Telugu is one of the 22 languages spoken in India and is the fifteenth most widely spoken language in the entire world. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and people in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the south of India use it as their official languages.
The entire region has long been associated with the art of music, dance, and storytelling and both states have an extremely rich musical heritage. The diverse genres range from the more traditional such as classical music, also known as Carnatic or devotional and folk music, to the more modern genres like Telugu film music, pop, and more.
Carnatic Music
Compositions written in the Telugu language manage to capture the true spirit and essence of this genre. Musicians are taught to incorporate their own intricate musical details into a composition and due to this, not one rendition of a song is the same. The language itself plays an important role in Carnatic Telugu songs since it often reveals the composer’s personality and thoughts. The most commonly used instruments include the nadaswaram, veena, mridangam, mandolin, and violin. Folk music is believed by many to have derived from the Carnatic genre.
Some famous devotional songs include Nagumomu, Deva Devam Bhaje, Rama Laali, Bhavamu Lona, Pavamana, Chrugaali, Kalaharana, and more. You can visit naasongsmp3 if you would like to give any of them a listen.
Folk Music
Telugu folk music is especially popular in many parts of the state’s countryside and it holds special importance to many people. Many forms of the genre are still performed today such as Poli and Burra Katha – a storytelling technique that consists of many elements such as dance, songs, prayers, jokes, and poems. The theme of the Burra Katha can either be mythological or about contemporary social issues. Harikathaa is another popular form of storytelling that involves narration into which songs that are related to the story are incorporated.
Modern Music
Just like in many other states in India, the film and music industry are closely connected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well. The Telugu film industry, also known as Tollywood is the second-largest movie industry, just behind Bollywood. It is largely based in Hyderabad (Telangana) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Some of the most influential composers include Raj-Koti, Mani Sharma, Ghantasala, Devi Sri Prasad, Mickey J Meyer, Ramana Gogula, and many others. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam is one of the most popular playback singers from Telugu cinema and is the recipient of 25 Nandi Awards – the highest film award ceremony in the Telugu film industry. P. Susheela has sung the most number of songs in Indian languages and has even entered the Guinness Book of World Records for it. She has won the National Film Award five times and is one of the most renowned female Telugu singers of all time.
Some popular Telugu film songs include Ramuloo Ramulaa, Prathi Roju Pandage, Endhuko Emo, Naa Kallalona, Prema Vennela, and many others.
Conclusion
There are a lot of different genres in Telugu music and many songs have deep, hidden meanings, that are also very impactful. Give some of them a listen and discover for yourself what makes them so special and popular.
