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Born out of the long-standing and well-established Music Task Force (MTF), the newly formed Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA) has been in action since 2019 with a keen eye on how to promote artists in Nagaland. Whether it’s choirs, singer-songwriters, filmmakers or more, TaFMA considers art to be one of the soft powers of its Naga people. Reaching out beyond the main hubs of Dimapur and Kohima, TaFMA is all-inclusive when it comes to the arts, with a special focus on music.

In its early run so far, TaFMA have been working on multiple festivals, joining hands with partners ranging from music maestro AR Rahman’s K.M. Conservatory to collaborators in South East Asia and other parts of the subcontinent. While the Hornbill Music Festival remains the jewel in the crown of Nagaland’s art spectrum, TaFMA is expanding its scope to work on so much more. Theja Meru tells us, “We’re giving a lot of emphasis on music festivals, hopefully through that we’ll have people come in to visit Nagaland throughout the year, not just for Hornbill. We’re trying to put all that into place now.”

Set up under the vision of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio,
TaFMA is also looking into fashion shows, jewellery making, exhibitions for its paint artists and theatre performances for its thespians and playwrights. Abu Metha, adviser to the Chief Minister, chimes in, “We’re not just talking about paint on canvas, but literary work, performances, everything about art. That scope has been expanded. Also, now in the last 6-7 years we focused on promoting music. Now we’re stepping up the game, looking for knowledge partners within and outside the country.”

It’s still early days for TaFMA but the benchmark has been set, with an ongoing conversation and understanding of the arts and the artists behind them becoming the top priority.

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