Ghantasala Balaramayya Biography
Ghantasala Balaramayya who is also known as Ghantasala was born on 4th December 1922. He was a famous Indian film composer, playback singer who has done amazing work in Telugu cinema, Kannada Cinema, Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu, and Hindi. He was also honored by Padma Shri in 1970 for his contribution to Indian Cinema.
Ghantasala has performed at the United Nations, as well as in the United States, England, and Germany. On 1st February 1970, the government of Andhra Pradesh held Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Ghantasala in Hyderabad to commemorate his 25 years film career. The event, held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad, drew around 30,000 people. Ghantasala is still a popular destination. Statues of him have been built all around Andhra Pradesh. The anniversaries of his birth and death are commemorated every year in India and overseas.
Early Life
Ghantasala was born in a Telugu Brahmin Family of Ghantasala Soorayya who was also a professional singer in Chowtapalli village in Krishna District. Ghantasala liked to dance to his father’s Tarangams when he was younger. Ghantasala’s father died while he was a child, and he was raised by his maternal uncle. Patrayanu Sitarama Sastry provided him with formal music training and he enrolled in Maharajah’s Government College of Music and Dance in Vijayanagram.
Read: Baburaj
Career
Ghantasala was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months in the Alipore (Allipura) Jail in Ballari for his role in the Quit India Movement of 1942. After being released from prison, he met Samudrala Raghavacharya, who suggested he try his luck as a singer in the film industry. Ghantasala married Savitri, a women from the Pedapilivarru Village. Ghantasala met lyricist Samudrala Raghavacharya in that area, who was so taken with his voice that he initiated him into the Madras film industry. Ghantasala was a skilled Carnatic music singer before he became famous.
Pendyala Nageswara Rao channeled Ghantasala’s traditional music expertise and skills in classical interpretations and Telugu films such as Jagadekaveeruni Katha’s Siva sankari, Jayabheri’s Rasika Raja Taguvaramu Kama, and Mahakavi Kalidasu’sSyamala Dandakam- Manikya Veena. Ghantasal, according to Pendyala recorded these interpretations in a single take.
Read: Krishna Bhagavaan
In February 2003, the Indian Government issued a postage stamp and First-day cover commemorating Ghantasala’s work. He is the first southern cinema singer-composer to receive this honor.
Ghantasala Balaramayya Personal Life
Ghantasala had two wives named Savitri and Sarala Devi. He had eight children: Four daughters named Meera, Shyamala, Suguna, and Shanthi, Four sons named Vijayakumar, Ravikumar, Shankarkumar, Ratnakumar.
Ghantasala is claimed to have named his firstborn son “Vijaya” Kumar after Vijaya Productions, the firm that recruited him as a professional performer. Sri Chakrapani, one of Vijaya Productions’ producers at the time, presented Ghantasala with a bag containing Rs.25000 as a token of his admiration for the company.
Death
Ghantasala died of heart arrest at a Chennai hospital on February 11, 1974, two months after his 51st birthday. From his hospital bed the day before his death, he recorded Bhadrachala Ramadasu Vaibhavam (Music by Master Venu) for a documentary.
Read: Kumar Bangarappa
Ghantasala Balaramayya Awards
The government of India bestowed the “Padma Shri” to Ghantasala. He was the only playback singer in Andhra Pradesh to win the best playback vocalist award every year for over 30 years.
Ghantasala has been the only singer to offer devotional songs within the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple near Lord Moola Virat since the saint-poet Annamacharya in the 15th century.
His private albums
• Pushpa Vilapam
• Patriotic songs
• Bhagawad Gita
• Folk Songs
• Devotional songs
Ghantasala Balaramayya Height, Weight, Age, More….
Full Name – Ghantasala Balaramayya
Occupation – Director, Music Director, Singer
Gender – Male
Date of Birth – 05 July 1906
Birth Place – Pottepalem, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence – India
Date of Death – 29 October 1953
Died – 67 Years 11 Months and 24 Days Ago
Age – 47 Years
Nationality (Country) – India
Children – Ghantasala Siva Kumar