Music fest on Kanakadasa’s lesser-known keerthanas kicks off

An ode to saint-poet

Musicians and singers from across Karnataka have come together to perform some of the lesser-known keerthanas of poet-saint Kanakadasa at a three-day music festival that kicked off here on Tuesday.

Called ‘Nirantara Kanaka’, the event has been jointly organised by the Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre and Sangeetha Sambhrama. It aims to spreads awareness on the significance of the saint-poet’s compositions and their enduring relevance.

The event features several musicians rendering Kanakadasa’s keerthanas. Under an initiative called ‘Kanaka Mane Mane Tanaka’ (Kanaka to every household), the organisations have been training music enthusiasts in Kanakadasa keerthanas.

The centre’s coordinator, M R Sathyanarayana, said that about 60 music enthusiasts in the 20-50 age group had been picked from different parts of the state to perform at the event. “We had a five-day training session-cum-workshop at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan creating awareness on lesser-known compositions of Kanakadasa,” he said. “During the workshop, they were trained by noted musicians and singers.”

Though most learners of classical music might have learnt some Kanakadasa krithis, the event would focus on some of the less-known compositions of the saint. “They’re important both in content and in terms of life approach,” Sathyanarayana said.

Popular scholars and musicians such as T S Sathyavathi and Shankar Shanbhag had taught students during the workshop. While the festival is being held at Nayana Auditorium, JC Road, for two days, the valedictory will be held at the Bangalore Gayana Samaja on January 6.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: