Celebrating its decennial this year, Mani Krishnaswami Academy has organised a 10-day music festival titled ‘Raga Sudha Rasa – 2015’ at Ravindra Kalabhavan from December 26 featuring both Hindustani and Carnatic performers.
Among the top performers are Hindustani vocalists Ganapathi Bhat Hasanagi and Ravikiran Manipal and Carnatic artistes O.S. Thiagarajan (vocal) and Nagesh Bappanadu (Nadaswara). It will bring some jugalbandis such as Jayanti Kumaresh-Ustad Rafique Khan (Carnatic-Hindustani; veena-sitar), Prashanth Hemmige and Vamshidhar (Carnatic vocal-flute); Prarthana Sai Narasimhan-Basti Kavita Shenoy (Carnatic-Hindustani, both vocal) and Balachandra Prabhu-Samir Rao (Hindustani vocal-flute). M. Narayana, well-known carnatic vocal trainer, will also perform at the festival.
During the festival, budding singer Tanmayi Krishnamurthy will get Yuvakalamani award with a purse of Rs. 25,000, while dance teacher Ullal Mohan Kumar, music teacher Saroja Mohandas and Yakshagana artiste Vidya Koluru will get a cash award of Rs. 10,000 for their contributions. A CD of Nadaswara Vidwan Nagesh A. Bappanadu will be released on the occasion.
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The academy’s secretary P. Nityananda Rao said the festival was dedicated to the memory of mandolin maestro U. Srinivas and journalist M.V. Kamath, who passed away recently.