Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Blindfold Test: Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio, Parts 1 & 2

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
In this rare iteration of the DownBeat Blindfold Test, all three musicians were asked to comment on selections consisting entirely of trio music.
(Photo: David Crow)

Seeing a colorful press photo of Rudresh Mahanthappa and his bandmates adorned in masks, tights and capes might lead one to believe that they are the comic book-like heroes from which the trio’s name is derived. But the alto saxophonist has been clear: He is paying homage to his own musical heroes — Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Lee Konitz, for starters. Rollins and Konitz virtually trademarked the chord-less trio format embraced by Mahanthappa and his rhythm section players, both of whom work regularly in other highly regarded trios: bassist François Moutin with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, and drummer Rudy Royston with guitarist Bill Frisell.

In this rare iteration of the DownBeat Blindfold Test, all three musicians were asked to comment on selections consisting entirely of trio music. It was Mahanthappa’s second Blindfold Test, and the first for Royston and Moutin. The following article originally ran in two installments in DownBeat’s May 2022 and June 2022 issues.

ORNETTE COLEMAN

“Dawn” (At The Golden Circle Stockholm, Blue Note, 1966) Coleman, alto saxophone; David Izenzon, bass; Charles Moffett, drums.

Rudresh Mahanthappa: That’s Ornette Coleman, At The Golden Circle, with David Izenzon and Charles Moffett. This is on Blue Note, not Atlantic, I believe. When I was at Berklee in the ’90s, I wanted to do a recital of all Ornette Coleman music. It had a horrible name — it was called “Ornette, or Not.” We ended up doing a ballad called “Dawn” — this is it? There it is, I hear the melody now. 5 stars.

François Moutin: I don’t know of anything else that David Izenzon did, but he’s a monster bass player.

JERRY BERGONZI TRIO

“Have You Met Miss Jones” (Lost In The Shuffle, Double-Time, 1998) Bergonzi, tenor saxophone; Dan Wall, organ; Adam Nussbaum, drums.

Mahanthappa: It sounds like Steve Grossman when he was in his Sonny Rollins phase. It has a Jerry Bergonzi vibe to it, too. It’s not Dan Wall, is it? Adam Nussbaum? Jerry is great. For better or for worse, Grossman, Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, even George Garzone, to some extent Dave Liebman — these guys were like the kings of this post-Coltrane [sound]. I think Grossman was the forefather of all those guys, including Michael Brecker. Steve was playing like that when he was only 19 years old with Elvin Jones.

Moutin: There’s one lick in there that could have been you on tenor, Rudresh.

Mahanthappa: It’s the same source material, just up a fifth. I tried playing tenor in high school; I sounded terrible on tenor.

Rudy Royston: Adam Nussbaum is on! I like all the energy, rhythm, big fat sound … not like that “clean” stuff that was going on at that time.

Moutin:I’ve played with him half a dozen times, and every time, it was an incredible experience.

Royston: He’s a cat who believes in the drums leading the band, the drums leading the vibe. He came to UNC when I was there. He said, “You should be able to tell what the tune is from what I’m playing.” You could hear it in his rhythms and how he was defining stuff around the melody. He’s still a bad cat.

Mahanthappa: 5, shall we go 5 stars on that?

Moutin: Yeah.

Royston: Everyone was killing on that.

MELISSA ALDANA & CRASH TRIO

“Turning” (Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio, Concord, 2014) Aldana, tenor saxophone, Pablo Menares, bass; Francisco Mela, drums.

Royston: Is that Melissa Aldana? The thing I love about Melissa is how she uses space. She’s never in a rush. She always waits, and then she does that thing where she starts low, I don’t know what it is [sings the line]. And the way she uses … falsetto?

Mahanthappa: Altissimo. I like Melissa a lot, I don’t know her playing real well. One of the things that’s hard for me to realize is that there’s a whole generation of folks that were influenced by people our age. Melissa told me a story about how into Mark Turner she was, and how he gave her a seven-hour lesson once.

Royston: That’s a great trio. I saw them at Dizzy’s. They were a good trio.

Moutin: Good composition, too.

Mahanthappa: 5 stars.

CHRIS SPEED TRIO

“Arrival High” (Platinum On Tap, Intakt, 2017) Speed, saxophone; Dave King, drums; Chris Tordini, bass.

Moutin: Triplicate?

