Mangaluru Balaga Sohar - Decennial celebrations galore with Yakshagana

By Dr. Samskrati Gulvady Shenoy
Pics Courtesy: Mangaluru Balaga
Bellevision Media Network

Sohar, 13 Nov 2014: Call it by different names: aata, bayalaata, or Yakshagana. And there is no Mangalorean or Kannadiga who has not been overwhelmed by this folk performing art. Mangaluru Balaga Sohar wanted to give a feast to the eyes, minds and hearts of Mangaloreans living thousands of miles away from their mother land. And what would be more fitting than having a Yakshagana troupe perform live in Sohar!

 

Mangaluru Balaga Sohar (MBS) celebrated its decennial meet with pomp and grandeur at the Sohar Ballroom of Crowne Plaza Sohar. Performers were flown in from India to perform Yakshagana and a comedy show with mimicry on this special occasion. The annual meet of Balaga is always eagerly awaited by the Tulu, Kannada and Konkani speaking people of coastal Karnataka residing in Sohar and surrounding areas (in the north of Sultanate of Oman). Such events take them closer to their mother land, in spite of the distance.

 

The agenda for the day looked comprehensive with a formal welcome and inaugural session followed by cultural program by the Balaga members and their families, and the grand finale with comedy cum mimicry show and THE aata.

 

Jane Richard D’souza, Vani Shivaprakash Rai and Nishita Jagatpal lit the lamp placed on the traditional mortar (guri) in the presence of the executive committee members. This was followed by a welcome song by Krishnaprasad, Deepika Krishnaprasad, Ashok Naik and Shilpa Naik narrating the glory of Karnataka. Flacid Ujwal Lobo was the master of ceremonies for the cultural program, and he indeed proved to be one with his excellent oratorical skills. Ashok Shetty took over from his predecessor for the other programs.

 

Present president Sudhir Kumar, vice president Nagesh Acharya and Secretary Shivaprakash Rai aim to take the Balaga to greater heights, along with the other active members who have been the supporting pillars. Brethren from Muscat and neighbouring Dubai, Sharjah have been encouraging the Balaga too.

 

The tiny tots were excited to rock the floor with their separate Bollywood medleys which was well appreciated by the audience.  Both the dances were choreographed by AMMA Institute Sohar with Trisha Rajendra Anchan, Karthik Kiran Kamath, Vihan Harish Suvarna, Anaya Shetty, Sanvi Vijay Shetty, Dhrithik Rajendra Poojary, Joel Sujan, Nikhilesh Sudhir Kulal, Sanjeeth Shaju Acharya,  Manith Manjunath Rao in the former; Sakshi Vijaya Shetty, Athriya Amar Mallya, Kushi Ravikanth, Kashvi Puthran, Nida Modi, Modi Ifra, Niharikha Umesh Poojary, Sharan Sujan, Sannikaa Dinesh Shetty, Hrithik Vittal Poojary performing in the latter.

 

 

Swetha Kiran Kamath, Poornima Dinesh Shanbhag, Shaila Praveen Prabhu (choreographer), Shruti Naveen Desai, Divya Prahlad Shanbhag and Vridhi Lokesh Baleri began tapping and swaying to the tunes of a Sandalwood semi classical and Bollywood sufi medley and concluded with a strong patriotic zeal.

 

Le le padu le le padu le le, a folk dance was performed by Anitha Ravikanth and Ravikanth, Shilpa Rajendra and Rajendra, Bhavya Harish and Gokul Poojary (choreographer), Smitha Dipak and Dipak.

 

A musical – dance invocation to Lord Ganesha was rendered by Sujatha Sudhir Kulal, Shilpa Ashok Naik, Manjunath Rao Kaup (choreographer), Deepika Krishnaprasad, Krishna Prasad, Shivaprakash Rai (as the Lord), Smrithi Sudhir Kulal, Priya Shaju Acharya, Suprabha Manjunath Rao, Vani Shivaprakash Rai, Archana Vinayak, Saideep Vinayak, Prathvi Krishna Prasad, Prateek Praveen Prabhu, Prakyath Krishna Prasad and Sanusha Shaju Acharya. Shaju Acharya supported the troupe by providing special effects.

 

“Aamantrana patrikeya ondu prasanga” a Kannada comedy skit directed, scripted and enacted by the talented all-women team -  Shaila Praveen Prabhu, Swathi Ramakanth Kamath, Ramya Rajendra Baliga. Gunda and his Anna would not think of inviting the miser yet gracious Ganapati for any other celebration after this scenario!

 

Kusalda Kalavidaru of Sohar staged a comedy ‘Tunnada’ (Tulu-Kannada) skit “Draupadi vastraapaharana”.   Manjunath Rao Kaup directed and acted in this skit along with Shaju Acharya, Kiran Kamath, Ravikanth, Amar Mallya and Flacid Lobo. Amar Mallya as Draupadi was a heart throb in the skit. The dialogues of Bheem, Director, Producer and others were hilarious.

