Kala Vahini, an organization formed to promote Indian music, literature and dance had a stupendous debut in Dallas, TX on Sunday June 10th . The concert was a tribute to “ManasuKavi” AacharyaAatreya. It consisted of a medley of songs penned by the great legend. The packed audience of about five hundred in the Granville Arts Center enjoyed a nostalgic journey into seventies and eighties reminiscing the great hits from yesteryears. SP Balasubrahmanyam's role was played by star of the event RamuMaharajapuram. “Nightingale sisters” Shilpa and DeepikaUppuluri played the roles of P.Susheels and S.Janaki. Not to be outdone, Ghanta Krishna Prasad who flew from Baltimore filled the role of Ghantsala. They were perfectly complemented by an amazing band of local singers from Dallas area.

The program featured 19 songs by Dallas area singers in the initial round and 25 songs by the distinguished singers in the main round of the concert. It covered a gamut of Aatreya's songs from 60s, 70s and 80s. Dallas Singers segment was presented by AnanthMallavarapu..

The program had an auspicious opening in the form of the “Agajananapadmarkam” slokam by Seeta Lakshmi Petluri. It was then perfectly tuned by the song "NaaGonthuSruthilona” from the movie “JaanakiRaamudu” by BhaskarRayavaram and AparnaRemani. KalyaniTadimeti and Ramesh Kalapatapu regaled the audience with the song "ChetiloCheyyesiCheppuBaava” from the movie “DasaraBullodu”. 

ChandrahasMaddukuri and Lavanya showered melodius droplets on the audience by singing arguably the greatest romantic rain song "ChitapataChinukuluPaduthooUnte" from the movie AtmaBalam. Bhaskar and Aparna wrapped their part by singing “ThongiThongiChoodamakaChandamaama” from the movie “SreerangaNeethulu”.

Later GopinathPetluri and Jyothi Sadhu mesmerized the audience with the question “TellaCheeraKattukunnadevariKosamu?”, an evergreen romantic hit from the movie "Anthasthulu”. The young musical talent VeenaDevaraju along with her father RamamDevaraju beautifully rendered the song "NeelaalaNingilo" from the movie “Jebu Donga”.

KalyaniTadimeti reminded everyone of the “one and only” ShavukaruJanaki by singing the song with folk lyrics "PandavuluPandavuluTummeda" from the movie “AkkaChellellu”. The next solo song “AakasamEnaatido” from the movie “Nireekshana” came from the mellifluous voice of SrujanaAduri. It was ably followed by the song "SumamPratiSumam" from the movie “Maharshi” by Suresh Pathaneni and KhyatiKondepati.

The next song, an all time classic "MellaMellaMellagaaAnuvanuvuNeevega" from the movie "DaaguduMootalu" was beautifully rendered by Samba Karnati and KasturiInanganti and was followed by another old time favorite "NeeliMeghamaaJaaliChoopuma" from the movie "AmmaayilaSapatham" by SrinivasEyyunni and VeenaYalamanchali.

RamamDevaraju and SrujanaAduri brought the audience back to the 70s with the song "NeekosamVelasindiPremaMandiram" from the movie “Prem Nagar”. With the song “EenadEEdOayyindi" from the movie “Prema”, SrinivasEyyunni and Jaya Kalyani truly made the audience feel “something happened on the concert day”.

Next KasturiInnanganti sang the evergreen classic "NeevuLekaVeenaPalukalenannadi" from the movie "Doctor Chakravarthy”. "Yaha!!silaka. Silaka.. ” Suresh Pathaneni corrected KhyatiKondepati in the song “NaaPaata Nee Nota PalakalaSilaka" from the movie MoogaManasulu.

Samba Karnati and VeenaYalamanchali then sang the beautiful duet "Repantiroopamkanti" from the movie"ManchiChedu".

VikramGandikota with his silvery voice enthralled the audience with the song "JaabilliKosamAakaasamalleVechanu" from the movie “ManchiManasulu”. The surreptitious love song "ChaatuMaatuSarasamuloGhaatuUnnadi" from the movie “Secretary” was hilariously sung by Gopinath and Jyothi providing a fitting end to the Dallas singers part of the concert.

In a brief interlude to the program, Ramachari the founder of Little Musicians Academy and a Nandi award winner thanked the organizers and praised the local singers effusively. He felt that there are no amateurs among these singers. He opined that Sruti, Laya, Bhasha, Bhavam and Presentation are the five components that constitute a great performance and gave some practical tips to the singers for taking their art to the next level.

After a great appetizer from the local singers the main course of the “PaadaalaneUnnadi” concert started with the title song "PaadalaneUnnadi" from the movie “ChillaraDevullu” by Ramu.

"E TeegaPoovuno E KommaTetinO" sang the melodious younger nightingale Deepika and “Appadiya” said Ramu. The other nightingale Shilpa started with the melancholic song "AmmaChoodaliNinnuNaannauChoodali" from the movie “PaapamPasivadu” and tuned the audience to the other songs that followed later in the evening.

Prasad Ghanta was almost like Ghantasala while singing “AndamainaTeegakuPandirunteChaalunu" from the movie “BhaaryaBiddalu". Ramu and Deepika sang the beautiful duet “NelaMeediJaabili" from the movie “Raja Ramesh".

