Friday, March 26, 2010

Habib Koite - Batoumambe


Batoumambe

A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
Ma bien aimée sirène
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
Gné bolo da sï kan, Sin na diyatê
Sin na diyatê, Si tigi la diya do
Kan bolo da Kanna, Kanna diyatê
Kanna diyatê, Kan Tigui la diya dôn
Je passe mon bras autour de ton cou parce que j'aime être avec toi
ou, ou , ou, ou
Gné bolo da bolo kan bolo la diyatê
Bolo tigui la diya dôn
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
(Instrumental balafon)
Kawa gnon fai Segou, Sirala diyaté
Segou diyaté I fait tama le diya dôn
Ka gnognai kôdala dji la diyatê
Dji la diyatê I fait Baro de diyadon
ou, ou, ou, ou
Kan bein ponni kan banconi ponni kan
Ponni diyaté I yé ile diyadôn
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
(Instrumental balafon)
ou, ou, ou, ou
Péré pé pé (x 4)
(Instrumental balafon)
ou, ou, ou, ou
(Instrumental balafon)
Péré pé pé (x4)
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé
A Batoumanbé wï koro Batoumanbé

Batoumambe is a woman of a fishing tribe of Mali. She is loved by a man of another tribe. But, being of different tribes, they can never be married. He says, "If I put my hand around your neck, it is not out of desire but out of love for the owner of the neck." Their impossible romance inspired the Malian proverb, "Not all love ends in marriage."

By Naomi DeBruyn
This review is for Baro (Audio CD)

Habib Koit
e is a musician straddling the past and the future. Together with his band, Bamada (which translates to - in the mouth of the crocodile - and is a nickname for the inhabitants of Bamako), Habib is creating wonders in the world music genre. He comes from a noble line of Khassonke griots, and learned his unique guitar style while accompanying his griot mother. However, Habib's passion is accredited to his Grandfather who played the djelly n'goni (a traditional instrument which is linked with the
hunters of the Wassolou region of Mali).

As I mentioned above, Habib has a unique style of guitar playing. He tunes his guitar to the pentatonic scale, and plays upon open strings. At times he sounds bluesy, at others more Latin and flamenco style, but it is a very distinctive and extremely pleasing sound which Habib has brought to light. His vocals are soothing, warm and inviting -- the perfect complement to his guitar style; and quite unlike the griot style! On this album, Habib and his band are joined by Keletigui Diabate on the balafon (a wooden-keyed
xylophone originating from West Africa).

The accompanying booklet is a delight, filled with pictures and the lyrics in three languages, one of which is English, thankfully allowing me to fully understand the meaning behind the beautiful and haunting melodies found on the disc. However, it doesn't compare with the music!

The track opens with Batoumambe which translates to - name of a woman from the Bozo fishing tribe - . The incredible rhythms in this track will not allow you to just sit still, while the lyrics tell a sad tale. Two people from different worlds find themselves in love, a love which cannot be fulfilled for neither can cross the differences between them. "Not all love ends in marriage..."

Toroya - Issa Bagayogo - From Joyjit Deb Roy



Toroya - Suffering

You only get out what you put in,
only work frees a person,
So, it is worth paying tribute,
to Malian artists,
to Malian youths,
to Malian women,
to Malian men who strive to improve their living condition

You only get out what you put in,
Work takes away from us vice, need and worries

You only get out what you put in,
let's pay tribute,
to the youths of Wassoulou,
to the youths of Karadougou,
to the youths of Briko,
to the youths of Ganadougou

You only get out what you put in,
welcome Moussa Koné,
welcome my charming guitarist Boua,
welcome Sidibé Mamou,
welcome Issa from Korin

A restless worker is always rewarded,
you only get out what you put in,
the sun shines again after the rain

Issa Bagayogo (born 1961) is a Malian musician. He has released four full-length albums all under the record label Six Degrees Records. Bagayogo lends his voice and plays the kamele n'goni (a six-stringed West African instrument similar to a banjo, while Yves Wernert is the producer and keyboardist.

Bagayogo blends his native Malian traditions with western pop music and has drawn comparisons to some of the great Malian musicians such as Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté.

