Telugu Songs
Written by Sharath Chandra Ambula
Lyrics by Sharath Chandra Ambula
About
A series of Telugu literary experiments — సాహిత్య ప్రయోగాలు — written by Sharath Chandra Ambula and set to music. Each song is built on a constraint borrowed from the chitrakavitvam (చిత్రకవిత్వం) tradition, where the shape of the language is as much the point as what it says.
Sarigamapadani Sunaadamaa uses only the seven swara letters. Dhaara Naa Guru uses only the letters of the tala syllables. Gaali Geethi is sung without the lips ever meeting. Sheshanna begins every word with శ, ష, స or హ — the four heat letters — so that the language itself hisses like the serpent it is sung to.
Alongside them sits Medaram Sammakka Sarakka, a Telangana tribal folk song telling the story of the warrior found among tigers, and of the jatara that still draws millions to Mulugu every second year.