Mysuru: “I have written more than 1,200 stage songs and they are all found in my note books. And even though I am 80 years old, I can stand and sing all of them without looking at them. Till now I have sung more than 2,500 stage songs (Ranga Geethe),” said well-known stage singer and harmonium player Paramashivam.

He was speaking after inaugurating the four-day ‘Kadamba Ranga Deevatige-2018’ State Theatre Festival jointly organised by Kadamba Ranga Vedike and Kannada and Culture Department, Bengaluru at Kalamandira’s mini theatre, here yesterday.

“The Kannada and Culture Department should have made the effort to collect all these songs for future generations. But I do not know why they have not done it. However, Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax Department Govinde Gowda who has interest in art and literature and keen to introduce it to the coming generations has spent nearly Rs. 6 lakh to bring out 2,500 stage songs in a CD format,” said Paramashivam.

He said that since singing stage songs was difficult not many would sing them. However, it was Dr. Chandrashekar Kambar and B.V. Karanth who gave a new dimension to the stage songs and conveyed the message that everyone can sing them, thus preserving the great legacy.

Mysuru is the birthplace of many arts and it should present the best plays to the people and thus preserve the arts. This work Kadamba Ranga Vedike is doing, he lauded.

Rajyotsava awardee Y.M. Puttannaiah, Karnataka State Nataka Academy awardees actor Mandya Ramesh and S.S. Gayathri were honoured on the occasion. Rangayana Director Bhagirathi Bai Kadam, Kadamba Ranga Vedike President Rajashekar Kadamba and others were present.

Later, singers Y.M. Puttannaiah, Kupya Venkatram, H.S.Govinde Gowda, Bhoomika, D. Nagendra Kumar, Nagaratna, Shivabasappa Horeyala and D. Krishnamurthy entertained the audience with Ranga Geethe.

Bhasa Mahakavi’s ‘Dootaparva’ directed by Ganapathy B. Hegde will be staged by Janadani troupe of Mandya at Kalamandira at 7 this evening. Tomorrow (Feb.24) Skydiving, Bengaluru will stage the play ‘Sarga’ directed by Shailesh Kumar and on Feb.25 Kadamba Ranga Vedike will stage ‘Galiyemba Kuduruyanneri’ play written by Dr. Prabhushankara and directed by H.N. Umesh and both the dramas will be staged at 7 pm at the same venue.