Following his participation in the 7th edition of the “All About Music” conference in Mumbai today, 7 September, the Chairman of TaFMA, Theja Meru, shared his experience in a telephonic conversation with Mokokchung Times. He felt that the 7th edition of the ‘All About Music’ conference was a significant boost to Nagaland’s music industry.
Meru explained that he was invited to the conference to discuss two key topics: the Hornbill Music Festival and how Nagaland managed to secure intellectual property rights through the Handshake Concert. He stated, “Nagaland contributed as one of the few Intellectual Property Rights success stories from India that have reached a global audience. People bring musicians to India but Nagaland took musicians to the world through the Handshake Concert. That’s what they were particularly interested in – how Nagaland achieved it.”
According to Meru, Nagaland’s music-related Intellectual Property Rights have extended to seven international countries through the Handshake Concert initiative, which was initiated by the Rattle and Hum Music Society with support from the Government of Nagaland.
The concert features musicians such as Nise Meruno, Alobo Naga, cultural dancers, singers including the Tetseo sisters, and various choirs. The Handshake Concert journey has taken Nagaland’s musicians to cities such as Guwahati, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, as well as countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Apart from the Handshake Concert journey, Meru explained that the conference attendees were also interested in learning about the Hornbill Music Festival, which is one of the longest-running music festivals. He stated, “The Hornbill Music Festival is not just a music event; it encompasses cultures, traditions, and many other aspects. So, they were really interested in knowing about it.”
Speaking about the potential benefits of such conferences for Nagaland’s music industry, he added, “It was a great privilege for me to be a part of this conference and to share our story and journey with over 3000 people. The audience included representatives from platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Wynk, and more. Therefore, it will undoubtedly provide a significant boost to Nagaland’s musicians.”
The All About Music conference will be a three-day event starting from September 7-9. The All About Music was launched in 2017 to address the gap in India’s calendar of music industry conferences and B2B networking events. It engages attendees in discussions about innovations and advances in the music business while also serving as a gateway to the Indian market for the global music community.