It’s a working Dusshera for Peddinti Madhupriya, but the folk and playback singer from Telangana isn’t complaining. She is going to perform her latest single, ‘Oh Nagadarilo’––released on her YouTube channel last week—at the Towns Valley Community Hall in Melbourne on October 5.
“I’m going to dress up in a pattu langa-voni (silk half-saree), deck up in pearl jewellery, pick my bathukamma (floral decoration) and dance with the ladies,” she says. The occasion is Bathukamma, the floral festival of Telangana, and Madhupriya is one of the three artistes from the state who have released fresh singles for the celebrations.
Telangana’s floral version of Durga Puja involves joining the community dance. Naturally, local folk music is the beat of the season, highlighted by artistes who release special songs around the festival.
Madhupriya, who hails from Godavarikhani, has made her mark with Bathukamma songs, with her music videos featuring dappu (a local percussion instrument), kanjira (tambourine) and more, all shot in local settings. The 25-year-old vocalist, who has sung over 200 songs about the festival in the last 15 years, has taken it upon herself to push folk music into the mainstream. “The money I make from my playback career and live shows has allowed me to sponsor Bathukamma videos for the last seven years,” she says.
Satyavathi Rathod aka Mangli, who has sung superhit numbers such as ‘Saranga Dariya’ in Telugu movie LoveStory (2021), is back with her signature festive tune, ‘Sirimallelo Rama Raghumellelo’, which was released three days before Navaratris began. “I wait for 11 months a year to be able to sing my heart out in a Bathukamma paata (song),” says the folk singer.
Surender, another celebrated artiste, wrote the lyrics and also sang ‘Singidi lo poolaney’ accompanied by fellow singer Ashwini Ramdas. He is known for hit numbers such as ‘Vaadu Nadipey Bandi’ in George Reddy (2020). “Telangana is an emotion and writing about it is cathartic,” he says.
Surender is from Warangal, which was ground zero for the separate state struggle in 2009. “The first five years of my lyrics were full of fire and jingoism supporting the struggle for a separate Telangana state. Now is the time to celebrate what we have earned and be grateful to our land and culture,” he says.
The lyrics reflect peace, gratitude and hope; he couldn’t be more right.