Sunitha & Sri Krishna Telugu Concert in the BayArea (09)

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What?
A Telugu Musical Concert by Sunitha & Sri Krishna in the Silicon Valley (on an occasion of Bay Area Telugu Association's a.k.a BATA's Deepavali Celebrations)

When and Where?
On October 9th 2009 (between 7: 00 PM - 12: 30 AM) in Santa Clara Convention Center Auditorium, Santa Clara CA

Most of us are already aware that Sunitha and her team has been in the USA for the last couple of months touring all major cities by entertaining the Telugu people all over the country and now it is the Silicon Valley's time to have this great team, albeit it is a little bit late .

Like every year, this time also Bay Area Telugu Association entertained Telugu people in the Silicon Valley with its unique style of event presentation. Unlike every year's Deepavali programs (which usually have rib-tickling and hilarious comedy skits, written/directed by a talented BATA exec team member, Kalyan Kattamoori), this time BATA had a very big surprise for us - a non-stop, energetic Telugu concert by Sunitha and Sri Krishna, interlaced with hilarious comedy items done by two young and upcoming Telugu film comedians, Venu & Venky and with an ever green BATA-stamped cute kids' fashion show with traditional dresses. BATA did a commendable job by incorporating a call for the AP Floods Relief Fund in the event and were able to raise $7,000 from some generous donors from the audiences. VisionSoft Solutions was a co-sponsor of this show.

The show started at 8: 00 PM and Vijaya Aasuri gAru (BATA's Cultural Chair), with her everlasting cheerful smile, greeted the audiences and right away got connected with the audiences in no time. She first apologized for an unplanned event in a smaller place like the current auditorium (which has a seating capacity of only 700 people, as opposed to the BATA's regular favorite Deepavali event place, Sunnyvale Hindu Temple Auditorium that could accommodate more than 1200 people), partly bacause of a last-minute confirmation of the music event and of non-availability of other bigger auditoriums and then briefly went over the program items.

Vijaya gAru first introduced Sunitha to the audiences as a beautiful singer with multi-faceted talents (singer, dubbing artist, TV host and anchor and more importantly a rare talent with six nandi awards to her credit).. in Vijaya gAri words "puvvuku tAvi abbinaTTugA, Sunitha gAri talent ki andam tODaindi". Coming to Sri Krishna's introduction, Vijaya gAru quizzed the audiences as to how many of them were not aware of the Maa TV's Super Singer Contest program and about the upcoming singer, Sri Krishna. The audiences fondly welcomed both of them with a thundering round of applause.

Sunitha first complimented BATA that every Telugu singer/performer would love to do at least one show with BATA during their US tours (prati vAru BATA program lO tama vATA kAvAlani ASistAru) and then introduced the whole Orachestra team (Chinna and Praveen - Keyboards; Murthy - Flute; Phani - Congos; Swamy - Pad Drums; Bal Raj - Tabla/Dholak) and Sri Krishna greeted the audiences and acknowleded that some of the songs they were going to perform were taken from ChimataMusic.com and complimented the site for its rare collection of awesome melodies and for maintaining the lyrics and for making easy for singers like him just go to the site to print the lyrics of the songs they want and I was delighted with his compliments.

Sri Krishna first started off the concert with a great patriotic song, puNyabhUmi nA dESam from Major Chandrakanth. Then Sunitha and Sri Krishna pleasantly thrilled all of us with three subsequent melodies of mAma KV Mahadevan (jhummandi nAdam, chengAvi rangu cheera and ArEsukObOyi pArEsukunnAnu) and then continued with a late 80's Ilaya Raja's melody, eenADE EdO ayyyindi (prEma). Sri Krishna questioned the audiences what if an atilOka sundari like Sunitha sang a song now and both of them sang yamahO nee yama yama andam (JVAS). He then questioned audiences again what would happen when a navarAtri and a SivarAtri mixed together and he immediately wondered if any one understood his joke/hing on the next song. I heard some one sitting near by me cheerfully humming naDaka kalisina navarAtri song. Then they sang that song from Hitler and before singing this song, they both were wondering who the original female singer could be.. I thought I would go with Sunitha's guess, Chitra as opposed to Sri Krishna's potential guess, Sujatha.


Then the non-stop entertainment went on with the 90's and the latest melodies such as jhum jhum mAyA (vikramArkuDu), panchadAra bomma bomma (magadheera) etc. Sunitha now announced that Sri Krishna was going to sing a song that got him instance recognition and he wonderfully sang his own song ADinchi ashThA chemmA.

Sunitha then fondly reminisced as to how her career started with gulAbee movie and she cordially thanked all the music directors and directors (starting with her first director/music director duo, Krishna Vamsi and Sasi Preetham) that have given her opportunities and mainly to the Telugu, Tamil and Kannada film industry audiences (she recalled that Ilaya Raja introduced her to the Tamil and Kannada films). She then did an amazing job with her ever-charming debut song, ee vELalO neevu (gulAbee). She said that she would never leave any concert without singing this song.

