Revolutionary balladeer Vangapandu passes away

VISAKHAPATNAM: The

revolutionary balladeer

and people’s

poet Vangapadu Prasada Rao

(78) famously known as Vangapandu in both Telugu states passed away early hours on Thursday at his native place Pedabondaplli in Parvathipura mandal of Vizianagaram district.

Vangapandu was staying at his native place after the outbreak of coronavirus. He is survived by wife Vijayalakshmi, three sons and a daughter Vangapandu Usha, who is also a balladeer and now head of the AP state creative and culture wing. He worked in

Hindustan Shipyard

Limited (HSL) from 1976 to 1999.

Vangapandu had a unique quality that he could write songs, sing and also dance. His voice mesmerised many youth and gave inspiration to take up the revolutionary path. He was associated with the revolutionary movement for many decades along with Gaddar. His song - Sutti kodavali gurtugaa vunna errani jendaa eegurutunnadi … was the song for People’s War Group naxals flag song till it had become CPI Maoists. He had written Yeruvaka and Polikeka books of songs.

Vangapadu was one of the members of Jana Natya Mandali (JNM), the cultural wing of the People’s War Group. He has written more than 400 songs in the past five decades. He even sang for Telugu revolutionary movies directed by famous director T Krishna and others. He gave more than 2000 performances not only in undivided AP but also various parts of India.

His songs … Jajjanakari Janare, Em Pillado Eldamostava, Namapalli Station Kadi Rajalingoo.. and Yantrametla Nadustunna Dante and others are very famous in Undivided AP. Many of his famous songs were translated into various Indian languages such as Tamil, Bengal, Kannada, Hindi and English, besides many tribal dialects. His Yantrametla nadustunna date…song was translated into English and was admired both in US and UK. His song -..

Voda Nuvveelli

pomakee ( O ship .. don’t go), written on a ship became famous.

His stage play - Bhoomi Bhagavatam on village heads such as Karanam and Munsab, the main government revenue officers in villages and their atrocities, became so famous in 70s and 80s that even the government tried to stop the plays. The TDP government after came into power in 1983 abolished the Karanam and Munsab system.

Vangapandu was contemporary to Gaddar and B.Narsing Rao, who founded the Jana Natya Mandali, the cultural wing of the People's War Group in 1972. He was also the visiting professor of

Andhra University

theatre of arts wing and trained youth to sing and dance to the songs.

The state government felicitated him with Kala Ratna award in 2017. He was also facilitated with , Suddala Hanumanthu national award Sangita Ratna and TANA’s Akkineni Foundation award of Rangastala Ratna.

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