Mahanthappa: No, it doesn’t sound anything like that. It kind of reminds me of Bill McHenry. Is it George Garzone? It definitely sounds like it could be someone of our generation. It could be Rasmus Lee, or it could be …

Moutin: Donny McCaslin?

Mahanthappa: No, it can’t be, that’s not Donny’s sound. Or guys that I went to Berklee with, like Matt Renzi … all these cats that played all that modern shit, but with harder reeds and a darker sound, as opposed to Donny. It was almost like a reaction to Michael Brecker, “We’re going to go dark!”

Royston: I know this drummer, man.

Mahanthappa: It could be Chris Speed, too. Is this the trio with Dave King? There you go. Chris was a little older than me, but he was still in Boston when I was in school, but he was hanging out, playing his ass off. 5 stars. Chris is a bad motherfucker and more people should know who he is.

Royston: I knew that it was [Dave King on drums], but I just couldn’t put my finger on that sound. Big tom sounds, and you can hear all that facility with the rim shots and the bells. You can hear all that stuff in the Bad Plus.

… To be continued in the June 2022 issue of DownBeat. Same Hero Trio time. Same Blindfold Test space!

Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio (Part 2, June 2022)

Previously on The Blindfold Test: Our three heroes, led as always by the indubitable alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, and ably assisted by his sideman sidekicks François Moutin and Rudy Royston, added to their legerdemain with a perfect four-for-four on last month’s treacherous playlist, a feat they accomplished even while blindfolded (figuratively speaking). After easily nailing the mysterious Ornette Coleman and killers Jerry Bergonzi and Melissa Aldana, a bit of high drama occurred as their last unknown audio assailant proved elusive until Mahanthappa deduced the culprit to be Chris Speed at the 11th hour. But this month, new and more dangerous challenges lie ahead. Can our heroes pull of a perfect score, or will they succumb to the weight expectations they’ve already set? Read on to find out!

BRANFORD MARSALIS

“Gutbucket Steepy” (Trio Jeepy, Sony, 1989) Marsalis, tenor saxophone; Milt Hinton, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums.

Rudresh Mahanthappa: Sounds like Arnett Cobb. It’s not rough enough to be Turrentine.

Rudy Royston: Sounds like Turrentine right there.

François Moutin: It’s not Turrentine?

Mahanthappa: It’s so of another generation. It reminds me of Houston Person records, or even Lockjaw. But I could also see Seamus Blake totally playing like this, and doing it convincingly, and sounding like an old cat. I could see Josh Redman playing like this too. But I’m stumped.

Moutin: It’s not Ron Carter, is it? There’s something in the sound … I don’t know.

[afterwards]

Mahanthappa: I would have never gotten that.

Moutin: You tricked us.

Mahanthappa: Branford definitely has his own sound, but then he can kind of inhabit all these other things, historically.

Royston: “Tain” came to my mind with that ride cymbal, but I was like, “I don’t think so.” I needed to hear a “Tain”-ism.

Moutin: 5 stars.

Royston: I didn’t know Branford could do that. Branford was getting a lot of lip back then, going to Sting’s band, and all the jazz cats were like, “Oh, man!”

Moutin: Makes me realize how much Ron Carter borrowed [from] Milt Hinton.

Mahanthappa: I’m a little embarrassed; Branford and I just hung out last week.

ANNA WEBBER

“Forgotten Best” (Idiom, Independent Release, 2021) Webber, tenor saxophone; Matt Mitchell, piano; John Hollenbeck, drums.

Mahanthappa: It’s killing, whoever it is.

Moutin: European?

Mahanthappa: Sounds like Anna Webber, kind of? With Matt Mitchell and John Hollenbeck? Anna’s ridiculous, she can do anything. 5 stars, 5½! I had Anna come and speak to my advance improv class last semester. She was amazing. She’s actually kind of codified and demystified “free improvisation.” She had this beautiful list of all these techniques to work on. Imagine Jamey Aebersold’s scale syllabus, but it was techniques and strategies for free improv. It was literally just one sheet of paper, and it was a lifetime of stuff to work on.

Moutin: Matt Mitchell is amazing.

Mahanthappa: Matt was in Bird Calls. He was practicing [his piano etudes] in sound checks for every gig we did.

Royston: He did those every day when we were in Dave Douglas’ band. You just knew it was going to come [mimics atonal piano sounds]. I used to try to play with him to figure out [the time].

