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Global Vocalist Returns Home for Family's 100-Year Navratri
14 Oct
Summary
- US-based Hindustani vocalist Ashwin Baliga performs at family's Navratri.
- The family tradition celebrates its 100th year with music and devotion.
- Baliga honors the milestone with devotional compositions.
Ashwin Baliga, a Hindustani classical vocalist based in the United States, has traveled to Mangaluru to partake in his family's 100-year-old Navratri tradition. The celebrations, held at the residence of N Ekanath Nayak and Mangalagauri Nayak, are a continuation of a devotion spanning a century. Guided by N Gokuldas Nayak, the event honors the blessings of Srimad Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji and Srimad Samyamindra Thirtha Swamiji.
The annual tradition, founded by the late Niddodi Babayya Nayak and carried on by the late N Vittal Nayak's family, features daily bhajans, devotional songs, and cultural performances from 7 pm to 9 pm. The home has a history of hosting esteemed musicians, including the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
For Baliga, who has family ties through his wife, the event is a significant spiritual milestone. He expressed his honor in performing at this historic centenary celebration. He will present bandishes dedicated to the Goddess, incorporating devotional pieces in various languages like Brajbhasha, Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi.
Baliga, trained by Pandit Milind Chittal and Mahesh Kale, aims to popularize classical music through accessible explanations. He is also the lead vocalist for the electronic-classical band VIBRAHA and a member of the National Sufi Ensemble. His international performances have graced venues across India, the US, Sri Lanka, Australia, the UK, and Canada. He has also released a unique meditative blend of Hindustani music and sound healing, 'Raga Bath,' and contributed to preserving musical legacies through his compilation 'Gayana Ganga'.
