KOCHI: “Karuni nee karunya pathradha deenardhi dukhotharana nee..dheenardha dukhithayanu jagavariye..”, Haritha BJ narrated the oral form of ‘Panchali Vasthrakshepam’ from the Mahabharata in Kannada at the Thiruvananthapuram Revenue District Kalolsavam which succoured her to win the first prize.
Haritha began learning music at a young age and evinced her talent in the field by participating in classical music, kadhakali sangeetham, light music and recitation-Malayalam-Hindi-Urdu-Kannada.
“I always wanted to try singing songs in different languages. My guru is Sheela Madhu of Pranavam music school, Parappally. I have been participating in different musical events since childhood, “ said Haritha.
A Class IX student of GGHSS, Attingal, her bold rhythmic syllables helped her win the first prize at the first try itself. Nevertheless, she says she wants to participate in more musical events next year. “I never thought I’d win Kannada recitation this year; it came as a surprise. Hopefully, I win in the state level competitions too,” Haritha said.
While sharing her success story with Express she said that the language Kannada is not as difficult as people think. “I learn languages fast. A good base in Carnatic music helped me to recite poems with ease. Kannada isn’t that difficult to learn but the pronunciation of words has to be paid attention to,” informed Haritha.
According to Haritha, memorising poems and reciting is a fun activity which brings her happiness. She felt capturing the audience’s attention and allowing the audience to interpret its meaning would be the difficult part.
“Reciting should not be done in a song-like manner. It is an art. We are judged on the pronunciation, delivery style and rhythm which we follow,” She said. She shared that confident body language and a natural reciting style are essential elements in winning the prize. Haritha plans to continue her studies and simultaneously balance her musical career.
“I’ll have to practice more to prepare myself for the state level competition and will continue participating in more musical events for the next three years at school,” Haritha added.