Music

Unnati Center will reverbrate with heavenly music from renowned artists and their excellent accompanists as part of Utsav, from August 6th - 26th. This cultural event is organised around Gokulashtami/ Janmashtami every year. Around 75 musicians, 16 concerts, one lecture-demo, three days of Bhajans and four days of discourses will jump start the musical event. A lot of meticulous planning and arrangements have gone into this mela. Unni Krishnan performing on the weekend. Pic : SGBS The musical festival was kicked off on the weekend with concerts from the sisters Shanmughapriya and Haripriya and Unnikrishnan P. "For 34 years we…

Bangalore Club for Kathakali & the Arts, a non-commercial organisation focusing on the preservation and promotion of Kathakali and other classical art forms, brings to you an evening of Kathakali Padam (Kathakali songs) first time in Bangalore by acclaimed singers Pathiyoor Sankarankutty and Kottackal Madhu. Pathiyoor Sankarankutty and Kottackal Madhu. Pic courtesy: BCKA. Pathiyoor Sankarankutty learned music from his father, the renowned Kathakali singer Late Shri. Pathiyoor Krishna Pillai. He passed Ganabhooshanam from RLV Music College, Thripunithara and subsequently joined Kerala Kalamandalam for training in Kathakali music. Pathiyoor’s mellifluous rendering of padams with elaborate bhava has made him a veteran…

Baar Baar Rafi, a city-based Mohammed Rafi fan club, is organising a Rafi tribute concert on July 31 to mark the 31{+s}{+t}death anniversary of the legendary singer. The tribute, Remembering the Unforgotten, a karaoke night, will feature 31 of Rafi's hit songs sung by several talented artistes including Chandan from Tamil Nadu and Nagachandrika from Karnataka among others. A host of singers from the fan club will also perform during the concert. . The concert begins at 6 p.m. in the Bangalore Gayana Samaj, K R Road, Opposite KIMS Hospital, Basavangudi. Tickets are priced at Rs. 500, Rs. 300 and…

The two-day festival will have an eclectic mix of artistes both local and national. Residents of north-east Bengaluru will be treated to a classical music extravaganza with Whitefield Music Festival kicking off is first edition this Saturday, 9th July. The two day event, spread over the weekend will see a wide variety of performances from artistes at Jagriti Theatre in Whitefield. The event is being organised by Whitefield Music Circle, a group formed by residents of Whitefield. The concerts will be held between 4 - 8pm. Manoj Pai, one of the members says, "we felt that this side of the…

Music is an integral part of everyone's lives. Is there a man or a woman, who does not, at the very least, hum the latest hit song as he or she goes about her daily work? But though it's all-pervasive, the learning and teaching of music in Bangalore presents a varied and interesting picture. How do people, especially children choose what kind of music to learn? What keeps them going to the music classes, what makes them stop, and what makes them take to it as a profession? I talked to a variety of people to find some answers. Guitar…

You are visiting Bangalore and want to spend a few hours outside with your family or friends, preferably in a clean and green environment. Or are an 'old' Bangalorean who wants to relive her/his childhood. Where do you go? Cubbon Park, a lovely lung space in the heart of the city is a great option. And the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, a place for children inside the one hundred and forty year old park is a lot of fun too. Spread over 12.5 acres, it has a toy train, swings, slides, boating and a lot of trees and grassy patches for…

Gudiya Sambhrama held at Hanumanth nagar , Anjaneya temple on the 13th of March 2011 was organised by Heritage Centre, a non-profitable organization. This performance was part of a series of performances spread over a period of four months at various temples of Bangalore.  Rukmini Vijay Kumar performing Bharathnatyam. Pic: Veena Basavarajaiah It was a delight to see all the children sitting in the front row with their attention glued to a puppet show instead of a television set on a sunday evening. The show presented by Dhaatu puppet theatre on the story of Bhakta Prahalada with colorful properties and puppets had the…

3 years ago, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Population First launched the Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. Their objective is to annually recognize and reward gender just perspectives, stories and analyses by various newsmedia between 1st July of the previous year and 30th June of the current year. Comprising of regional and national awards, they are given in each category including print, internet, audio (radio) and audio-visual (television) media. Apart from this, there are also all India awards for similar efforts in advertising. Importantly, the awards include various vernacular tongues in addition to Urdu, Hindi and English. National…

On Gandhi Jayanti, as I was walking past the United Theological College (UTC) on Millers Road, I was delighted to see a banner regarding its centenary celebrations still displayed. Although I was aware that this renowned institution turned a hundred in July 2010, I was unable to participate in any of the relevant events. Curious to know what was on that afternoon, I entered the green and serene campus. The helpful security guard and a staff member directed me to the large group of Mizo youth (our siblings from the state of Mizoram) chatting and playing merrily. Learning that there…

A childhood's memories Of looking and waiting For something exciting From the grove of coconut trees A busy woodpecker An agile tree climber Two young boys Who made little noise If we missed these We simply counted the trees What rekindled these memories Was Visthar's coconut trees! Situated in an eco-friendly campus in Dodda Gubbi off the Hennur Road in east Bangalore, Visthar is a treasure trove of nature's bounty that drives one to reflect inwards while celebrating life. A veritable hub of socio-cultural and environmental consciousness this organization turned twenty one recently. Famous for hosting annual festivals and events that…