The Dasa Kirthanas are paeans to the Gods. They are poetic efforts to render the abstract and ineffable into concrete and personal. The abstract and unseen can be an imagined wonder, a distant source of governance. But when Gods are personalised, we get to know them even as we think they know us. 

For Purandaradasa or Kanakadasa or any other Dasa, Krishna or Rama were their father, mother, lover, child and friend. The moods in their devotion can range from marvelling at his indefinable, ungraspable transcendence and infinite glory to freely chiding him for his pranks, rebuking him for his mischief and blaming him for playful elusiveness.

The devotional literature has roots in Bhakti which is an intensely personal experience and nothing makes it more so than its expression through singing. It is in the hands of the music composer to look into the lyrics, devotion and the expression of Dasas while composing the tunes for the song. 

An attempt has been made by Prof. V. Aravinda Hebbar to look into these aspects while setting to tune such songs of Dasas. He tries to elucidate the meaning of the song to a raga, most adequate to depict its lyrical value. Prof. Hebbar will demonstrate the possibilities of making the song most appropriate through suitable raga selection in the Lecture-Demonstration organised by Gayana Sabha at Ganabharathi on Oct.19 at 5.30 pm. 

Archana and Samanvi will render Dasa Kerthanas for which Prof. Hebbar has set the tunes. Rashmi Udupa will present Bharatanatyam version of few of the kritis.

Prof. Aravinda Hebbar, a biologist, has taught and researched in Universities, and presented many research papers at prestigious scientific forums. He has passion for classical music and has founded Ranjani Memorial Trust, Udupi, to promote classical music. He is also managing Lathangi School of Music since 1996.

Popularly known as ‘Lathangi Sisters, Archana and Samanvi are musical prodigies trained and groomed by Prof. Hebbar from a very early age. They have evolved into matured vocalists and have been performing at prestigious venues. They have won many awards and scholarships and their audio CDs have become very popular. In this prog., they will provide vocal support to Prof. Hebbar and will render some of the Dasa Keerthanas. 

Rashmi Udupa holds a Master’s Degree in Bharatanatyam, and is a graded artiste of Doordarshan. She has given solo and group performances at Chennai, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and at many reputed platforms. In this event, she will present few of the Dasa Kritis in the dance form, which have been choreographed by her.