Bengaluru Habba

Artists

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Artists for Airtel Bengaluru Habba (in association with the Times of India)

Classical Dance

A rare combination of a flawless dancer, choreographer, music composer, singer, research scholar, teacher and author, Dr. Padma Subramaniam is one of the most respected and reputed Bharata Nrityam dancers of India. She has a Bachelor's degree in Music, Master's in Ethno Musicology and Ph.D in Dance from Annamalai University.

‘Living life to the fullest’ has always been Manasi Prasad’s motto, and as one of the rising stars among the new generation of Carnatic musicians, she has certainly exemplified this. Manasi was initiated into Carnatic classical vocal music and Bharatanatyam dance at the age of 5 years.

Mridula, a senior disciple of Gurus Smt. Nirupama Rajendra and Shri T D Rajendra, Directors of Abhinava Dance Company, Bangalore, has been intensively training in Bharatanatyam and Kathak for the last 14 years. She did her solo debut in Kathak in 2002 which won rave reviews and appreciation from the connoisseurs and art lovers. As an integral member of Abhinava, she has traveled to Switzerland, UAE, USA,UK, Reunion Islands and a few African countries.

At Nrityagram, dance is a way of life. The founder, Protima Gauri - an exquisite Odissi dancer herself - converted ten acres of farmland into an ideal setting for the study, practice and teaching of classical dance.

Priyadarsini Govind is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers among the current generation. Trained by two stalwarts, Kalaimamani S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and Padma Bhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Naryanan, Priyadarsini has imbibed from the best.

Classical Music

For Anoushka Shankar, there is legacy and then there is destiny. She is equally respectful of both, but bound to neither. Her ever-growing audience cannot help but acknowledge the familial roots of the young woman coaxing spellbinding spiritual sounds from her sitar, but neither can they deny that she is an innovator in her own right. Her name may have brought her to the stage for the first time as a young girl, but it is her talent and vision that have kept her there.

Smt. Bagyalakshmi Chandrasekharan, hailing from a music loving family, was initiated into Carnatic Vocal Music at the tender age of six and Veena at the age of nine, under the tutelage of Guru Shri.Mudikondan Narayanaswamy Ayyar (disciple of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Shri Mudikondan Venkatarama Ayyar and Kumbakonam Shri Rajamani Shastrigal).

Sri Dhananjay Hegde is a young talented Hindustani Classical Vocalist. Dhananjay Hegde is a child prodigy, born in 1978, in a musical family in Gunavante, A small village in Karnataka state. Recingnizing his talent, his parents Sri G.S.hegde and Smt Geeta hedge made no mistake in giving him classical music lessons.

Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are internationally acclaimed and India's leading exponents of the Dhrupad style of music. They are among the most active performers of Dhrupad in Indian and international circuits. Born in Ujjain in Central India, both were initiated into music by their parents.

‘Living life to the fullest’ has always been Manasi Prasad’s motto, and as one of the rising stars among the new generation of Carnatic musicians, she has certainly exemplified this. Manasi was initiated into Carnatic classical vocal music and Bharatanatyam dance at the age of 5 years.

Started learning the instrument flute at the tender age of seven under renowned flautist Vidwan Sri S.A.Shashidhar and continued under same guru for 9 years, and is presently under the advanced tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Padmashree Dr.N.Ramani.

Both were selected as the Best Vocal Duet during the Talent Search Music Competition by the Govt. Of Karnataka for the Mysore Dasara Cultural Programmes in 1998 and performed at the Jaganmohan Palace, Mysore.

N.R.Prashanth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation Technology from the University of Mysore, and is versatile both as a performer and teacher of Carnatic music. He has performed concerts in both India and abroad.

A prominent vocalist from Karnataka Suchetan Rangaswamy had his initial training from his mother Smt R.Suma and further by Vidhushi Smt M.S. Vidhya. He later trained under musicians like Vidwan Dr.R.K.Srikantan, Vidwan P.Unnirkishnan and Smt P. Ramaa.

Grand Finale

The Sufi Qawwals, it’s believed, can induce a trance like state in listeners. Using zealously gaurded techniques, which have passed on from fathers to sons since the times of the great poet Amir Khusrau, The qawwals structure their verses in such a way that the meaning of each word penetrates the psyche of the listener and lingers in the air till its meaning is exhausted.

For Anoushka Shankar, there is legacy and then there is destiny. She is equally respectful of both, but bound to neither. Her ever-growing audience cannot help but acknowledge the familial roots of the young woman coaxing spellbinding spiritual sounds from her sitar, but neither can they deny that she is an innovator in her own right. Her name may have brought her to the stage for the first time as a young girl, but it is her talent and vision that have kept her there.

Even a passing look at him will not be forgotten, as Kannada film industry's star Music director Guru Kiran strikes you with a different look. He looks little fat, but may well be mistaken as a busy actor or a good looking ustad more than a music director who has achieved some big things in life. But wait, Guru Kiran is really an actor.

An Indian band in global village. Where every member of the audience is a citizen of the world. No matter where he comes from, or what he speaks, he understands the language of Mrigya.

Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa are as diverse a music directors' team as there can be and one could look at their look at their names for starters! Varied as their backgrounds were, when they met they connected effortlessly, teamed up and went on to become the only music director trio in the industry today.

Yakshagana (Kannada:, pronounced as yaksha-gaana) is a classical folk art form of the state of Karnataka in India mostly popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala.

Janapada Folk Theatre

A group of actors travels from village to village enacting plays. Any open house, Village Square, street or a mandapa can be their stage. They prop up a blanket to construct a stage and back stage and begin their performance – usually at night.

Photography

Bengaluru Mandis is the first coffee Table book Bangalore photography Club is publishing. It's only a small step towards creating more art and providing a public platform for photographers

Theatre

The unprecedented success of ‘Heegadre Hege?’ showed the group the great need for laughter and relaxation in these stressful times. Therefore, Kriyative Theatre came up with yet another wholesome comedy, based on the writings of T.Sunanadamma by the same team of artistes and technicians as in ‘Heegadre Hege?’ . ‘Aadaddella Olithe..?’, aspires to be even more entertaining and artistic than its predecessor.

Aavaanthara is the combined play of three stories 'AJJI BAAYIGE BENKI KOLLI' by Savitha Nagabhushana, 'Jayanthana Svagatha' by P Lankesh and 'Biddurina BIG BEN' story by Srinivasa Vaidya.

'Hamlet' is a spoof of the Shakespearean play 'Hamlet'! 3 actors get into their different roles, characters, costumes, and these weirdos have but not a clue of what is happening! They are lifted right out, far, far away from where they were meant to be (maybe England?), have misplaced identities and have come to take over the city in a whirlpool of riotous humour!

Rathnan Parpancha, traces the poet’s life and introduces his works through a number of interesting anecdotes and visualization of some of his most popular songs, poems and nursery rhymes. A variety of narrative techniques and music are used to hold these together. The show concludes with the enactment of G.P.Rajaratnam’s famous comedy Kambliseve.

Travelling tells the story of how it is to live a life of constantly crossing boundaries - geographical and physical boundaries as well as existential boundaries relating to disability and deafness. Isolte offers the audience a chance to go to 'the Happy Place'. Listen is based on David Bower's experience of Tinnitus, this piece uses disability as a creative tool to inform the performance work. It is the most hard-hitting of the four pieces - giving the audience an intense visual and auditory experience.