BANGALORE: Come November 27, folk music lovers in the city will head towards Bangalore Palace Grounds to quench their thirst for meaningful and mellifluous folk music.
As many as 500 folk singers are expected to join with Ramanna, who is also known as Yugadharma Ramanna, for the five-hour folk music programme. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and actor Rajnikant will be the chief guests at the progrmme, which will be organised jointly by Golden Events and film director Pallakki Radhakrishna at a cost `1.50 crore.
Ramanna from Siddana Matada Sante Bennuru in Chennaigiri taluk of Davangere district, who failed to pass Ist standard five times, worked as a runner in a post office for a monthly salary of `24. He took voluntary retirement in 1985. Ramanna has written 6,000 tripadis, 1,500 vachanas, 3,000 and above thochidgeechu sentences and more than 200 songs. He has already given more than 12,000 speeches across the state.
Ramanna was honoured with the Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academy Award in 2005, Janapada Jangama Award from Muruga Mata at Chitradurga, Kaiwara Taatayya Award and Taluk Sahitya Academy Award. Ramanna, who teaches at Janapada Kuteera Bhageeratha Peeta, Brahmavidyanagara, Hosadurga taluk in Chitradurga district, is Chancellor of Daddarapada Vishwa Vidyalaya.
Purushothamapuri Swamiji, who inaugurated Rammanna’s website, www.yugadharma2010.com, recently, called upon music lovers to support Ramanna.
“There are plans to popularise folk music in Doddaballapur and Kolar districts and screen documentary films and publish books on Ramanna,” Radhakrishna said.
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