JEFF BALLARD TRIO

“Western Wren (A Bird Call)” “Mivakpola” (Times Take, Okeh, 2014) Ballard, drums; Miguel Zenón, alto saxophone; Lionel Loueke, guitar.

Moutin: It’s killing. I don’t know what it is, but it’s great!

Mahanthappa: That’s insane. I can’t even …

Royston: And that wasn’t Jeff on drums? Jeff Ballard?

[afterwards]

Mahanthappa: I never would have guessed that.

Moutin: I should have guessed that.

Royston: I thought that was Jeff, because you can hear that staccato style. When Jeff plays, he plays “off” the drums. Everything is precise and staccato.

Moutin: Beautiful. 5 stars.

Royston: I’ve got to get that.

JOSHUA REDMAN

“Mantra #5” (Trios Live, Nonesuch, 2014) Redman, soprano saxophone; Matt Penman, bass; Gregory Hutchinson, drums.

Royston: Sounds like Branford.

Moutin: Ravi? Not Ravi Coltrane?

Royston: That’s definitely Brian Blade.

Mahanthappa: Is that McBride?

Royston: Joshua? That’s not Hutch on drums?

[afterwards]

Mahanthappa: Oh, god, Matt sounds amazing. That sounds great. I don’t know Josh’s playing well enough to recognize it, to tell you the truth. But he always sounds great.

Royston: Hutch man, wow. We’re friends. He came to Denver when I was in high school. He was playing with Roy [Hargrove’s] band. We had this jam session in Diane Reeves’ basement. I was trying to play all this “Tain” stuff. Roy was there. Then, Hutch comes in, he’s got the flu. He has this big bomber coat on, he sits on my drums and my cymbals and he just [gestures a seriously minimal ride pattern]. I wanted to leave after that. That was a lesson learned right there. I went upstairs and ate some of Diane Reeves’ cooking. DB

The “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and identify the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is then asked to rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist prior to the test.

source: http://www.downbeat.com / Down Beat / Home> News / by Gary Fukushima / June 14th, 2022

Founder-Member Of Kodagu Vidyalaya C.B. Devaiah Passes Away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All

Madikeri: 

Codanda B. Devaiah, fondly called as Devi Sir, one of the Founder-Members of Kodagu Vidyalaya and a resident of Mattadkad Estate at Suntikoppa, passed away at a private hospital in Gonikoppal yesterday morning. He was 75.

Devaiah leaves behind two daughters and a host of relatives and friends.

Last rites were performed at Codanda Burial Grounds  here yesterday evening, according to family sources.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 14th, 2022

Bopaiah meets Gadkari, seeks highway expansion in Kodagu

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Honey (Apiculture, Bee Keeping) (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021), Leaders, Records, All, Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021)
Former Speaker K.G. Bopaiah felicitating Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Madikeri on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Union Minister tells MLA to adopt ‘Nagpur model’ to improve yield of Kodagu oranges whose production is on the wane        

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has promised to look into the demand for highway improvement and expansion in Kodagu if a proposal in this regard came to his office from the State government.

Mr. Gadkari gave this assurance when former Speaker and MLA K.G. Bopaiah met him in Madikeri. Mr. Gadkari is on a private visit to Kodagu with his family members and was staying in a resort in Madikeri.

Mr. Bopaiah shared details on the highways and the steps to be taken for tourism development in the district. “The works will be considered on priority if the Centre gets the proposal on the list of works to be taken up for highway development,” the Minister told the MLA, at the meeting.

Mr. Gadkari spoke about Kodagu’s tourism potential and employment it brings to locals.

Mr. Bopaiah felicitated Mr. Gadkari and presented him with a book besides honey, spices and coffee for which Kodagu is famous. Mr. Gadkari complimented the purity and freshness of the honey.

Expressing concern over the drop in the yield of Kodagu oranges, the Union Minister told the MLA to take steps in this regard, creating an environment for rejuvenating the yield on the model developed in Nagpur which is also known for oranges, besides taking steps for improving the variety.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 13th, 2022

Badminton Champion Ashwini Ponnappa becomes face of EatFit’s campaign on Healthy Eating

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

The series will be created in 10 second-video formats to capitalise on the traction gained via Instagram Reels.

EatFit, one of India’s largest healthy food platforms, has announced Ashwini Ponnappa, hailed as one of India’s leading international badminton players, as the face of its campaign to promote healthy eating.