Sya, originally released in 1998, was the first album released under Six Degrees Records. The second album is titled Timbuktu, after the ancient city in Mali. The album covers issues such as racial tolerance, regional pride, and drug abuse among youths. Bagayogo continues his fusion of his native African style music with electronic beats on this album.
In 2004, Bagayogo released his album called Tassoumakan, which means "voice of fire", followed by Mali Koura in 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT9tmZGLQOw&NR=1
Saye Mogo Bana

Diogal à la Cigale

Salif Keita & Cesária Évora - Yamore - From Joyjit Deb Roy


Yamore

Je t’aime mi amoré menebêff fie
Ene le arabylyla to much

Namafiye, namafiye guni yerela ba namafiye Niere a ná nifon
Ye namo kofue nerum silê don kile le, ina kola ahaha
Rile enela munuku mo sô
Nienama kofiye, soro falê é mo sonho mana osi koté
Nanana nekona, dê I lêlê fon

Je t’aime mi amoré menebêff fie Nê comf fop ach ari
Ene le arabylyla to much Xurin né bi feu J t’aim

Un tem fé, si un tem fê
No também viver sem medo e confians
Num era mais bisonho
Olhar de nos criança ta a tornar brilhar de inocença
E na mente CE esvitayada
Temporal talvez ta mainar
Na brandura y calmaria
Nosso amor ta vins cansando
De ser luta e resitencia
Pa sobreviver nas tormenta
Na brandura y calmaria
Nosso amor ta vins cansando
De ser luta e resitencia
Pa sobreviver nas tormenta

Je t’aime mi amoré menebêff fie Boi nhat zefiu, ermãos
Ene le arabylyla to much Boi etud nhiafieu, la paz

Xeritava pá, beru kuyê mobiliko yoi nhÊ
Ahaha rilê ene La munuku mo sô
In deburu ieu kordaine
Sank é noite a namo a cantor
Ê enela mulnuku mo sol
Yo sakenem mo sol

Un tem fé, si un tem fê
No também viver sem medo e confians
Num era mais bisonho
Olhar de nos criança ta a tornar brilhar de inocença
E na mente CE esvitayada
Temporal talvez ta mainar


Cesaria Evora,
popularly known as Cize, was born in 1941 in the port town of Mindelo on the Cape Verde island of Sao Vicente - one of her albums is called Sao Vicente. She became internationally famous when she was in her late 40s and has recorded around 15 albums. To understand the style of her music one should read about the history of the islands:
The Portuguese arrived on these 10 uninhabited islands in 1460, populated them with Africans and Europeans, and governed harshly. The islands are in the Atlantic Ocean, 350 miles off the coast of Senegal (it takes 2 hours to go by air), were one of Africa’s first slave ports, and became one of its last nations to achieve independence in 1975. All this explains why the melancholy morna, sung in Creole-Potuguese about love, loss and sadness, is very much part of the Cape Verdean national identity and Cesaria is a true ambassadress.
Cesaria’s father was a violinist and though she does not remember him because he died when she was 7, her grandmother says that Cesaria used to sit on his lap while he played. Surrounded by music, she grew up singing with her friends in the suburbs of Mindelo. When she was 16, a boyfriend who played guitar convinced her that she had an exceptional voice and encouraged her to pursue music as a profession. After that Cesaria recorded some songs for the national radio station, and began to build a reputation. She idolized Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holliday and fado singer Amalia Rodriguez.
In the colonial times Cesaria developed a modest career performing in bars and restaurants, and sometimes in the homes of wealthy Portuguese colonialists. After Cape Verde achieved independence in 1975, many of the Portuguese aristocracy fled the new socialist government so Cesaria had very few occasions to perform.
Then in 1985, a Cape Verdean women's organization asked her to record 2 songs for a compilation CD. She went to Paris to record, and while there played some concerts. Her success in Europe was absolutely phenomenal.
Cesaria performs with closed eyes and bare feet, which she calls part of the 'national costume' of Cape Verde. She says that when she sings, memories play in her head transporting her to other times and places.