Ramu then sang a medley of Pallavulu “EdukondalavaadaVenkatesa”, “NavvutooBatakaliraTammudu”, “SirimallePoovalleNavvu”, “KannePillavaniKannulunnavani” and “HariloRangaHari”

“NeevuLekaNenuLenu” and so sang Ramu and Shilpa making the audience long for that “significant other” without whom they don't have any existence. This song is from the movie “ManchiManushulu”.

Deepika and Ramu poured melody into the beautiful duet “KalyanaVaibhogame" from the movie “Seeta Rama Kalyanam".

RamanaJuvvadi, the founder of KalaVahini explained that Sangeetam, Sahityam and Nrutyam are the focus of the organization.The sponsors were honored and were presented menetos by AravindMuppidi. KC Chekuri and Thotakura Prasad felicitated Ramu. SandhyaGavva, Dr. AllaSrinivasa Reddy and InduReddy Mandadi felicitated the nightingale sisters Deepika and ShilpaUppuluri. Ghanta Krishna Prasad was honored by SrinivasBavireddy and Suresh Manduva.

While Ramu sang, HarshitVanam and VaishantDevineni danced and enthralled the audience to the tune of “SapatuEtooLeduPaatainaPaadu Brother” from the movie “AkaliRajyam”. Harshit interspersed Kamal Hasan's dance with a few steps of NTR and ANR which further increased the response. Ramu and Shilpa then sang “RangulaloKalavo" from the movie “Abhinandana".

Chandrahas explained the possible background in the life of Aatreya that made him pen forlorn songs such as “NenokaPremaPipasini" from the movie "Indradhanussu". Ramu then poured the heart of Aatreya into his voice while singing the melancholic solo.

“Mallepandirineedalonajaabilli” from the movie"MaayadariMalligadu" is a favorite song for many a participants in several musical contests and Deepika demonstrated the reason for the same. RamanaJuvvadi explained to the audience about the talent and the close bond between the two Uppuluri sisters, Deepika and Shilpa. AlongwithRamu, the nightingales then sang "AakesiPappesiNeyyesiBuvvesi" picturized on two sisters in the movie “Abhimanyudu".

The next song was a romantic melody. Ramu was accompanied by a Dallas physician Dr. KasturiInaganti while singing “CheeralettukelladaChinniKrishnudu” from the movie “ChilipiKrishnudu”.

Next, RamanaJuvvadi explained the literary beauty of the song “NavvuluRuvvePuvvamma” from “GajulaKistaiah” where each line in the song describes a flower as well as a beautiful girl. The literary beauty was matched by the beauty of Ramu's voice.

Deepika and Ramu then sang a beautiful composition “EmaniVarninchanu" that captures the feelings of a blind sister and her loving brother from the movie “Driver Ramudu”.

"RaayiniAadadiChesinaRaamudiva?" wondered Jyothy Sadhu. Ramu shot back “NuvvuRaayiviKaavuGangavuKaavu" from the movie “Trisoolam”. Deepavali arrived a little early in Dallas as Prasad Ghanta and Deepika sang “CheekatiVelugulaRangeli, Jeevitame Oka Deepavali" from the movie “VichitraBandham".

"Vela ChoodaVennelaaye..." from the movie “Naatakaalaraayudu“- not one of the most well known songs of Aatreya but nevertheless will be one for Dallas audience going forward – thanks to the great voice of Shilpa. “JanakiKalaganaLeduRaamuduPatiKaagaladaniAanadu” - a song that captures the essence of nuptial relationship from the movie “Raj Kumar” was superbly sung by Ramu and Deepika.

Ramachari presented mementos to Dallas singers. Ramu effusively praised the local talent and opined that they cannot be termed as just amateur singers at all. The next part of the concert started with the song “Urakalai Godavari" from the movie “Abhilaasha" and was sung by Ramu and Shilpa with chorus support from her sister. “AhoAndaalaRaasi, Oho AlanaatiUrvasi” sang Ramu and the audience echoed “Ahaa Oho” to the song from the movie “AngadiBomma”

The next song was “PalikinadiPilichinadi” from the movie Seetaramulu. Chandrahas loved Aatreya;s usage “Gaganaalinganotsaahiyai”. After the song Ramu explained that it is a very difficult song for the singers because of the range of low to high notes they have to express.

Next came the song “DaaDaaDaaDaasteDaageda” by Ramu and Shilpa from the movie Yugandhar (Don) – which probably is one of the only movies that was done twice in each of Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. No program ends without the great song – "KurralloyKurrallu” from the movie “AndamainaAnubhavam". The audience sang, clapped and danced to the charged up song presented with all emotion by Prasad Ghanta, Ramu, Chandrahas, Ananth, Ramana and other local singers.

RamanaJuvvadi thanked all sponsors, TANA, ATA, NATA, NATS, TANTEX, IANT, Yuva Media, Indu Creations, Speech-Soft Solutions, OurPlace, Mayuri, Omega travels, EkNazar, RadioKushi and DesiPlaza and the volunteers and organizers ArvindMuppidi, AnathMallavarapu, ChandrahasMaddukuri, KC Chekuri, Suresh Kaja, Rajendra Narayan Das, Vijay Borra, Krishna Puttaparthi, ManoharNimmagadda, Krishna Korada, SridharKodela. KasturiInaganti thanked the couple Sridevi and RamanaJuvvadi for organizing a great concert.

“Antharyaamialasitisolasiti” from the movie Annamayya capped the program paying rich tributes to late Aatreya.