Honouring different forms of art

Music lovers in the City experienced a visual treat at the recent performance of Stephen Devassy and his band.

They enthralled the audience during an annual charity event, hosted by Bangalore Club for Kathakali and the Arts (BCKA).

The programme also featured popular violinist Manoj George. The evening was graced by well-known dancer and actress Vyjayanthimala Bali, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

Among the line-up of events, the music performance stole the show. Stephen Devassy on the keyboard, along with Manoj George on the violin, created magic on stage and left the audience mesmerised.

Some of the original compositions performed were ‘Flames’ and Rasikapriya. They also played some popular Malayalam and Kannada film songs, which got the
audience swaying to the beats. They included Anusuthithe, Ninninthale, Shruthiyil,
Alliyambal and Malargale Ennavale.

“It was a wonderful performance that got the audience high on energy. I was particularly happy to play some original compositions, which I improvised on during this particular performance,” said Manoj.

Manoj said that he loves performing in Bangalore the most. “I give one performance in Bangalore every month. The audience here is very receptive to world music,  which is what we categorise our music under. We blend in many different forms of music,” he added.

For instance, Manoj said that Indian folk music along with traditional forms is often combined with Latin and jazz in their compositions.

 “We see that we have a large audience for this kind of music. We find that we are able to cater to a large number, who are very clear about their musical preferences. Many of them listen to a wide range of music,” he said. 

As part of the programme, the ‘BCKA Capt CP Krishnan Nair Award 2013’ was also distributed.

The recipients of the award were eminent artists including Mathoor Govindankutty (kathakali), Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody (kathakali) and Keremane Shivananda Hegde (yakshagana) for their contributions in the fields of kathakali and yakshagana. The award consisted of a trophy, a cash award of Rs 10,000 each and a citation.
During the event, the BCKA also honoured renowned artists and social reformers for their contributions to the society.

Vyjayanthimala Bali, Vimala Rangachar, and Radhakrishnan Namboodiri were the awarded for being social and spiritual reformers.

“The performance was super. I am sure the Bangalore audience enjoyed the programme. The crowd was really good — it looked like even the performers enjoyed it. It was one of the best programmes,” said A Madhusoodanan, a member of the audience.