Upasana, the school of light music at Gandhi Bazar here, is hosting a musical evening for Bangaloreans on Sunday.  It will be part of the organisation’s eighth anniversary celebrations, at Gayana Samaj at 6 pm.
Singer Mohan established Upasana in 1999. Since then this institution has been teaching light music (‘sugama sangeeta’) to hundreds of students. Forty-year-old Mohan, popularly known as Upasana Mohan, learnt Carnatic music from Vidwan Tandavamurthy and Vidwan Srivatsa in Mandya for four years, and Hindustani music from Pandit Govinda Rotti here in Bangalore.
After obtaining a diploma in television and audio technology, he joined Philips and worked with that company for seven years. Later he decided to quit the job to take up music as his vocation, full-time.
 He joined Sangeetha Ganga, then run by G V Athri, as a student of light music and later became a teacher there. Today, he proudly says that he has taught light music to more than 500 students.
Says Mohan, “The number of children learning music has increased phenomenally in the recent years. College students particularly are more interested in music.
“This is because they are getting more opportunities to exhibit their talent, such as Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu, a music programme telecast on E-tv.
Many of these music programmes have inspired the younger generation to learn music,” he notes.
Ask him whether one can learn light music without knowledge of classical music, and he says: “One can practise light music even without knowledge of classical music. But knowledge of the latter is necessary to be a professional”. Upasana has been conducting ‘Maneyangaladalli kavitha gayana’ for the past five years. Under this banner, “we hold music programmes at houses of those who invite us.”
Upasana has held 60 such programmes in the City and has thus showcased the talents of hundreds of budding singers. Mr Mohan has released 20 music CDs of his own composition.
The anniversary celebrations will be marked by programmes by young talents of Upasana and Layasourabha, an organisation run by Mohan’s friend Srinivasamurthy, percussionist. Poet N S Lakshminarayana Bhat and others will take part in the programme, to be held at Gayana Samaj.
The programme will begin with eight children playing on percussion. It will be followed by the release of a CD and presentation of Nadopasana award to tabla artiste S Madhusudan, who has played the instrument for more than 1,000 music cassettes and around 400 movies. He has played tabla in fusion music programmes in the US recently. Two CDs to be released on the occasion are Ninage Neene and Kolluvudadare Kondubidu. The first is a collection of eight songs written by Gopal Krishna Adiga, K S Narasimhaswamy, PuTiNa, and H S Venkateshamurthy. Well-known singers M D Pallavi, Upasana Mohan, Nagachandrika, Pooja M Thayur and others have sung these songs. Price: Rs 30. Kolluvudadare Kondubidu, priced at Rs 40, is a collection of 12 hits of Mohan.  Upasana is also bringing out a souvenir to mark the occasion. Entry is free. For  details, call Mr Mohan - 98453-38363.