PANAJI
Y oung performers from across Goa came together on Sunday for the final round of the first edition of Bal Kala Tarang, with 24 finalists taking the stage.
Conceived by Anju Timblo, the competition featured Indian vocals, tabla and Bharatanatyam in two age groups: 12 to 15 years and 16 to 22 years.
In the 12 to 15 years Indian vocals category, Samarth Prabhakar Bhat of Ponda secured first place, while Tanaya Sukhthankar of Gogol came second. Mrunmayi Nilkanth Naik of Neura and Saisha Vaghonkar of Ponda were the other finalists.
Mahadev Gavas of Calangute won the tabla category, followed by Vasudev Naik of Pernem. Sriansh Dhyaneswar Subhaji of Pernem and Yograj Suraj Bhomkar of Bhoma were the other finalists.
In Bharatanatyam, Gargee Nilesh Chari of Marcel secured first place, while Naisha N Sanil of Old Goa came second. Arya Somnath Naik of Shiroda and Aradhya Uday Naik of Fatorda also performed in the final round.
In the 16 to 22 years category, Rohini Vaze of Valpoi won first place in Indian vocals. Arya Avinash Manerikar of Colvale secured second place, while Yuti Sanvordekar of Sanvordem was the other finalist.
Atharva N Gadgil of Valpoi topped the tabla category, while Varad Nandan Karmalkar of Khorlim came second. Soham Ashish Gaitonde of Sanquelim and Soham Gajanan Vaze of Valpoi were the other finalists.
Manjiri Rajendra Phutankar of Old Goa won the Bharatanatyam category, while Pauravi Ashank Desai of Merces secured second place. Bhumi Sudesh Tilve of Candolim, Mihira Kamlakant Chari of Sanquelim and Mahalsika Somnath Virdikar of Margao were the other finalists.
The performances were judged by Asad Khan, Rameshwar Dange and Vinayak Gurav, while T Ravindra Sharma and Rekha Ashok Hegde judged the Bharatanatyam category.
Chief guest and Director of the Directorate of Art and Culture Vivek Naik said events such as Bal Kala Tarang were important to celebrate and preserve Indian art and culture.
“It is our duty to promote our art and culture,” he said.
Naik also said Centres of Musical Excellence were being planned in three districts of the State. He added that the government was also considering reviving the Three Stars scheme, a competition for school students.
The winners were announced by Fundação Oriente’s Dr Paulo Gomes. All finalists received certificates of participation. The second-place winners received certificates and a cash prize of Rs 15,000, while the winners in each category received certificates and Rs 25,000.
The competition brought together young students learning classical music, tabla and Bharatanatyam from different parts of Goa. Participants came from Pernem, Calangute, Ponda, Neura, Gogol, Bhoma, Old Goa, Shiroda, Fatorda, Valpoi, Sanquelim, Colvale, Khorlim, Candolim, Merces and Margao.
For many participants, the competition gave them an opportunity to present an art form they had spent years learning before a jury of experienced practitioners. It provided a common platform for young artists in vocal music, instrumental music and classical dance.
Nearly 300 entries were received for the first edition, from which 88 participants were shortlisted. The field was later narrowed to 24 finalists for the concluding round.
With its first edition coming to a close, Bal Kala Tarang has provided young artists across Goa with a platform to showcase their years of training. The organisers hope the competition will continue to grow and encourage more children and young people to learn and pursue Indian classical art forms.
