The annual week-long festival of music, dance and drama of the Visakha Music and Dance Academy will begin on Saturday with conferring of Nada Vidya Bharati title on Sangita Kalanidhi R Vedavalli.
The 14{+t}{+h}edition of the annual National Eminence Award Function would also feature a two-hour vocal concert by 80-year-old R Vedavalli, after she is conferred the title by Central Information Commissioner Madabhushi Sridhar at Kalabharati on Saturday, VMDA founder president C.S.N. Raju told the media here on Sunday.
The ninth edition of the Awards function in 2010 was the last time former President of India A.P.J. Abdul visited the city, Mr. Raju recalled. The former President who conferred the title Nada Vidya Bharati on Umayalapuram K Sivaraman on August 14, 2010, was a very unassuming character. “He was the only chief guest who did not make any demands whatsoever,” Mr Raju recalled. The former President had scheduled a number of visits during his one-day visit leaving the organisers a little nervous about his arrival for the programme. Not only did he arrive on time but sat through the programme exhibiting his immense interest in the rich traditions of the country, Mr Raju said.
This year’s event would feature Carnatic vocal by Bombay Jayasri Ramanath on the second day and by Tadepalli Lokanadha Sarma on the fifth day, the third day would feature Violin duet by Dwaram Durga Prasada Rao and Dwaram Satyanarana Rao and fourth day Hindustani instrumental by Pandit Subrata De. On the sixth day a Bharatanatyam ballet by Rajeswari Sainath and her disciples and the seventh day would feature a play by Young Men’s Happy Club of Kakinada, ‘Desamunu Preminchumanna’, VMDA trustee and secretary G RK Prasad (Rambabu) said.
