Desi touch to celebrations

BANGALORE: While Gen-X in the Silicon City welcomed 2009 by exchanging greetings and sending SMSes, senior bureaucrat I M Vittalamurthy gave a 'desi' touch to the event by organizing a 'Kannada musical evening'.
Noted figures from literary and artistic fraternities, including Girish Karnad, U R Ananthamurthy, Girish Kasaravalli, Jayanthi, Jayanth Kaikini and Prathibha Prahlad, were invited to welcome the new year in a `literary and cultural way'.
"The get-together was organized to forget unsavoury events of the past and welcome the future with fresh enthusiasm,'' Vittalamurthy said.
Vocalist P Rama set the tone for the event with Kannada songs. This was followed by veteran singer Sangeetha Katti Kulkarni's Hindi bhajans, including a couple of poems penned by Jnanpith awardee D R Bendre. The Hindustani vocalist kept the audience spellbound by rendering the traditional composition 'Deenanatha...' (raag Malkauns) and a devotional song of Purandara Dasa (raag Mand).
A befitting finale was given by singer C Ashwath with drew applause from guests including Mukhya Manthri Chandru, K Marulasiddappa, Y K Muddukrishna, Shimoga Subbanna, Chandrasekhara Kambara, actress Anu Prabhakar, N R Nanjunde Gowda, Sundararaj, Pramila Joshai, Jaisim and Kappanna.