A team lead by Rao visited the village Pangti to do their job and such was the success of the 2013 campaign that not a single bird was killed.
Bengaluru :
As the principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force, Lokeswara Rao was the man who spearheaded various environmental campaigns that spread awareness about afforestation, birds and the ill-effects of plastic pollution. While stationed in Nagaland, the officer was asked to create awareness about the migratory Russian falcons that were being hunted by villagers. A team lead by Rao visited the village Pangti to do their job and such was the success of the 2013 campaign that not a single bird was killed.
So, it comes as no surprise that the now retired forest officer has joined an international body that works towards nature conservation as its director for a campaign called ‘Protect Our Species’. As part of Earth Day Network USA, Rao will be in-charge of the aforementioned campaign and spreading awareness about protecting the environment and its species along with another country head Karuna Singh. The team is working on a ‘Clean Ganga’ and a ‘Clean Juhu Beach’ project, apart from various programmes on plastic pollution.
Rao’s efforts to conserve nature and spread awareness about the need to do so doesn’t end there. This upcoming Earth Day (April 22), he will also exhibit 35 new paintings which will showcase depictions of Buddha in relation to nature through abstract and semi-abstract means. The connection between the two is inseparable, says Rao, who adds, “Nature is present in the four main events of the Buddha’s life: Birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death. Moreover, he always appreciated nature and encouraged others to do the same.” Rao started painting over a decade ago.
His favourite, however, are Buddha and nature. According to the latest Living Planet (2018) Index (an indicator of the state of global biological diversity), the population abundance of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish has decreased by more than half (60 per cent) in less than 50 years, from 1970 – 2014. The report attributes it to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, over-exploitation and the spread of invasive species and diseases.
Rao believes art has the ability to interact with and educate the viewer about such issues. “Art can open our eyes to the beauty of the nature. It can simply be a pretty picture that appreciates nature for what it is… Or it can be a challenging piece expressing our complex human connection to nature,”
he says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / April 16th, 2019
Works of art Depiction of kitchens and cooking are a favourite / SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Restaurants in Mangaluru and Bengaluru are using muralsto brighten up their interiors
Think wall and for some it just means a building structure, but, for artists, they see them as a huge canvas on which they can depict their art on. While some walls are used for graffiti, some are used for murals. And, it is not uncommon for many eating joints to incorporate this work of art in their building design.
Many eateries in Mangaluru have large walls dedicated to murals. Looking at them popping up across Mangaluru, shows that murals are trending here.
“Murals are colourful and popular. I have painted over a 1,000 murals all over the State in varied establishments, homes, hotels, eateries, commercial places and educational institutions too. They can also be based on a theme. The ones that get most appreciated are those that depict anything to do with a traditional Indian Kitchen. I have created many themes for different Udupi hotels in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Pune, Kadaba (Andhra Pradesh) and Nepal. People normally pause, admire the work and even take a selfie with it before moving on,” observes VG Hegde, an artist and entrepreneur from Bengaluru.
The mural, adorning a wall at Sri Krishna Vilas in Urva Stores in Mangaluru, shows a typical kitchen in a hotel run by a Brahmin family. “This particular mural gives us a glimpse of an ancient Indian kitchen. It also takes us on a nostalgic trip, to the era when firewood was used for cooking.” says Vaishak Bhat, a techie from US on a visit to Mangaluru.
“Not just hotels in Mangaluru, but those in Bengaluru too have added murals to their structures. Many opt for thematic murals based on Udupi Krishna or vegetarian food. The best part is they dedicate a prominent place in their hotels for this work of art,” shares Lakshmish Shanbhag, an architect.
It is not just vegetarian eateries but even fast food joints have murals in their dining areas, says John Chandran, a mural specialist from Mangaluru. He has created a mural of cricketers for a non-veg outlet and a mural of a mother cooking for her family for St Aloysius Museum (Aloysium).
Vikram Shetty, an upcoming artist is passionate about murals,. In fact, his works can be seen in many eateries across the city.
