City sways to Kannada classics

Bangalore beat: City sways to Kannada classics
Deccan Herald

Allaying apprehensions that the popularity of Kannada is at its nadir in Bangalore, the sonorous renditions at “Kannadave Satya” by singer C Ashwath and his group drew thousands of Kannadigas to Palace Grounds on Saturday. The massive traffic jams around the venue testified, if anything, that Kannada programmes can draw the crowds just as well as Bryan Adams and Pink Floyd.

The opening lines “Yavudi Pravahavo” (cascading waters) of a poem by noted Kannada poet G S Shivarudrappa seemed to describe the frenzied crowds craving to see renowned singers S P Balasubramanyam, Sangeeta Kulkarni, Pallavi and others render lyrics by revered Kannada poets like Kuvempu, Da Ra Bendre, Doddarange Gowda, B R Laxman Rao and Gopalkrishna Adiga.

People wended their way through masses towards the stage; the old and the young ducked barricades and pushed past the police for the love of language and music. For actor and MP Ambarish and writer G S Shivarudrappa, it took a lengthy two hours to reach the dais, leading to an inauguration midway through the programme.

But none of these hassles impeded the aficionados’ spirits – which soared higher and higher with renditions of all-time gems like Da Ra Bendre’s “Kurudu Kanchana Kuniyuthalithu”, “Bangara Neera Kadalache” sung by Ashwath and Doddarange Gowda’s “Yariguntu Yarigilla” rendered by S P Balasubramanyam in his inimitable style.