The 18th convention for AKKA (Association of Kannada Kootas of America) was held at the Atlantic City from September 2nd – 4th. The Kannada community from all over the United States of America gathered at the Atlantic City convention centre for this grand event. Zee Kannada was proud to associate itself with a prestigious community like AKKA.
Zee Kannada branding was smeared all over the convention centre. Zee Kannada standees, cutouts & banners stood out for all the 3 days of the event. But what got the crowd enthusiastic & all charged up was the raffle that was carried out, where two lucky winners stood a chance to win a round trip to India. Hundreds gathered at the Zee Kannada booth to make the most of this opportunity provided by Zee Kannada.
The highlight of the event & one thing that everyone awaited with baited breath was the Godfather of all singing shows, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Kannada 2016 – North America. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is a household name that each & every generation can associate with. Year after year the quality & the brand i.e. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has been unsurpassed and this year was no different. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Kannada was divided into two categories, Juniors & Seniors. Hundreds of people auditioned to participate at the grand event out of which 20 lucky contestants from both the categories were chosen to participate & perform at the Convention Centre in Atlantic City.
The show was judged by the legendary singer & actor, Rajesh Krishnan & by the versatile film score & soundtrack composer, Arjun Janya. They had the audience hooked the moment they stepped onto the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa stage & the crowd went berserk when Rajesh Krishnan delivered a melodious performance. Arjun Janya set the stage on fire with his foot tapping performance & the cherry on the cake was when he stepped off the stage to dance with the audience. The show was gracefully host by the versatile Anushree who kept the crowd engaged & the energy alive throughout the show.
The venue was sold out with eager fans waiting to witness a phenomenal evening the contestants had to offer. The juniors proved that age is just a number when it comes to talent & left the 3000+ crowd wanting for more & the judges speechless with their singing. The quality of singing presented by the juniors proved that they’re second to none. And then was the time for the senior singers to showcase their singing abilities. Each & everyone singer gave their best on the stage & inched closer to win that coveted title of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Kannada 2016 North America Winner.”
Going by the audience reaction everyone was the winner & the judges faced the toughest challenge of choosing the final 2 runner ups & winners from the two categories. In the end, the names engraved forever in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa history were Shreya Madhu, runner-up & Saanika Mahashetty as the winner in the junior’s category. In the seniors category the judges made a final decision & chose Ranjana Hegde as the runner-up & Vaishnavi Nanjundaswamy as the winner.
To sum it up, Zee Kannada delivered & provided the crowd a night that will be etched in their minds for years with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Kannada North America 2016.