“I have partnered with Ramakrishna Mission as an art consultant for their cleanliness campaign too,” beams the young man.
“There are many art forms that go into making a mural — graffiti art, caricature and doodles,” he explains.
According to senior art teacher Ganesh Somayaji, “Murals have now become an integral part of our lives.
“It is a welcome change and also a sign that artists today have another horizon to explore.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / by M Raghuram / April 16th, 2019
A home-grown all male choir is set to perform choral music that has rarely been played in the city.
Olsson first performed French choral music about 25 years back at the Gothenburg Cathedral in Sweden.
When the music is written by French composers, sung by an Indian choir group which is led by a Swedish baritone and conductor – it’s a complete package. Especially when Jonas Olsson, founder of the said choir, Bangalore Men, says none of them speak French. Yes, the verses are in French and this unique celebration of French choral music titled Vive la France’, is a testimony of what passion for music can lead to; as well as Google translator.
Olsson is a Bengaluru-based Western classical trained singer who has been juggling his day time job at Volvo with teaching music at the Bangalore School of Music. He started the all-male voices ensemble to focus on Western classical music across a time period ranging from medieval to contemporary times. Olsson first performed French choral music about 25 years back at the Gothenburg Cathedral in Sweden. “French choral music is not so well-known in the choir music scene,” he explains. “It is a bit melancholy and the pieces that I have selected are fairly modern, dating back to the late 1800s and the mid 1900s.”
The fact that the audience in the city are more aware of composers like Mozart and Beethoven prompted Olsson to showcase the music composed by Gabriel Faure, Maurice Durufle and Francis Poulenc, a selection which will set the music from late 1800s to 1949. “Their music is too beautiful to be left alone,” he notes. The pieces will range from quietly meditative to joyous and triumphant, as the note accompanying the invitation promises.
The 18-member choir took about a couple of months to practise the pieces but that’s only because, Olsson stresses, they have been consistently practising singing every week for the past three years. “That makes it easier to pick up new pieces.” The Bangalore Men has previously performed Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th symphony, Simply Schubert on Franz Schubert as well as A Cappela Through the Ages focussing on renaissance and early Baroque music.
Their choir singers are from diverse fields; doctors, engineers, architects and IT professionals hailing from across the country and religions. “Music is unifying,” Olsson truly believes in this as he has, over the years, introduced the city audiences to unique repertoires including British composer Gustav Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda. “Music lovers from all over the world are on the same page. They feel the rhythm and pulse of good music.” But they have the responsibility to educate themselves in all styles of music as well as take their heritage forward. Olsson talks of his exposure to Carnatic music through two of his students and hopes to have some sort of collaboration with them. “It will show that as far as our music goes, we are not that far away from each other.”
As far as Olsson’s personal taste goes or his go-to music, he sees himself relaxing with classical music. “But I enjoy all music,” he says. His passion for music was instilled young, growing up in Sweden which, according to him, has a diverse musical scene with easy access to music conservatories. He talks of an astonishing number of people taking to choral music in Sweden. About 1 million people go for choral music rehearsals every week. “It is that popular,” he laughs. Elsewhere, it is the enduring quality and richness of classical music that has kept the genre alive. “The pieces we will be performing are about a few centuries old,” he says. “They have survived so far and will continue to do so.” It is his aim to bring music that’s from the classical genre yet outliers so that the audiences are challenged as well. If even one person from the audience goes back and looks up choir music, it will gladden him. “Experience of the moment is one thing,” Olsson says, “but sparking their curiosity about the music played is a huge accomplishment.”
Since Vive la France will be performed in a church, Olsson believes that the enjoyment will be two-fold. One doesn’t need to know French to enjoy the music and nor does one have to be of any particular religion to enjoy the beauty of the church. “The French choral music will make an everlasting impression as it did on me when I first performed it.”
What: Vive la France When: Apr 7th, 6 pm Where: Saint Andrew’s Church, Cubbon Road
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Entertainment> Music / by Jayanthi Madhukar, Deccan Chronicle / April 05th, 2019
