Mangalore : A light music programme was held in memory of late musician / magician of light singing, C. Aswath, sponsored by Adarsha Sugam Sangeeth Academy Trust of Bangalore along with Kanva Group Concerns of Bangalore and the local Bhava Sangeeth Foundation, Mangalore, this morning (July 24) at the NGO Hall in city.

The singers are on a state wide journey of Karnataka since May 8 and reached Mangalore for a 2 day stay and performance in the port city, after covering Mandya, Shimoga, Hassan and Mysore. It may be recalled here that a 2 day 6th state Sugam Sangeeth Samavesha had been held in Mangalore with B.K.Sumitra as chairperson, two years ago when C. Aswath was present on dais at the Central Maidan.

The present two day camp was inaugurated by well known poet Subraya Chokkadi, by playing on a harmonium and singing a song. Later talking to the audience, Chokkadi told that what is light music stands shoulder to shoulder with classical music as younger brother, with equal status, and it has to be absorbed, never to be forgotten after learning for a few days, he urged.

The programme was presided over by former KSP chief, Hari Krishna Punaroor. In his speech, he referred to rank students learning computers, but asked them to learn other arts as well in their lives to enrich themselves. They know values of life, economically. Such of the students who pick up music also reach higher levels and values of human life. They can then become as famous as C. Aswath and add to his glory, he said.

Adarsha SS Academy president Kikheri Krishnamoorthy told pressmen on Saturday that the present journey will continue to North Karnataka and will end on 29th December in Bengaluru, with 8,000 singers paying musical tributes to the amazing light singer, late C.Aswath, in the form of songs sung in a hall. Among these light musicians will be Ms Sangeetha Katti, Puttur Narasimha Nayak, Shimoga Subbanna and others who will sing the literary pieces written in poetic form by late Hunsur Krishnamurthy, Rameshchandra and other artistes. Those from Mangalore who participate in the present 2-day Camp here, will also be given the chance to perform in the 29th December, 2010 show in Bengaluru. Several artistes from India and abroad will give dance performance and music programme then.

Several local artists were present in the camp, which continues and ends on Sunday