Evora has a certain fondness for cigarettes and whiskey, paying no attention to any claim that these might harm her voice. "I've had plenty of time to ruin my voice," she says. "And since it's not ruined yet, I'm going to continue." Cesaria is also the queen of the morna. Her songs are filled with longing and sadness with the acoustic sounds of guitar, cavaquinho, violin, accordian, and clarinet.
"Morna is like the blues because it is a way to express life's suffering in music." Cesaria is known as the barefoot diva because she appears on stage in her bare feet in support of the disadvantaged women and children of Cape Verde. Another of her albums is La Diva aux Pieds Nus, made when she was 47. Understanding her lyrics is not necessary because one can sense the emotions in her performances. Now a grandmother, Cesaria continues to record and tour and is happy about her worldwide popularity,
"... in all those years when I sang in bars and in front of strangers I sometimes had an idea I might someday be successful outside my country. The thought never stayed with me for very long, but here I am."
Her songs appear on numerous album compilations including 'Quem pode' with Teofilo Chantre (her guitarist) on Drop the Debt. There seems to be a strong link with Angola, perhaps because of Portuguese, for example Bonga sings one of Cesaria’s well-known songs, 'Sodade' (meaning Nostalgia). Cesaria has dueted with Salif Keita for the song 'Yamore' on the album Moffou and on her album Rogamar (2006) Ismael Lo joins her for 'Africa Nossa'.


Salif Keïta
(born August 25, 1949) is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he has albinism and is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita. This royal heritage meant that under the Malian caste system, he should never have become a singer, which was deemed to be a griot’s role.
Keita was born in the city of Djoliba. He was cast out by his family and ostracized by the community because of his albinism, a sign of bad luck in Mandinka culture.[1] He left Djoliba for Bamako in 1967, where he joined the government sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako. In 1973 Keita joined the group, Les Ambassadeurs. Keita and Les Ambassadeurs fled political unrest in Mali during the mid-1970s for Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and subsequently changed the group's name to Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux. The reputation of Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux rose to the international level in the 1970s and in 1977 Keita received a National Order award from the president of Guinea, Sékou Touré.
Keita moved to Paris in 1984 to reach a larger audience. His music combines traditional West African music styles with influences from both Europe and the Americas, while maintaining an overall Islamic style. Musical instruments that are commonly featured in Keita's work include balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, organs, saxophones, and synthesizers.
Keita found success in Europe as one of the African stars of world music, but his work was sometimes criticised for the gloss of its production and for the occasional haphazard quality. However, shortly after the turn of the Millennium he returned to Bamako in Mali to live and record. His first work after going home, 2002's Moffou, was hailed as his best album in many years, and Keita was inspired to build a recording studio in Bamako, which he used for his album, M'Bemba, released in October 2005.
Keita's latest album, La Différence, was produced around the year end of 2009. The work is dedicated to the struggle of the world albino community(victims of human sacrifice), for which Keita has been crusading all his life. In one of the album's tracks, the singer calls others to understand that "difference" does not mean "bad" and to show love and compassion towards albinos like everyone else:"I am black/ my skin is white/ so I am white and my blood is black [albino]/... I love that because it is a difference that's beautiful..", "some of us are beautiful some are not/some are black some are white/all that difference was on purpose.. for us to complete each other/let everyone gets his love and dignity/the world will be beautiful."
La Différence is unique in that for the first time Keita has clearly and boldly combined different melodic influences to produce a highly original musical feel, with a wide range of appeal. The album was recorded between Bamako, Beirut, Paris, and Los Angeles. This unique musical feel is reinforced by soulful pitches in the track "Samigna" emanating from the trumpet of the Libanese great jazzman, Ibrahim Maaluf.
La Difference won Keita one of the biggest musical awards of his career: the Best World Music 2010 at the Victoires de la musique.

Ranjish Hi Sahi - Syed Ahmed Shah 'Faraz' - From Vineeta Sastry


Runa Laila
Music by Nasir Bazmi


Mehdi Hasan


Asha Bhonsle's modern version


From the Pakistani Film Mohabbat sung by Mehdi Hasan


Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaane ke liye aa
(Let it be anguish, come still atleast to torment my heart)
aa phir se mujhe chhod ke jaane ke liye aa
(Come, even if to leave me again)

pehle se maraasim na sahi phir bhi kabhi to
(If not for our past association)
rasm-o-rahe duniya hi nibhaane ke liye aa
(Come to fulfill the rituals of the world)