Ashwini, who represents India in the international circuits for women’s badminton and has won several laurels for the country, joins the EatFit fraternity to help its community of consumers explore and inculcate healthier food habits.

Ashwini is a staunch practitioner, and believer in fitness and the role food plays in maintaining an active lifestyle. Ashwini makes for the perfect campaign ambassador to inspire people to find simple food that can bring them joy while becoming a part of their daily lives.

Since its inception, EatFit has been on a path to help consumers build sustainable and healthy eating habits, aided by its wide variety of wholesome food options and a mantra to make eating healthy a happier experience. Through this collaboration with Ashwini, the company endeavours to amplify this message with a weekly food exploratory show.

The show, to be published on the company’s social media platforms, will feature Ashwini on a journey to discover healthier food options and enjoy good food that is nourishing.

The series will be created in 10 second-video formats to capitalise on the traction gained via Instagram Reels – a platform where a bulk of EatFit’s potential consumers engage with them. A new video in the series will be released every week, extending the campaign for two months.

Commenting on the development, Ankit Nagori, founder of Curefoods, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ashwini Ponnappa, a phenomenal badminton player and a personal inspiration, for our latest campaign. Ashwini’s achievements and commitment to an active lifestyle, of which food is an intrinsic part, make her a stellar example for people to imbibe similar values in their lives. Through the weekly food show we have planned, we want people to go on this journey of discovery with Ashwini and find ways that simple food can make a huge difference in their lives. This is what EatFit, at its core, is all about. I am excited to watch this campaign unfold and hope that our message can achieve the desired impact.”

source: http://www.afaqs.com / afaqs! / Home / by afaqs! news bureau / June 10th, 2022

Coorg Wildlife Society fighting for Kodagu’s cause

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

In its 42 years, Coorg Wildlife Society has taken up conservation of the mahseer, ecology awareness, plantation and cleanliness drives.

Participants during a nature awareness trek organised by the Coorg Wildlife Society

Madikeri :

Triangular green and yellow stickers with the silhouette of a sambar deer are instantly recognisable on a majority of vehicles in Kodagu. The stickers of Coorg Wildlife Society — a pioneer NGO that has taken oath to protect the Western Ghats in the district — are a badge of pride which not only connect residents instantly, but also give out a strong message of environment conservation.  

Established in 1980, Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS) is primarily engaged in wildlife programmes across Kodagu, and has a dedicated team that aims at increasing awareness about wildlife and protected habitats.

“CWS started with an aim to educate children and the local population about wildlife, flora and fauna. Gradually, the society got involved in conservation of environment,” explained KA Chengappa, president of CWS. Member Navin Bopaiah shared that CWS has a long history of campaigning for the environment, which has ensured that government policies and laws help safeguard wildlife and promote wildlife-friendly land management.

CWS’mahseer fish conservation progamme

Among the many projects undertaken by the organisation, the conservation of mahseer fish ranks first in its table of achievements. Nearly 35 years ago, CWS leased a 35-km stretch of river Cauvery near Siddapura to start a conservation programme for the endangered mahseer species. Today, the organisation has been successful in curbing mahseer poaching, and establishing a large-scale breeding programme to revive the fish variety.

“All commercial activities along the 35-km stretch of river have been stopped due to the efforts of CWS. We have made many blocks across the stretch and appointed guards to stop illegal fishing of mahseer. With successful breeding programmes, the fish variety has restocked in river Cauvery,” explained Chengappa. He added that CWS has now taken special interest in repopulating the Cauvery with the orange-finned mahseer variety.

“Orange-finned mahseer are native to the Cauvery and are critically endangered. Apart from illegal fishing, excessive preying of these fish by other fish varieties affected its population. We are starting conservation of the orange-finned variety in a holding tank, and have got immense support from the fisheries department,” he explained.

CWS is also in talks with the forest department to extend the conservation of mahseer in the Cauvery at Bheemeshwari, in Mandya district. “We have written several letters to the authorities to stop construction of the Mekedatu dam, that will seriously affect the species in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary,” Chengappa confirmed.

Apart from mahseer conservation, the society is actively involved in plantation drives, cleanliness projects, birding programmes and organising eco treks across Kodagu. CWS, with support from the forest department, will soon initiate a plantation drive of Napier Grass across Dubare and Mathigodu riverside areas, where elephant populations are found in herds. The organisation hosted a bamboo re-plantation drive to replenish the forests. It also hosts treks across reserve forests and hills of Kodagu with support from the forest department. “These are awareness treks, and participants learn the importance of forests and its inhabitants. Cleanliness drives are also hosted along the way,” he explained.

