| Mingkeng OSIK |
Pasighat, Mar 1: The Adi Artist Association (AAA) celebrated its first Foundation Day-cum-Annual Award function with great enthusiasm at Napit on Saturday, bringing together artists, cultural enthusiasts and dignitaries to honour outstanding contributions to Adi art and culture.
The function featured distribution of ten major awards recognising excellence in different categories. The awards along with recipients included: Best Adi Folk Vocalist -Late Tamak Komut, Best Adi Singer Female – Kasu Langkam, Best Adi Singer Male – Gisang Megu, Best Lyrics – Nekee Tamut, Best Adi Actor – Vaangan Siram, Best Adi Actress – Osinam Tamuk, Best Adi Entertainer – James Libang, Best Adi Movie – Tears of Lune, and Rising Adi Star – Mary Dakbong.
The prestigious Talut Mize Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on veteran artist Guni Pertin for his immense contribution to Adi music. It was shared that Pertin began his musical journey in 1969 and gained recognition with his first song “Donyi E Sadak Anggong,” going on to become a prominent figure in Adi cultural preservation.
AAA general secretary John Gao stated that the association has been actively extending support to artists facing hardships, citing assistance provided to artists such as Gojen Norah, Zubeen Garg and Prashant Tamang, besides local artistes including Tomok Done and Arjun Tamuk during times of crisis. He said the association remains committed to standing by artists in times of need.
Guest of Honour MLA Tapi Darang lauded the growth of the association and stressed the importance of honouring senior artists who laid the foundation of Adi music culture. He assured that efforts would be made at the government level through Adi legislators to extend support to artists.
Chief Guest MLA Aalo Libang congratulated the association and described the celebration as a historic step forward. He emphasised that folk songs must be preserved and promoted with dedication, noting that traditional practices are gradually declining within the community.
A memorandum titled “Voice of Adi” was also announced, under which selected winners will be groomed to represent the Adi community at the “Voice of Arunachal” platform in the future.
The award ceremony featuring colourful cultural performances, concluded with a strong message to preserve, promote and pass on the rich Adi artistic heritage to future generations.