JOIN USDVG's didactic poetry now in a song-dance series
Singer Ganesh Desai and his dancer-wife Namitha Desai are giving new expression to D V Gundappa’s (DVG) famous Kannada work ‘Mankuthimmana Kagga’.
While Ganesh sings the three-line verses, Namitha gives them a dance interpretation.
“Mankuthimmana Kagga is a household name in Karnataka. It is also popular among Kannadigas living abroad. It has beautiful lines that soothe and comfort us,” says Ganesh, who hails from Gunda near Dandeli in Uttara Kannada district and lives in Bengaluru.
Ganesh began the series in last November by launching a couple of videos on the YouTube channel Navabhava.
“Our initiative received a huge response. Among those who loved it are columnist Dr Gururaj Karajagi, members of the Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs (started by DVG), and Dr Ananya Raghavendra,” Ganesh says. “They are all supporting us.”
Mankunthimma Kagga, with 945 verses, is a work of gentle didacticism, and Ganesh says it helps people navigate life.
“We had heard the verses recited, and scholars speaking about them,” he says. “We can now see them in performance.”
Ganesh also plans to upload videos of DVG’s other works Marula Muniyana Kagga and Umarana Osage. Later, he wants to sing and adapt to dance Haridasa compositions, tatva padas, vachanas, bhavageethes and classical Kannada poetry. “All these can be better understood and enjoyed through singing and performance,” he says.
Ganesh, singing professionally for 15 years, is proficient in Kannada, Sanskrit, Hindi and Marathi. He has performed in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, and composed music for a host of albums, ballets and mega serials. He teaches music online.
Navabhava is a series he is producing from his Samarasa Foundation of Arts. The Kagga videos can be seen on YouTube.