Mangaluru: Call it co-incidence or destiny, but Vijay Prakash’s earliest tryst with Karavali began on a musical note. The renowned singer and music composer, who was in Mangaluru for a well-attended concert recently, recalls coming to the city as child with his father, who used to sing for many reputed Bharatanatyam artistes from this region.

“Then as a seven or eight-year-old boy, I remember attending an uncle’s wedding in Dharmasthala and then travelling to Mangaluru and Udupi with family. I have such fond memories of those early days and have been a fan of the city since,” shares Vijay.

He elaborates, “Dakshina Kannada is beautiful, the people are extremely cultured and artistic, and the place itself is blessed by natural beauty. Not to forget, Dakshina Kannada is also the destination of many beautiful temples.

And the way these monuments have been taken care of reflects the purity of the people and how much they respect the legacy and heritage of this state.”

And while he has been to the city many times in subsequent years for personal and professional reasons, Vijay’s recent visit left him quite overwhelmed. “It was a packed auditorium and people had come from all over India.

Of course, majority of the audience were Mangalureans. The best moment was when I rendered the Tulu song Mokeda Singari, which people loved. I hope to keep this connect of music, love and art with the people of Mangaluru all my life,” sums up Vijay.