Meghalaya Chief Secretary Shakeel Ahamed rolled out the red carpet for a fantastic group of 15 tribal artistes from Kerala when they visited him in Shillong on Friday. This special team is on a cultural mission in Northeast India to perform at the famous Hornbill Festival held in Nagaland. This colorful troupe includes five tribal culinary artistes, five tribal musicians, and five tribal scientific experts showcasing their rich traditions. Mr. Ahamed, who is himself a Malayali, happily chatted with the artistes in Malayalam, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. Each member of the team comes from different tribal areas across Kerala. They were specially selected by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to represent the state at the Hornbill Festival. Their goal? To present exciting cultural shows that highlight Kerala's tribal heritage. But their journey didn’t start in Nagaland. First, they visited Assam, where their unique cultural performances won hearts. Their debut performance took place at Cotton University, followed by shows at the Assam Tribal Research Institute and enchanting presentations by the Brahmaputra river banks. The team features celebrated State-award-winning singer Nanjiyamma, as well as other noted artistes like Chikki Mallan, K.S. Mallan, Sulochana Kani, Chyemi Cheenkiral, and Thankamani Kalan. They were proudly accompanied by officials from the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS), ensuring the team’s talents shine bright on this grand cultural stage. With this spirited welcome and their thrilling performances, Kerala’s tribal artistes are set to add dazzling colors to the Northeast’s cultural mosaic at the Hornbill Festival!