kis kis ko bataayenge judaai kaa sabab ham
(To whom all must I explain the reason of separation)
tu mujh se khafaa hai to zamaanay kay liye aa
(Come, despite your displeasure, atleast for the sake of the world)

ab tak dil-e-khush-feham ko tujh se hain ummeedain
(Till now, my heart suffers from some expectations from you)
ye aakhari shammain bhi bujhaane ke liye aa
(Come to snuff even these last candles of hope)

kuchh to meri pindaar-e-mohabbat ka bharam rakh
(Respect a little the depth of my love for you)
tu bhi to kabhi mujh ko manaane ke liye aa
(Come someday to placate me as well)

ek umr se hun lazzat-e-giryaa se bhi mehruum
(Too long have I been deprived of the pathos of longing)
aye raahat-e-jaan mujh ko rulaane ke liye aa
(Come my love, if only to make me weep again)


रंजिश ही सही दिल ही दुखाने के लिए आ
आ फिर से मुझे छोड़ के जाने के लिए आ ।

रंजिश=enmity

पहले से मरासिम न सही फिर भी कभी तो
रस्म-ओ-रह-ए-दुनिया ही निभाने के लिए आ ।

मरासिम=agreements/relationships, रस्म-ओ-रह-ए-दुनिया=customs and traditions of the society

किस किस को बताएँगे जुदाई का सबब हम
तू मुझ से ख़फ़ा है तो ज़माने के लिए आ ।

सबब=reason, ख़फ़ा=angry

कुछ तो मेरे पिन्दार-ए-मुहब्बत का भरम रख
तू भी तो कभी मुझ को मनाने के लिए आ ।

पिन्दार=pride

एक उम्र से हूँ लज़्ज़त-ए-गिरिया से भी महरूम
ऐ राहत-ए-जाँ मुझ को रुलाने के लिए आ ।

लज़्ज़त-ए-गिरिया=taste of sadness/tears, महरूम=devoid of, राहत-ए-जाँ=peace of life

अब तक दिल-ए-ख़ुश’फ़हम को तुझ से हैं उम्मीदें
ये आख़िरी शम्में भी बुझाने के लिए आ ।

दिल-ए-ख़ुश’फ़हम=optimistic heart, शम्में=candles

Syed Ahmad Shahor Ahmed Faraz was considered one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of the last century. Faraz is his pseudonym 'takhallus', whereas his real name is Syed Ahmed Shah. Ahmed Faraz died at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad on August 25, 2008

Faraz, who has been compared with Mohammad Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, holds a unique position as one of the best poets of current times, with a fine but simplistic style of writing, even common people can easily understand and identify with. Ethnically a Pashto-speaking Pashtun, Ahmed Faraz learned and studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University where he taught these subjects later.

Early Life: He was born on January 14, 1934 Nowshera, Pakistan and brother of Syed Masood Kausar. In an interview with Rediff he recalls how his father, a teacher, once bought clothes for him on Eid. He didn't like the clothes meant for him, but preferred the ones meant for his elder brother. This lead him to write his first couplet:

Layen hain sab ke liye kapre sale se (He brought clothes for everybody from the sale)
Layen hain hamare liye kambal jail se (For me he brought a blanket from jail)


He was told by his parents once to learn mathematics from a female class fellow during the summer vacation. "I was weak in mathematics and geography. I still don't remember maps and roads".

Instead of learning mathematics he played bait-bazi with her, a game in which one person recites a couplet and the other one recites another couplet starting from the last letter of the previous one. He always lost, even though he memorized hundreds of couplets for her, but when he started manufacturing his own couplets she couldn't catch him anymore. Coming from a respectable family of Syeds, descendents of ''Haji Bahadar" a famous saint of Kohat, he moved to Peshawar with entire family. Studied in famous Edwards College, Peshawar and then did his Masters in Urdu and Persian. Initially Syed Ahmad Shah Faraz thus became Ahmed Faraz.

During his college time, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ali Sardar Jafri were the best progressive poets, who impressed him and became his role models. Ahmed Faraz initially worked as a script writer at Radio Pakistan Peshawar and then moved on to teach Urdu at Peshawar University. In 1976 he became the founding Director General (Later Chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters.