Meanwhile, a massive clean-up drive was hosted by the CWS team on Thithimathi forest fringes and saw participation from students from Bengaluru and Mysuru too. Two truckloads of trash were cleared during the Environment Day event. The annual birding initiative by the organisation attracts professional and amateur birders, who record the variety of bird species found in the district. During this year’s bird festival, the team spotted the critically endangered Indian Vulture soaring high up in the sky, across the Brahmagiri Range.

The team opines that awareness among the people towards environment protection is the need of the hour. “Alongside awareness, forests must be maintained scientifically. The population of tigers and elephants is increasing, but forest cover is shrinking. If this continues, we will have to face a grave future filled with human-wildlife conflict,” concluded Chengappa.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / June 12th, 2022

Hockey players felicitated

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports

Five hockey players who trained at the Sports Authority of India Training Centre, Madikeri and represented the State in the 12 th Hockety Senior Women’s National Championship, were felicitated by the local authorities recently.

They represented Karnataka at the event held in Bhopal in May and scripted history by winning the silver medal after a gap of 33 years.

The players were S.P. Likitha, Leelavathi B. Koppad, H.G. Dhanushree, B.A. Shaya Kaveramma and K.A. Deepthi. The authorities said in addition, two ex-atheltes Pooja and Nisha from SAI Training Centre, Madikeri, were also in the team.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner B.C.Satish praised the performance of the girls in the tournament and said that they were models for other athletes and sportspersons and a source of inspiration to perform better.

He said they should raise the bar higher and strive for greater achievements and promised all facilities and assistance to the SAI Training Centre to ensure high performance at both national and international levels.

Superintendent of Police M.A. Aiyappa said practice makes a person perfect and player should give their best to shore up their performance in future tournaments as well. He said one could achieve perfection and victory in any field provided one was committed and passionate about it. Kodagu ZP CEO Bhanvar Singh Meena said Kodagu was known to patronise hockey and advised the youth and the players to practice, participate in more tournaments and make themselves eligible to represent the country in international tournaments like the Olympics, Common Wealth Games etc.

Offficials of the training centre including Mini Unniraj, in-charge of the Centre, C.U. Rani, Assistant, Komala, hockey coach, were among those present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 10th, 2022

Kodagu Origin Doctor To Head American Academy Of Audiology

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Having studied at AIISH Mysuru, Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda becomes the first Indian-American to occupy the top post.

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda is a Professor (Adjunct) at Texas Tech Health Sciences and Chief Audiology Officer at National Hearing and Balance centres in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With more than 30 years of experience, he is now the President-Elect of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and he will have a three-year term from October 1, 2022.

Hailing from Kodagu and coming from a humble background, he did his B.Sc. in Speech and Hearing from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH – 1970 batch), then under the University of Mysore. By becoming the first person of colour to head AAA, Dr. Bopanna has become a role model for many.

Star of Mysore caught up with Dr. Bopanna, who was on a short visit to Mysuru and spoke to him about his role in AAA, Mysuru memories and his family. Excerpts:

Star of Mysore (SOM): You have a three-year term and how do you propose to take forward the programmes of American Academy of Audiology (AAA)?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: The American Academy of Audiology is the world’s largest professional organisation of, by and for audiologists. It is committed to advancing the science, practice and accessibility of hearing and balanced healthcare for our patients.

I am humbled and honoured to be elected by the members as the President-Elect and later the President of AAA. My role is to understand the issues and address them when I take charge. These opportunities and challenges vary from year to year. However, the Academy has set goals and agenda to further the profession and help audiologists achieve their highest potential.

SOM: You are the first Indian-American to occupy the top post of AAA. This is no mean feat and you studied at AIISH Mysuru. Do you have any fond memories of Mysuru?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I do have a lot of fond memories of Mysuru. Back then Mysuru was a quaint town with excellent opportunities for scholarly work, today too I hope it’s the same. I still cherish my time in Mysuru when I used to meet friends at the corner of crossroads (Somberi Katte) and talk for hours. I also fondly remember the joy I felt riding my bicycle to the Institute from home. So Mysuru and my time in Mysuru is very much in my thoughts.