 

Sandalwood actor and mimicry artist Dayanand who flew from Bangalore to participate in the Balaga anniversary kept the audience spellbound for over an hour with his non-stop humour and by mimicking few Indian celebrities. He appreciated the passion and eagerness of the overseas Kannadigas to nurture talent and honour the heritage of mother land. Dayanand sought questions from the audience who posed as the evergreen star Late Dr. Rajkumar and answered in the typical Annaavru style much to their amusement. His thoughts on children’s upbringing, influence of western education and several topics revolving around our daily lives were humourously thought provoking. He was so true when he said, “Humour is in our day to day activities, but we fail to recognize them and always keep a grumpy face”.

 

Malabar Gold participated in the celebration by gifting a diamond pendant to the lucky winner of the raffle draw. 

 

It was a moment of pride for Sanjay Shetty of Yaksha Pratibhe ®, Mangalore on his first overseas release of Tulu Yakshagana CD ‘Raja Satya Harishchandra’ during this occasion. Shivaprakash Rai, Richard D’souza, Frank Lobo, Dr. C.K. Anchan, S.K.Poojary, Sudhir Kumar, Ashok Suvarna, Umesh Bantwal and Ramesh Shettigar shared dais during the release.

 

The cultural programs were interspersed with felicitations for the performers and sponsors of the event. On behalf of his organization, Sanjay Shetty felicitated Jagatpal, Shivaprakash Rai, Richard D’souza, Frank Lobo, Sudhir Kumar, Narayan Kotian and Shankar Kotian for their efforts in putting up the show.

 

 
Finally, the long awaited aata prasanga – ‘Amara shilpi Shambhu Kalkuda’ began with the beats of chende and maddale by Ananda Gudigar Kervashe and Shridhar Naik Padre alternatively. Musical rendering (Bhaagavatike) by the young talent P. Ravichandra Kannadikatte was marvelous. Sanjay Kumar Shetty in streevesha, Seetharam Kumar Kateel as the haasyagaara, D Manohar Kumar, Janardhana Gudigar, Sadashiva Kulal and Rahul Shetty played their roles revolving around the artistic-romantic-comic-tragic-emotional story of the renowned Shambhu Kalkuda, sculptor of the Bahubali monoliths of Karnataka. 

 

The Balaga members and Yakshagana enthusiasts Sudhir Kumar, Pradeep Shetty, Rajendra Shetty, Anita Ravi Kidiyoor, Manjunath Rao Kaup, Kiran Kamath and Ravi Kidiyoor supported the main artistes in various roles.

 

Several children gathered in the event, and for many of them, it was the first time ever that they had a chance to see and know about our folk performing art. No wonder, they were awe-struck when they heard the chende and maddale being played without a microphone. The interaction between the Bhaagavat and the aata characters, the spontaneity, presence of mind, dialogue delivery without any cuts or retakes, the emotional display, connecting with the audience and the local context was all new to the generation next. Glory be to our rich cultural heritage, which is unfortunately facing the wrath of technology (social media per se) these days.

 

Since its inception in 2004, the Balaga has been putting in efforts to organize cultural and sports events, different and spectacular as the years roll by. Founder and Honorary President Frank Lobo and his successors Narayan Kotian and Richard D’souza strengthened the team with their guidance and have been continuing to do so. Present President Sudhir Kumar, vice president Nagesh Acharya and Secretary Shivaprakash Rai aim to take the Balaga to greater heights.  Kiran Kamath, Manjunath Rao Kaup, Shaju Acharya, Krishnaprasad and others have been strong supporting pillars in this mission. Brethren from Muscat and neighboring Dubai, Sharjah have been encouraging the Balaga too.

 

Mangaluru Balaga Sohar organized this gala event in collaboration with Al Kaleem Enterprises, Ruwi.

 

Mangaloreans or Kannadigas are connoisseurs of food – be it in preparation or savouring! The wide spread buffet lunch was successful in satisfying the foodies. The authentic and everyone’s all time favourite breakfast idli chutney and sambar was a big hit. Shankar Kotian, Executive Chef of Crowne Plaza Sohar along and his expert team played an important role in the decennial celebration with their culinary wonders.

 

The event was special not only to the Balaga committee, but to all those lovers of folk art and culture. Indeed, the memories will linger in the minds and hearts of Soharites until they meet next.

 

The committee members of the Balaga with the support of their family members and volunteers left no stone unturned to make the program successful. The pride on the faces of the audience, a sense of satisfaction on that of the organizers, a moment of accomplishment for the local talents said it all…

 

Inputs from  Shivaprakash Rai, Kiran Kamath, Manjunath Rao Kaup