma shared his excitement about the festival, highlighting the rich tribal heritage showcased through music, food, and dance. He invited everyone to experience the beauty of the event.
“The festival showcases our rich tribal heritage, our unique crafts, cuisine and culture, giving those visiting a memorable experience through music, food and dance. We were thrilled to have the wonderful performance of our friends from Ethiopia and immensely entertained by the drum ensemble, traditional dances from the state and the melodious music of saxophonist Nazarius Kharkongor. I invite everyone to visit the venue to experience this beautiful festival”, posted CM Sangma on X.

“Moving Stones,” a guidebook documenting stone monuments in the Khasi & Jaintia Hills was released at the festival.

In another post on X, Chief Minister Sangma wrote, “Today we also released ‘Moving Stones’ a Guide Book to the Stone Monuments of the Khasi & Jaintia Hills by Nathaniel D Majaw which beautifully documents locations of stone monuments like monoliths across the Khasi & Jaiñtia region. Congratulations to him!”

Tribal chef Nambie Jessica Marak, a Master Chef India Semi-finalist, received an award for her culinary masterpieces, blending tribal cuisine.

The festival, part of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, included performances from Ethiopia and recognized the outstanding contributions of the Arts and Crafts villages.

Speaking about Chief Minister Sangma’s initiative to document Meghalaya’s culture, Art and Culture Minister Paul Lyngdoh mentioned plans to make a film on the life of U Tirot Sing, a legendary Khasi freedom fighter. Lyngdoh emphasized the commitment to adding more colour and sustainability through documentation efforts. The Tri Hills Ensemble celebrated the arts, crafts, culture, and traditions of the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo hills, offering a memorable experience to visitors.
“We have high ambitions, to add more colour and also more sustanilibity on efforts and documentation is certainly one of the key points on our agenda”, said Pual Lyngdoh.

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