Desi tunes today

BANGALORE: There are more than one lakh Kannadigas in the United States of America. To showcase the many talents they possess, North America Vishwa Kannada Association (NAVIKA), a non-profit organisation created to promote and enrich the very rich cultural heritage of Karnataka in the US, is observing a two-day event, Amerikannadigotsava, in  Bangalore. And this is the first time an event of such  scale is taking place, says Dr Keshav Babu, the president of NAVIKA.What started with the business opportunities meeting on Friday will move on to cultural programmes on Saturday and Sunday, where more than 200 Kannadigas settled in USA will put up performances. The initial intention of NAVIKA was to promote the language and culture of Kannada among the generations of Kannadigas settled in USA. It’s to achieve this goal that NAVIKA is holding the event “We want the future leaders of the United States to know about the homeland. We also would like to see them appreciate the language,” says Keshav.Today, starting at 9 am, more than 200 people will take part in a procession from Town Hall that will make its way to Ravindra Kalkshetra, where the event will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. A slew of cultural events are planned for two days. “There will be dance, music and theatre activities. On Sunday, there will also be a book exhibition and poetry reading session, apart from a symposium where two young people will talk about growing up in the US,” says Keshav. For details about the event, visit, www.navika.org.