Faraz Passed away at a local Islamabad Hospital on August 25, 2008

Political Life: Outspoken about politics, he went into self-imposed exile during the Zia-ul-Haq era after he was arrested for reciting certain poems at a mushaira criticizing the military rule. He stayed for three years in Britain, Canada and Europe before returning to Pakistan, where he was initially appointed Chairman Academy of Letters and later chairperson of the Islamabad-based National Book Foundation for several years. He has been awarded with numerous national and international awards.
He was inspired from Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto And Pakistan People's Party. When he was not well on July 2008. Pakistan People's Party Aranged program for pray to Ahmed Faraz on Karachi He was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2004, in recognition of his literary achievements. He returned the award in 2006 after becoming disenchanted with the government and its policies.

"My conscious will not forgive me if I remained a silent spectator of the sad happenings around us. The least I can do is to let the dictatorship know where it stands in the eyes of the concerned citizens whose fundamental rights have been usurped. I am doing this by returning the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (civil) forthwith and refuse to associate myself in any way with the regime..." a statement issued by the poet.

About his current writings he says: "I now only write when I am forced to from the inside."

Maintaining a tradition established by his mentor, the revolutionary Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he wrote some of his best poetry during those days in exile. Famous amongst poetry of resistance has been "Mahasara"

One amongst his great ghazals is the famous Ranjish Hi Sahi. He has so far written 13books and all put together comes as "Shehr e Sukhn aarasta hai" his latest publication so far

Jo Achyutananda Jo Jo Mukunda


Priya Sisters


M S Subbalakshmi


Lyrics by Annamacharya:

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||
rAvE paramAnanda rAma gOvinda ||

1. nanduninTanucEri nayamu mIranga candravadanalu nIku sEva cEyanga
andamuga vArinDla aaDucunDangA mandalaku donga mA muddu ranga

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

2. pAla vArASi lO pavvaLincinAvu
bAlugA munulaka bhayamiccinAvu
mElugA vasudEvukudayincinAvu
bAluDai yunDi gOpAluDainAvu

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

3. aTTugaTTina mIgaDaTTe tinnADE
paTTi kODalu mUtipai rAsinADE
aTTe tinenavi yaTTa yaDugavinnADE
gaTTigA nidi donga koTTumannADE

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

4. gOllavArinDlakunu gobbunaku bOyi
kollalugA trAvi kunDalanu nEyi
cEllunAmaganAnDra jelagi ee SAyi
cillitanamulu sEya jellunaTa vOyi

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

5. repalle satulella gopambutOnu
gopamma mI koDuku mA inDlalOnu
mApu gAnE vacci mA mAnamulanu
nI pApaDE cer''ace - nEmandumamma!

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

6. oka yAlini decci - nokani kaDabeTTi
jagaDamula galipinci satipatula baTTi
pagalu nalu jAmulunu bAluDai naTTi
maganAnDra jEpaTTi madanuDainaTTi !

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

7. angajuniganna mAyanna iTurAra bangAruginnelO pAluposErA
donganIvani satulu bonducunnArA mungiTanADarA mOhanAkArA

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

8. gOvadhanambella goDugugA baTTi
kAvaramuna nunna kamsubaDagoTTi
nIvu madhurApuramu nElajEpaTTi
ThIvitO nElina dEvakI paTTi

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

9. angugA tALLapAkannayya cAla SRngAra racanagA ceppE nIjOla
sangatigA sakala sampadala nIvELa mangaLamu tirupaTla madanagOpAla

jO achyutAnanda jO jO mukundA ||

Here the poet transforms himself into YasOda and sings this lullaby to Baalakrishna.
He teases Baalakrishna, calling him a thief who steals butter from all the houses when he is offered milk in a golden bowl in his own house. The poet sings this romantic lullaby and also refers to the beautiful women who look after the needs of Baalakrishna.....



Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya

(శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) or Annamayya (May 9, 1408-February 23, 1503) was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and a Telugu composer who composed thousands of keertana songs,many of which were in praise of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swami. The musical form of the keertana songs that he composed have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions, which are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists.Sri Annamacharya is remembered for his saintly life, and is honoured as a great Bhakta/devotee of Bhagwaan Govinda by devotees and saintly singers.

