Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)
With Inputs from Media Release

Mangaluru, Jan 2: Well-known writer and litterateur Na D’Souza announced the names of seven achievers who will be awarded 29th annual Sandesha Awards.

Addressing media at a press meet held at Sandesha, Bajjodi, he said, “The award distribution ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 9 at Sandesha premises. The seven achievers who will be conferred with awards are Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi (Sandesha Literature Award – Kannada), Valli Vagga (Sandesha Literature Award – Konkani), Shiv Kumar (Sandesha Media Award), Helen D’Cruz (Sandesha Konkani Music Award), Dr K S Pavithra (Sandesha Art Award), Justin D’Souza (Sandesha Teacher Award) and Vincent Prakash Carlo (Sandesha Special Recognition Award- Achievement).

“Dr Henry D’Souza, bishop, Ballari diocese and president of Sandesha Foundation will preside over the programme. Dr B V Vasanta, president, Karnataka Sahitya Academy, will grace the event as chief guest. D Vedavyasa Kamath, MLA and Cajeton Dias, music director, will be the guests of honour.

“Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop, Mangaluru diocese and Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop, Udupi diocese, will also participate in the programme as guests,” he said.

Before the announcement of names of award winners, a booklet containing programmes held at Sandesha in the past year was released by Na D’Souza and Roy Castelino.

Fr Francis Assisi, director, Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education, Roy Castelino, trustee, and Elias Fernandes, media advisor, were present.

Sandesha Literature Award (Kannada) - Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi

He was born in 1951at Puttur. He has secured gold medal in Kannada Post Graduation from Mysore University. At present he is retired and settled at Bangalore after serving 40 years in Syndicate Bank as an officer.

He is the only Indian writer conferred with Central Sahitya Academy twice (2010 & 2016) for creative prose. He is also the first ever Kannada writer conferred with `Bala Sahitya Puraskar’ by Central Sahitya Academy. His epic 1,110-page opus named "Swathranthada Ota" (in English: The run for independence) released on March 18, 2012 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru, by the world famous Sarod artiste Pandit Rajiv Taranath.

He worked as Senate Member in Hampi Kannada University, Kannada Sahitya Academy and Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara. He also worked as State president for `Samudaya’ Cultural Organisation, as Convener to Bandaya Sahitya Sangha, as Edirot to GIANT (Syndicate Bank's House Magazine) KRISHILOKA (Syndicate Bank's Magazine), as member to RDC (Syndicate Bank's Rural Development Institute), Self-Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI- Dharmastala). He was the President for Kannada Belesi Balaga and Chitra Samudaya (Film Division)

Sandesha Literature Award (Konkani) - Valli Vagga (Valerian D'Souza)

He was born at Vagga of Bantawal Taluk of Dakshina Kannada in the year 1947. His pen name is ‘Valli Vagga’. He was an industrialist and at present he is retired and continuing is service in literature. In 55 years of his service in the field of Konkani literature, he has written some 150 short stories, 140 poems and 120 articles in different papers, magazines and websites. Out of these articles, some 40 articles have been translated and published in different papers.

He has published 8 books and his Konkani drama 'Khandhi Kuris' has already had 13 exhibitions. He has been honoured by Karnataka Konkani Academy, Konkani Kutam Bahrain and Daiji Dubai and also he has worked at various capacities in the field of Konkani Literature.

Sandesha Media Award - Shiv Kumar

Professionally he is an engineer and living in Bengaluru. For the last 32 years he has been running a magazine called “Aparanji” as an editor. Already he has written 12 books and through his jokes, literature and science he has been decimating information to the general public. For his literary work in jokes, he has been awarded with Karnataka Sahitya Academy award.

Sandesha Konkani Music Award - Helen D’ Cruz

Helen Correa was born in Africa to late Flora and Alexander Correa. In Mumbai Helen was working for women’s magazine Eve’s weekly and had the opportunity to meet some of the best Bollywood actors and singers notable among them Geeta Dutt and Hemant Kumar. She has also worked closely with late Divyani Chaubal, writer-columnist and well-known film critic.