SOM: Audiology is a relatively lesser-known profession or a field of expertise in India. Do you think there is a lack of awareness? If so, what should be done to popularise it?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: You are absolutely correct. Audiology is lesser known. However, the field of audiology has been in existence in India for a long time. Based on my research, I see an apathy for hearing loss and corrective measures to overcome communication problems. Hearing loss and its impact are not well-acknowledged and hearing loss and its impact on humans need to be made aware. 

As we know that the two major inputs to the brain are vision and hearing. We are quick to correct vision problems but are reluctant or hesitant to correct or use hearing aids. Recent research has clearly shown that an untreated hearing loss has many impacts on communication, psychological well-being, and most of all deterioration in mental functions.  Hearing loss does not only affect hearing but has broader consequences like memory loss etc. I don’t know the reasons why people cancel or postpone treatments. Being out of India, I have limited knowledge of the apathy or lack of motivation of the general public to deal with hearing problems.

SOM: AIISH is doing wonderful work in audiology and the institute has grown in leaps and bounds. Your comments on this.

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: AIISH is a great institute. I had the opportunity to visit the institute a few days back and I was stunned by the clinical facilities, research work, and innovative projects. I was humbled by the warm welcome extended by the Director, Dr. M. Pushpavathi. The Institute that I remember has changed a lot, and changed for the better. I am so proud to say that I graduated from this premier institution.

SOM: You are from Kodagu, a small district, how did you get to where you are now professionally?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: Like many Indians in the 80s, I stepped foot in the USA with a dream. I was born to late Pulianda Kamakshi and late Ballachanda Belliappa. My dream began when I graduated with a B.Sc. degree from AIISH and a love for Wild West through John Wayne movies. On the way to the Wild West, I did a two-year stint as a specialist of Speech and Hearing at the Al Sabah Hospital in Kuwait, finally ending up at the University of Texas, Dallas, where I earned a Ph.D in Auditory Neuroscience, the study of hearing and the brain which at that time had not been explored very much.

SOM: Tell us about your initial days in the US.

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I was recruited by Purdue University, Indiana, as an up-and-coming academician. While at Purdue I pioneered clinical procedures for practising audiologists, authored two books that are used as educational material in many audiology programmes and many professional/scientific articles that received acclaim in the hearing industry.

I returned to India after 10 years in the USA in 1990 and got married to Kambeyanda Naina Muthappa and then I moved to the University of New Mexico as an Associate Professor of Audiology.

SOM: Tell us how you got involved with American Academy of Audiology and the business side of audiology?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: During my tenure at the University of New Mexico, I became actively involved with the American Academy of Audiology. I was the first foreign-born audiologist in the USA, the first Indian to be elected to the Board of Directors of the AAA, and served as President of the New Mexico Speech-Hearing Association and on the Senate of the University of New Mexico.

After seven more years of teaching at the University of New Mexico, I gave up a guaranteed job to venture into yet another phase in my life — clinical practice. With the help of my wife, who is a Chartered Accountant and entrepreneur, I opened my first clinic in July of 2003 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The first year was a challenge, but after that, by God’s grace, I’ve never had to look back. Another seven years later I had the opportunity to purchase a group of clinics in Arizona and Texas. My wife says seven is my magic number. I had 16 clinics in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. My wife and I owned and ran the clinics together.

SOM: Tell us about your family and do you feel you achieved your American dream?

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I have a wonderful son and a daughter, Tanek Ballachanda and Jyothi Ballachanda. Tanek is a mechanical engineer working for a space programme in Seattle, Washington State while Jyothi is studying to become a pastry chef.

Have I achieved my American dream? Life is a journey of fascinating dreams that evolve, I don’t think I’m even halfway there. It’s been a lot of hard work, and it was never about the money, but about pushing myself beyond. In that sense, I think I have a sense of fulfilment.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles> Top Stories / June 09th, 2022

CIT Holds Workshop On “PCB Design Using KiCAD”

Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Science & Technology

Mysore/Mysuru:

The Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT), Ponnampet, conducted a five-day hands-on workshop on “PCB Design using KiCAD” to students from May 23 to 27 to help them achieve success in their academic environment by applying these skills into practice.

The resource person was Jay Kishan Singh, Embedded System & IIoT Engineer, New Delhi. 

Hon. Secretary of Kodava Education Society C.P. Rakesh Poovaiah and Mukesh Kumar, Director of RCPL (Outreach partner of E&ICT Academy, IIT Kanpur) inaugurated the workshop. Dr. M. Basavaraj,  Dr. S.S. Divakara of Department of ECE and the staff members of the Department were present.

