Dallas, TX. The enthralling musical concert organized by TANA (Telugu Association of North America) on Saturday, Sept., 22nd at the Black Academy of Arts & Letters in Dallas, starring Padmabhushan SP Balasubrahmanyam, Padmasri K S Chitra, SP Shailaja and SP Charan, in support of the five-year old Telugu teaching program at the University of Texas, Austin, captivated the hearts of over 1,800 music lovers, some of them who travelled faraway places like from Austin, Houston and Oklahoma.
Emcees Rajeswari Udayagiri and Vijaya Chandrahas Maddukuri kicked off the proceedings by welcoming the audience. TANA’s South West regional representative Manjulatha Kanneganti briefly went over the various initiatives undertaken by TANA to serve the community. She was followed by KC Chekuri, Chair, Telugu Language Development, who remembered the great Gurajada, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year all over Andhra Pradesh. UT Austin Telugu program Chair Rama Krishna Chebrolu, and Murali Vennam, 19th TANA Convention Coordinator, convention to be held at Dallas Convention Center in Dallas from May 24-26th, 2013, invited all to attend the convention and make it successful.
The Chief Guest of the evening Hon. Dallas Mayor pro-tem Pauline Medrano, appreciated the great community work of TANA for the last 35 years. She commended the TANA annual Backpack program that benefits Dallas schools needy children every year. Mayor Pro-tem Medrano gave an official proclamation to TANA for its long history of services to Telugus in particular and the whole community in general. Prasad Thotakura, TANA President felicitated Mayor Pro tem Medrano and thanked her attending the event as a Chief Guest.
These brief speeches were followed by thunderous applause when the Emcees welcomed Members of the orchestra and the singers on to the stage. Over the next three hours, ‘Balu’ and his team delivered a superb performance that took the audience into a different world.
Beginning with songs like “Jagadanandakaraka” and “Uppongele Godavari”, Balu along with Chitra, Shailaja and Charan, regaled the listeners with his evergreen hits like “Yamaho nee yama yama”, “Swapna venuvedo”, “Mate mantramu”, “Telusa manasa”, “Subhalekha Rasukunna”, and “Rasaleela vela” along with classics like “Ee divilo virisina” and “Nuvvena Sampenga Puvvula Nuvvena”.
SP Shailaja’s excellent rendition of S Janaki’s “Vennello godari” followed by Chitra’s “Venuvai vachchanu” and Balu’s “Purushottama” received standing ovations from the house full of audience. SP Charan proved his talent with crowd pleasers like “Nenunenuga”, “Ee varsham sakshi ga”, “Eto velli poyindi”, etc.
During the felicitations TANA President, Prasad Thotakura thanked all artists and audience for making the event a great success. Event sponsors Paradise Biryani, Gold Sponsors - Horizon Travel, SDiLogic, Butterfly City, Ambatipudi family who donated $5,000 to UT Austin Telugu program, Dr. Afsar Mohammed, UT Austin Telugu Professor were honored by Prasad and Balu.
This was followed by presenting the orchestra members with mementos. Charan, Chitra and Shailaja were given a warm welcome by the audience during their felicitations. Balu was honored by TANA and also other organizations like TANTEX, IANT, ATA, NATA, TCA Houston and Kalavahini.
Ram Yalamanchili, TANA Secretary, delivered the vote of thanks, which was followed by the concluding portion of the program.
