Media Release
Dammam, Dec 20: MASA Talent Contest ‘Kala Sambhrama Season 2’ - A true carnival of cultural feast.
As cold weather grips Eastern Arabia, a cultural extravaganza and musical night enthralled the audience on Friday at Delimon Resort. The much-awaited gala event of the year, “MASA Open to All Talent Contest ‘Kala Sambhrama Season 2’,” was professionally organized byMASA.
MASA, a well-known social service organization, has been organizing various events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its members over the years. Venturing into new horizons,MASA successfully held ‘Kala Sambhrama’ for the first time last year, marking a milestone in the kingdom. The second season proved to be a grand success. The contest saw tough competition among eight teams representing Telugu, Tamil, and Karnataka state communities residing in the kingdom, along with students from International Indian School, Dammam.
The event was powered by Al Raqwani Company, Dilogue Services, and Universal Inspection Company (UIC).
The program commenced at 3.30 pm with a welcome note by MASA general secretary Puttaraju. coordinator Prateek Poojary then welcomed president Gopal Shetty, along with advisory committee members Ravi Karkera, Sadashiv Poojary, Naveen Bhandary, and Sathish Bajal. Guests of honor, Suresh Bharati, Abdul Sattar, representatives of the Tamil community, president Shilpa Kunder, general secretary Suman, and Shamith Kunder of Mogaveers Bahrain were invited on stage to light the ceremonial lamp along with MASA excom members and the contest judges.
President Gopal Shetty welcomed the gathering, thanking the associations and teams for their active participation. He expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their contributions and acknowledged the efforts of various committees, volunteers, and members. He noted with pride that out of 199 participants, 110 were students from diverse cultural backgrounds who used the MASA platform to showcase their talent, competing with senior and professional artists.
The lively talent contest began with a briefing on the rules by chief coordinator Ravi Karkera, followed by an instrumental music performance by children from Samarpana Carnatic Academy. A stunning yoga display by 5th-grader Advyitha mesmerized the audience. Her parents shared that she honed her skills through online videos and their guidance. Advyitha and the young participants of Samarpana Carnatic Academy were honored with mementos by president Gopal Shetty.
Eight teams showcased their talent across categories like solo singing, solo classical dance, cinematic group dance, group fancy dress, and anchoring. The packed audience of over 600 witnessed stunning performances, which were also streamed live on YouTube.
Judges:
- Silpa Nycil, classical dancer and dance teacher from Kerala
- Deepak Rao Pejawara, Yakshagana artist from Bahrain (Karnataka)
- Dr Ragini Bekur Sharma, MD, internal medicine
- Nigil Muraleedharan, cine artist and event coordinator
- Dr Pon Sankara Pandian, businessman, social worker, and toastmaster
Judging coordinators: Ravi Karkera, Naveen Bhandary, Bhaskar Kanchan
Timers: Balakrishna Shetty, Ashwath Rai
LED and video presentation: Viraj Kumar Shetty, Mohd Nooman, Salim Puttur
Anchoring: Ravi Karkera, Naveen Bhandary, Prateek Poojary, Victor Sequeira
Sponsors:
Platinum sponsors: Al Raqwani Co, Dilogue Services, Universal Inspection Co (UIC)
Silver sponsors: Artland Transport Co, Intermodal Global Co Ltd
Co-sponsors: A wide range of contributors including individuals, associations, and businesses.
MASA management and excom felicitated Ganesh Manila from Bahrain for his social service contributions and life member Nagaraj Bajal for his environmental awareness initiatives in Mangaluru. Nagaraj urged the gathering to reduce plastic usage, supported by a video presentation highlighting its harmful impact.
The vote of thanks was presented by Roopesh Suvarna before the contest results were announced. Twelve raffle prizes were distributed, with winners celebrated on stage.
Contest winners:
Raffle prize winners:
Best individual performances:
- Solo singing: Sanchitha Karthick (DTS), Sowjanya Sreekumar (Team 3D 2.0)
- Solo classical dance: Kudla Adventure Dammam (KAD)
- Anchoring: Gowri Sankar (T2B Telugu Beat Breakers), Meena Rashmi (Team Parwa)
Team winners:
- 1st place: Team 3D 2.0
- 2nd place: Kudla Adventure Dammam (KAD)
- 3rd place: Students Group of IIS Dammam
Winners were awarded trophies, medals, gift vouchers, and cash prizes.
The event concluded with the national anthem, leaving everyone with cherished memories of a thrilling and vibrant evening.