Bengaluru vocalist’s national programme to air on his birthday

City-based Hindustani classical vocalist Nagaraja Rao Havaldar’s concert will be aired on the National Programme of Music (NPM) on All India Radio on July 17, 10 pm.

The series, launched in 1952, has featured many greats from Hindustani and Carnatic classical music including M S Subbalakshmi, M Balamuralikrishna and Bhimsen Joshi. The programme, which will be aired on Havaldar’s birthday, “is truly national”, he says. “Close to 200 radio stations in the country will broadcast the programme at the same time so almost an entire country listens to the concert. Unlike a curated playlist, which features several musicians, this programme is 90 minutes long and is presented by one artiste,” he told Metrolife.

What’s in it?

During the one-and-a-half-hour programme, Havaldar sings raga Miya Malhar, raga Kalavati, a Kannada devaranama and a Marathi abhang.

“I am singing ‘Muddu taaro Ranga’, a Kannada composition by Purandaradasa, whose tune I have composed,” he says. The Marathi song is ‘Tirth Vithal kshetra Vithal’.

Havaldar will be accompanied by Gopalkrishna Hegde (on the tabla) and Panchakshari Hiremath (on the harmonium).