Mangalureans’ interest in Hindustani music continues to rise

Twenty-two-year-old vocalist Siddharth Pulleri, a native of Kannur in Kerala, did his high school education in a school in Mangaluru. When a chance came for him to perform in the National Music Competition of the Sangeet Bharati Foundation recently, Pulleri grabbed the chance to present his skill before jurists comprising of vocalists Jayatheerth Mevundi, Poornima Bhat Kulkarni and Shashank Maktedar, sitarist Ustad Rafique Khan, Bansuri player Pandit Ronu Majumdar, and Tabla player Yashwant Vaishnav. Harmonium player and educationalist Narendra Nayak, an active member of the Foundation, said they went through short videos of over 100 participants to select 12 musicians each in the vocal and instrumental category, who took part in final round of the competition held as part of two day Yuva Mahotsav at renovated Don Bosco hall in Mangaluru on February 8 and 9. Hindustani classical singers have also been coming to the city as musicians, including the late Kadri Gopalnath, Rafique Khan, vocalist Ravikiran Manipa, and vocalist Mithun Chakravarty stay in this region. Expert Group of Institutions is another institution holding annual music programme every year on its campus in Valachil to expose their pre university students and their parents to the richness of classical music.