She is one of the greatest legends of Konkani stage who stood her own along with Bollywood fame Hemanth Kumar and Sangeeth Samrat Henry D’Souza. She is known for immortal Konkani hits like ‘Ye..Ye..Katrina’, ‘Chondrem Udevn Ailo’, ‘Gharaso Divo’, ‘Suryachi Kirnam’, and many more. Helen’s music journey from Africa–Mangaluru–Mumbai-Kuwait-Mumbai is quite astonishing.

Helen had created a sensation in the Konkani music world with her melodious and mellifluous voice in the early 60s and 70s thus giving a big fillip to Konkani music. She was the first reputed Konkani female singer in Mumbai. ‘Suryachin Kirnan’ of Jerome D Souza was her first song in radio in 1961 and with that Helen the singer had arrived on the scene. She sang many songs with Alphonso D'Costa and also with Henry D'Souza.

Helen has also cut an album with Henry D’Souza with some memorable songs like ‘Chandrem Udevn’, ‘Sezari’, ‘Gharacho Divo’ and of course ‘Katrina’. Though all the songs were quite melodious and hummable Katrina song hit the bull’s eye. Helen recalls that in during the general elections in Goa the Katrina song had gained lot of fame. Helen also reached the zenith of her popularity with some of the evergreen numbers like ‘Daryacha Daryacha Larani’, written by Henry, ‘Kalzanth Ullas Bhorla, Bhovtin Varen Valla’, ‘Naamv muje Leena’, and ‘Sanjecha Velar’ (both tunes by Helen). Helen has also written lyrics of the song ‘Tu Maka’. Apart from Alphonso, Henry and Hemant Kumar, Helen has sung with Jerome D Souza and Henry Moraes (in plays).

Sandesha Art Award – Dr K S Pavithra

She is Psychiatrist by profession. Not only she is a good physician and researcher but also a good dancer (Artist). She has done her studies in Bharatnatyam and presently teaching several students. She is the director of Vijay Kalanikethan ® at Shivamogga. She has performed various dance programmes at the international level too.

As a dancer and also as a coordinator she has performed many programmes at the national and international level. She has received regional, national and international awards and also she is one among the 25 artists selected by India to participate for the International Festival.

Sandesha Teacher Award - Justin D’Souza

For the past five decades, as a head of the Siddaganga Education Institution at Davanagere, Justin D Souza has served in the field of education along with areas of culture, sports, science and art. She has given prominence to her students to build the leadership in the society by providing them proper channels and avenues.

She has set an example to others by creating environment friendly school and worked hard to recognize her school as a ‘school free from waste materials’. She has been working as a member of several associations of literature and published a book by name ‘Siddagangeya Siri’.

She has bagged several awards namely ‘Seva Dhurine’, ‘Shikshana Shri’, ‘Shikshana Siri’, ‘Shramika Mahile’ ‘Sharada’ ‘Avva’ ‘Kayaka Shri’, ‘Vratthi Chaitanya Ratna’, ‘Shikshana Shiromani’ ‘Vidhyadhare Sarsvathi’ and so on. She has been honoured with Kannada Rajyostva Award too.

Sandesha Special Recognition Award- Achievement - Vincent Prakash Carlo

For the past 31 years, he has been in the field of body building and power lifting and he has represented India at International level and brought honour to the nation. He has been a great inspiration to the youth and others to get motivated to keep a healthy body by getting trained themselves under his effective training.

He is from Mangaluru. He is a body builder and power lifter. He has participated in 11 international competitions and bagged two gold, one silver and two bronze. He has participated in 24 national level and 28 state level competitions and bagged 28 gold, 17 silver and 7 bronze medals.

He has been honoured twice with ‘Strong Man of India’ and twice as ‘Strong man of South India’.