Japanese singer to sing Kalam's poem

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's message of love and compassion for the environment has found its reflection in a song composed and sung by a famous singer in far away Japan.

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

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

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

''When we visited India in April last year to participate in the 2550 th Buddha Jayanti, we had an opportunity to call on President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and he presented his poem titled 'Whispers of Jasmine' to Ms Yoko Nijo and requested her to compose a song on it,''Dr Uchida told mediapersons.

Yoko Uchida composed the poem, which talks about need for compassion towards the environment, into a song and choreographed a dance sequence on it. The song as well as the choregraphed danced sequence 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 in connection with opening of the Indo-Japan Friendship Year 2007 under the ''joint statement on Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership'', made by Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh with Japan Prime Minister Mr Abe during his visit to Japan.

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

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