He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha (grand old man of song-writing) of the Telugu language.

Annamacharya was born on Vaisakha Suddha Pournami in the year Sarwadhari (May 9, 1408) in Tallapaka, a remote village in current day Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, India.His wife, Thimmakka, had written Subhadra Kalyanam, and is considered the first female poet in Telugu literature. Their son, Pedda Tirumalacharya, and grandson, Tallapaka Chinnayya, were also composers and poets. The Tallapaka compositions are considered to have dominated and influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions.Annamacharya lived for 95 years until Phalguna Bahula Dwadasi (12th day after full moon) in the year Dhundhubhi (February 23, 1503).

[edit] Literary career
Annamacharya is said to have composed as many as 32,000 sankeertanas (songs) on Bhagwaan Govinda Venkateswara,of which only about 12,000 are available today. His sankeertanas are of two kinds - composed for Bhagwaan Govinda. His keertana compositions are based on the Vishishtadvaita school of thought. Annamayya was educated in this system of Ramanuja by Sri Sathagopa Yateendra of the Ahobila matham.

In his keertana, he espouses subjects such as morality, dharma and righteousness. His songs worship Bhagwaan Venkateswara by describing his amorous and romantic adventures, a tradition now known as Madhura Bhakti. Most of these songs describe the adventures of Venkateswara and Alamel Manga, while others describe the Bhakti of Krishna's devotees.

He was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the untouchable castes in his era, with his sankeertanas explaining that the relationship between God and human is the same irrespective of the latters' color, caste and financial status, in beautiful yet powerful usage of words in his song "Brahmam Okkate Parabrahmam Okkate..."

His choice of words gives a mellifluous tone to his songs, charming the listener. His prodigious literary career earned him a place among the all-time greats of Telugu literature.

According to legend, Annamacharya met up with Purandara Dasa and both of them composed music and lyrics.They met when Annamacharya had invited Purandara Dasa to join him in singing priase.

While enjoying popularity in his own days, his compositions were forgotten for over three centuries for some inexplicable reason. They were later found engraved on copper plates, hidden for centuries inside the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.

Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to Bhagwaan Govinda. In the poems, he praises Venkateswara, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee's failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into the Adhyaatma (spiritual) and Sringaara (romantic) sankeertanas genres.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, also known as TTD, has been endeavouring to preserve the rich heritage of his compositions .Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (born 9 November 1948) set the musical tune for more than 600 Annamacharya songs. He has been the Asthana Gayaka of the Tirumala temple at Tirupati since 1983. He is regarded as a pioneer in rendering devotional music in classical style, especially the Annamacharya sankirtanas. He composed tunes for famous keerthanas such as Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnukatha, Bhramha Kadigina Padamu, Jagadapu Chanuvula and Pidikedu Thalambralu... which became popular among the devotees. All these devotional songs are predominantly in Sanskrit and Telugu.

S.M. Vijay, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara and Annamacharya since 1992, has devoted his life for the propogation of Annamacharya Kirtanas. Currently residing at Tirupati, he has written 8 books and a lot of articles in the Tamil edition of Saptagiri (published by TTD), Annamacharyar Kirthanaigalum adhan Arthangalum (Vol 1-8) for the Tamil speaking people. He also has an idol of Annamacharya and performs Nama Sankeerthanam daily. He believes that in Kali Yuga, Nama Sankeerthanam is the only easy way to attain Moksha.

The sankeertanas engraved on copper plates were found in the Tirumala temple just opposite the Hundi, concealed in a very small room. It is said only 12,000 of the 32,000 sankeertanas were found. No leads have been available to trace the remaining sankeertanas. Some personnel involved in deciphering the plates say that the people of those days could have melted the copper plates for personal use.

In the programme, LakshaGala Sankirthanarchana, some 160,000 people sang seven Annamayya keertanas in Hyderabad, creating a new Guinness record on May 10, 2009

Telangana Rain Song


Gorati Venkanna

http://www.telugulo.com/view_news.php?id=1905

http://www.crazyfinger.org/2009/08/translating-gorati-venkanna.html

Maa Vollu Ma Inti Kaada.....


Rashid, Rela Re Rela, Maa TV

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