Date:01/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/01/stories/2006120109680200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

It's time for music and dance

Special Correspondent

`Suvarna Bengalooru Habba' to be held from December 3 to 10

All-night Hindustani mehfil to begin at 10 p.m. tomorrow

Ravindra Kalakshetra will be the main venue of habba

Bangalore: The Government is providing all possible support to the "Suvarna Bengalooru Habba", to be held from December 3 to 10, I.M. Vittal Murthy, secretary, Kannada Culture, Information and Tourism Department, has said.

"The habba will feature the `Suvarna Karnatakakke Belli Habbada Samskruti Baagina', an extravaganza of folk arts and film music from the hits of the past 50 years and concerts by young artists," Mr. Vittal Murthy said on Thursday.

The Government's participation would be evident in venues provided for events such as Ravindra Kalakshetra, Town Hall and Nayana auditorium in Kannada Bhavan, he said.

The habba will get off to a flying start with an all-night "Hindustani Mehfil" at Ravindra Kalakshetra from 10 p.m. on December 2 till the early hours of the next day. The musicians present will include Balekhan Brothers, Sangeetha Kulkarni, Rajeev Taranath, Fayaz Khan, Jayateertha Mevundi and Kashinath Pattar. The mornings and evenings that follow are going to be filled with a number of concerts and classical dance performances too.

Lots in store

Nandini Alva, Managing Trustee, Artists Foundation for the Arts (AFFA), which is organising the habba said, "December 3 will feature winners of the Doordarshan programme "Nityotsava" and the next day will see a performance of Suvarana Karnataka Haadu by the IDL visually impaired persons' band. On 5th, there will be Janapada Sangeeta by J. Siddaraju's "Swarasangama".

Yuva Janotsava folk dances by prize-winning youth teams will be held the next day. On December 7, Belli Paradaya Chinnada Haadugalu, a programme of `Golden Oldies' of Kannada films, will be conducted.

Airtel, the main sponsor has added its own Habba flavour by providing cards to be uploaded, featuring a set of classical ragas besides SMS alerts to subscribers about each day's habba events.

Ravindra Kalakshetra will remain the hub of activities relating to habba.

Kavya Mela

Each day will feature a different art form of the region such as Dasavani, Vachana Sangeetha, Nrityanjali, Geetotsava and finally, Kavya Mela, an evening of Kannada poets and poetry.