April 29, 2013

Bangalore's Ramanavami, IPL and Elections

Lots of music, growing political campaigns and IPL fever.
This is indeed an extreme cocktail but Bangalore is being offered it this April.
And for me, as journalist and observer of all that spins around us, this is heady and interesting.
The RCB ( Royal Challengers Bangalore) seems to have built a huge fan base, with the city rooting for it all the time. The stands at the Chinnaswamy stadium are packed to the gills and it is best to avoid being on the roads before and after a match.
On Saturday last, as RCB prepared to face a top-of-the-table RR ( Rajasthan Royals) at a late evening match swathes of fans, all armed with the red flags headed to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This is one community that loves the IPL action and its team and is behind it even on weekdays!
Another set of flags are slowly going up in neighbourhoods. Karnataka is preparing for early May elections to its state Assembly. The campaigns are
taking off slowly. Though the banners and posters are far between, the presence of more parties means there will be more flags.
What interests me is the presence and campaign of some young professionals who are in the fray. Some are under the banner of the Lok Satta party.
I had looked at similar efforts in the elections in Tamil Nadu and at candidates in our city neighborhoods.
Bangalore may throw up interesting ideas.
In the midst of the cricket and the elections is the classical music community.
This is the time of the Sri Ramanavami Music Festival season and Bangalore’s rasikas and mandalis are getting bigger and better.
The best and the talented perform across the city and since the city has expanded from one ‘halli’ to another, each has its own home-grown arts body.
So ‘chitravina’ Ravi Kiran and Gayatri Venkatraghavan perform in the city centre one evening and move to the west/east the next! Much like the
December season.
We at KutcheriBuzz are blogging Bangalore’s Sri Ramanavami Music Fest. Posting stories, reviews and the buzz. (www.ramanavamimusic.blogspot.in )

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