Satyam ಸತ್ಯಂ | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chellapilla Satyanarayana |
| Born | 1933 Andhra Pradesh |
| Died | January 1989 (aged 55–56) |
| Occupation(s) | Music director |
| Instrument(s) | Dholak, Tabla |
| Years active | 1960s–1980s |
Chellapilla Satyanarayana Sastry (1933 - 12 January 1989), known mononymously as Satyam, was an Indian music composer.[1] He was popular in the Telugu and Kannada film industries in the 1960s to 1980s. Sathyam is best remembered as "Andhra R. D. Burman".[2] He also composed a handful of Bengali, Bhojpuri, and Hindi films.
Satyam was born in Gunanupuram village, Komarada mandal in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. He had acted in some plays with popular writer Rajasri and others at Vizianagaram. He later shifted to Madras and worked in the orchestra of P. Adinarayana Rao and T. V. Raju. He worked as an assistant composer in the magnum opus film Suvarna Sundari (1957). He debuted as a music director in the 1963 Kannada film Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddha. His debut film as a full-fledged music director in Telugu cinema was Pala Manasulu (1967), though he was credited as a music director in the 1963 film Savati Koduku under the supervision of T. V. Raju.
Some of his memorable hit songs in Telugu are Ye Divilo Virisina Parijatamo, Gunna Mamidi Komma Meeda, O Bangaru Rangula Chilaka, Kalise Kalla Lona, Tholi Valape Teeyanidi, Aaraneekuma Ee Deepam Karthika Deepam, Gaali Vanalo Vana Neetilo.[3]
His grandson Sri Vasanth is also a music composer who worked for films like Sudigadu (2012).[4] In memory of Satyam, a musical night was organized by Bay Area Telugu Association and Chimata Music in California, United States, in 2009.[5]
