Karnataka - Bangalore

Looking out for the best singing talent

Staff Reporter

First round of `Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' programme's Kannada version held

Bangalore: One of the country's biggest talent hunt show got its first taste of regional flavour. In an attempt to showcase the cultural flavour of the State, Miditech Production is bringing out the Kannada version of the hit series, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa."

Niret Alva, president of Miditech, said, "When a talent show is conducted on a large scale, it tends to be mainstream and loses out on the regional flavour. We wanted to give this opportunity to every single aspiring singer in Karnataka. We have a lot to contribute to our hometown... this is just the beginning."

The first round of "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" — Gala round — was held at Kanteerava Studios here on Wednesday.

The production house began conducting auditions in Hassan. The State was divided into four zones, after which a talent hunt was conducted. "We went to places including Raichur and Shimoga as we did not want to be labelled as being urban," said Nivedith Alva, supervising producer, Miditech.

The production house wanted the contestants to "experience their transition from nothingness" to having achieved something through the platform provided by the programme, he said.

Showcasing the State's culture through Kannada songs were contestants from Hassan and Mysore. Thirteen of them enthralled the audience by rendering hits such as "Omme ninnannu kaanuva aase," "Manase baduku ninagagi,"and "Yelle irru hege irru."

The show was hosted by singer Rajesh Krishnan. Singer-director Raju Ananthaswamy and singer Ratnamala Prakash were the judges.

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