She painfully went over her team's emotions by the sad news of YSR's shocking demise and then the devastating floods (that happened after her team had left India on the US tour) and they even wondered at one point if they should go back to India by calling the tour off in the middle, but it was the Telugu people's affection and encouragement that got them in to a mood of continuing the series of the US concert. She again thanked every one to bring her to this stage of doing concerts on her name alone.

Vijaya gAru then called for donations for the Flood Relief Fund and acknowledged that Jayaram Komati (TANA President) gAru was a key force to initiate and encourage BATA to come with up this idea of the Relief Fund. The noble donors from the audiences kept sending their contributions for each of the songs that were performed through out the show. Vijaya gAru requested Sunitha to read out the donor names, as they would certainly feel thrilled to get their names announced by Sunitha. Sunitha humbly acknowledged that it would be an honor for her to do so and that it would make her team proud to be a part of this noble cause (of collecting Flood Relief Funds). Sunitha went ahead and announced $500 contribution from all her team to the BATA Fund.

Then the show continued with some latest songs such as andam gA lEnA (gOdAvari), ivvALE cherukunnadi kala (chiruta), vayasu psunami (kantree) etc. Then Sunitha shared her feeling of visiting US that every time she came here, it would remind her a wonderful movie, paDamaTi sandhyA rAgam with wonderful music by Balu gAru. Then both sang the song, ee tUrupu.. aa paSchimam from that movie.

Then they came up with an exciting medley mix Pallavulu of around a dozen songs such as danchavE mEnatta kUturA, manmadha manmadhA mAma putruDA, bangAru kODipeTTa, lAlu darwAjA kADA, mAyadAri sinnODu, attO attamma kUturO etc. Then Sunitha said stage performers like her would sing some songs for the audiences, but would love to sing some for themselves and one such song was E SwAsalO chEritE (nEnunnAnu) and then sang that complicated song effortlessly by receiving a huge round of applause from the audiences. Then she sang mAghamAsam eppuDostundO (egirE pAvuramA).

As a grand finale, Sri Krishna and Sunitha sang vEdam aNuvaNuvuna nAdam (sAgara sangamam). Then Prasad Mangina (BATA President) and Vijaya gAru thanked every one for making this concert a great success in spite of such a short notice. In the middle of the event, Prasad introduced VN Adithya (of manasantA nuvvE movie director that had directed this entire show) to the audiences. I had an opportunity to meet Adithya, Sunitha and Sri Krishna before the show started and Adithya complimented me for maintaining such a great site and that he would instantly go to ChimataMusic.com whenever he wanted to listen to any old songs. We then realized we three (Adithya, Sri Krishna and myself) went to the same PB Siddhartha College for Intermediate in Vijayawada (of course, in different years).

It would not be fair on my part, if I did not compliment the two young comedians (Venu and Venki) for their hilarious comedy pieces. Though I am writing this review with a main focus on the concert, BATA did a wonderful job again by bringing a memorable show to the Bay Area Telugu people as an advanced Deepavali gift by combining a bunch of things such as kids fashion show, cheerful dance performances by kids/teens/adults, a noble cause of Flood Relief Fund with a great musical concert. I could see how much time and effort Vijaya Aasuri gAru, Veeru Uppala gAru, Prasad Mangina, Srilu Veligeti and other BATA Exec team put in to this event to make it a grand success. Though the seating capacity was only 700, 200 more people were sitting/standing wherever they found place in the auditorium and at the entrance as well.

I can not conclude this review without my honest feedback on the awesome performances of Sunitha and Sri Krishna. My first impression (before the show started) was that Sunitha would sing most of her own songs.. but to my pleasant surprise, she did a big sacrifice by not singing a majority of her own songs (like most celebrities do in their own concerts) and by choosing some of the best popular melodies with good a mix from the 70's, 80's, 90's and the latest songs. Singing around 20+ songs (and a medley mix of more than a dozen songs, coupled with anchoring) single-handedly is certainly an awesome feet for both of them. It would be flattery if I talked more about Sunitha, as every one knows her talent. What a graceful young lady she is with an abundant multi-faceted talent coupled with a sweet and humble nature! I first met Sri Krishna personally the last Sept when he toured with Balu gAru and I heart-fully wish him all the great success in the whole world. I was wondering through out the show with his singing talent, in particular, the tremendous amount of his energy levels and what a great manly and deep voice he has at such an young age! I honestly hope that he would pass through all the present day hurdles (of proving his talent to our own Telugu people with an unfortunate and unfair competition with a bunch of horrible non-Telugu singers) and become the "NEXT BALU" in the coming years!!!!

[manisastry]

Sreeni garu,
I felt very happy reading your review. It was as if I was at the concert. Thank you very much for such a detailed review...
Mani Sastry

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