Earth anthem penned by Indian poet-diplomat premiered in Europe

In a proud moment for the nation, an earth anthem penned by Indian poet and diplomat Abhay Kumar was recently performed at Amsterdam Business Gala Awards. The anthem was performed by a well-known opera singer Maria Novella Malfetti and the musicians of the Amsterdam Van Conservatorium at the awards on June 7.

Addressing the gathering through a video message, Abhay said: "Wherever we are from, we have our planet in common and we can come together to sing an Earth Anthem." Malfatti described her experience of singing the Anthem "exciting and full of joy."

His inspiration to write the anthem came after he saw 'Blue Marble,' an image of our planet taken from the space, eleven years ago in Russia. The music was released in 2013 in New Delhi on the occasion of the World Environment Day at a function organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The earth anthem has, by far, been translated into more than 30 languages and has been put to music by Dr L Subramaniam and sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy. It was also performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Brasilia in February 2018. UNESCO had also appreciated the initiative calling it "an inspiring idea that can help to bring the world together."

It has also won the support of Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Dada Saheb Phalke Award-winning director Shyam Benegal, actress Manisha Koirala and organisations such as Habitat for Humanity and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (ANI)

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