The workshop aimed at bringing students to get familiarised with PCB layout making tool “KiCad” that can be used in their future projects. Participants were taken to hands-on session on KiCad software.

The resource person was appreciated by Dr. M.C. Kariappa, Hon. Vice-President, Kodava Education Society, during the valedictory function.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 08th, 2022

These brothers from Karnataka’s Kodagu, aged 94 and 85, set athletic tracks ablaze

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports

The Palekanda brothers recently took part in the Pan India Master Games held in Bengaluru and won three gold medals and two silver medals

Palekanda P Bopaiah (94) and Palekanda Beliappa (85)

Madikeri :

 Age is just a number. This has been proved right by two brothers of Kodagu who are making their district and state proud by actively participating in various sports championships held for senior citizens across the country. Palekanda P Bopaiah (94) and Palekanda Beliappa (85), residents of Kuttandi village in Kodagu district, have now set their eyes on participating in track and field championships to be held in in Sydney and Japan next year.

The Palekanda brothers recently took part in the Pan India Master Games held in Bengaluru and won three gold medals and two silver medals. By taking part in javelin throw, relay race, 1,500 metre running race, walkathon, 100 metre run, the two brothers call themselves all-rounders.

“Both of us stay together in our village. I have been passionate about sports from the time I was a kid and my schoolmates could never match my speed in athletic events when I was a young boy. My elder brother is a retired Army man. Both of us decided to resume our participation in sports field over three years ago and we haven’t looked back since,” said Beliappa. 

The brothers have also set up a Master Games Association for senior citizens in Kodagu and are working out the modalities to enable senior citizens to become its members.“My first participation in sports championship as a senior citizen was at Vadodara. I won the third place in the National Masters Game. Ever since, I ensure that I take part in all championships that are held for senior citizens across the country. Both my brother and I are now looking forward to taking part in the athletic championships scheduled to be held in Sydney and Japan next year ,” he added. However, the duo needs at least Rs 2 to 3 lakh fund to take part in the international championship and are eagerly looking forward to sponsorship.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / June 03rd, 2022

Palengada Raja Poovaiah Memorial Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament Held

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports
Picture : Mechanda S. Bopanna, Hon. Secretary, KSCSC; Kotrangada Pemmaiah, President, Sri Tala Cauvery Samskrithika Sangha; Alemada Ponnanna, Committee Member, KSCSC; Meederira Prakash, Joint Secretary, KSCSC; Mechanda Sashi Ponnappa, President, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru; Kuttimada D. Muthappa, President, KSCSC; Maletira U. Subbaiah, Corporator (chief guest); Iychanda Ashwath Chengappa, Vice-President, KSCSC; Aramanamada Ponnanna, Treasurer, KSCSC; Mundotira Kavin, Iychettira Dilip Kumar, Ayyalapanda Pattu Pemmaiah, Committee Members, KSCSC, Players and Team Management of Sree Tala Cauvery Samskrithika Sangha.

Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club (KSCSC), Mysuru,  had conducted Palengada Raja Poovaiah Memorial Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament and Veterans Cricket match in city recently.

The tournament was sponsored by Palengada Leelavathi Poovaiah and Veterans tournament was sponsored by Maletira U. Subbaiah.

Sree Tala Cauvery Kodava Samskrithika Sangha, Hootagalli and Sree Igguthappa Kodava Kshemabhivrudhi Sangha, Hebbal, were the winners and runners respectively.

Picture shows Mechanda S. Bopanna, Hon. Secretary, KSCSC; Kotrangada Pemmaiah, President, Sri Tala Cauvery Samskrithika Sangha; Alemada Ponnanna, Committee Member, KSCSC; Meederira Prakash, Joint Secretary, KSCSC; Mechanda Sashi Ponnappa, President, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru; Kuttimada D. Muthappa, President, KSCSC; Maletira U. Subbaiah, Corporator (chief guest); Iychanda Ashwath Chengappa, Vice-President, KSCSC; Aramanamada Ponnanna, Treasurer, KSCSC; Mundotira Kavin, Iychettira Dilip Kumar, Ayyalapanda Pattu Pemmaiah, Committee Members, KSCSC, Players and Team Management of Sree Tala Cauvery Samskrithika Sangha.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 02nd, 2022