Japanese singer performs to song written by Kalam

New Delhi, Feb 18: President A P J Abdul Kalam's message of loveand compassion for the environment has found its reflection in a songcomposed and sung by a famous singer in far away Japan.

President Kalam's poem 'Whispers of Jasmine', which talks aboutthe need to preserve our natural environment, has been composed into asong by Japanese Singer Yoko Nijo. The composition of the song as wellas a dance programme choreographed for it were presented by theJapanese singer at a function in the Capital earlier this week.

A Japanese singer who promotes volunteer activities by singing asong of Lotus Flower, Ms Yoko Nijo was on a visit to India alongwith ateam of the Indian Cultural Study Association (Japan), to participatein Kumbh Mela in Allahabad where Yoko Nijo gave a performance on LotusFlower song.

At an event organised at the India International Centre, presidentof the Indian Cultural study association (Japan) D S Uchida, whoaccompanied Yoko Nijo, said President Abdul Kalam gave her this poemwhen she visited India in April last year.

''When we visited India in April last year to participate in the2550 th Buddha Jayanti, we had an opportunity to call on President ofIndia A P J Abdul Kalam and he presented his poem titled 'Whispers ofJasmine' to Ms Yoko Nijo and requested her to compose a song on it,''DrUchida told mediapersons.

Yoko Uchida composed the poem, which talks about need forcompassion towards the environment, into a song and choreographed adance sequence on it. The song as well as the choregraphed dancedsequence was presented by Yoko Nijo at the event.

Dr Uchida said she would present this song at a special ceremony in Dubai with eminent musicians of India and UK.

Yoko Nijo said another purpose of her visit to India was inconnection with opening of the Indo-Japan Friendship Year 2007 underthe ''joint statement on Japan-India Strategic and GlobalPartnership'', made by Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh with JapanPrime Minister Mr Abe during his visit to Japan.

Dr Uchida said that a part of the Indo-Japan Friendship year wasan animal exchange programme between the two countries whereby theUnion Ministry of Environment and Forests had approved to dispatch apair of elephants from Padomaia Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park,Darjeeling to Okinawa Zoo, Japan. In exchange Japan is going to send 10animals (3 pair of Himalayan Thar, and 2 Pair of Blue Sheep) to India.

As part of the Indo-Japanese Friendship year, the Indian Culturalstudy association also Plans to promote exchange of dance troupesbetween the two countries, Dr Uchida said.

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