Singing her way into record books

Monisha has recently completed over 100 solo performances

Classical singer Monisha Pallela renders a mellifluous sankeerthana during a programme in the temple city. PHOTO: K_V_POORNACHANDRA_KUMAR

Monisha Pallela, a ten-year-old classical singer in the temple city, truly personifies the Telugu adage ‘Pitta koncham kootha ghanam’. Standing true to this claim, both in letter and spirit, Monisha has recently completed over a whopping 100 solo concert performances, specialising in Annamacharya Sankeerthanas.

Over the past five years, Monisha has earned a unique distinction by performing at various social and cultural events like Brahmotsavams, World Telugu Conference, Book Festivals and other events organised by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) under Ammanacharya Project and Dharma Prachara Parishad. She also performs for patients, regularly during the weekend, at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS).

Monisha’s tryst with classical singing began when she was five-years-old. Her parents enrolled her in Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan, where they teach singing and other arts for a nominal fee as a summer pastime. Her father, P. Damodara Reddy, works as a personal assistant in the Department of Anaesthesiology at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) and her mother, P. Hemasudha, is a nurse at S.V. Ayurvedic Hospital.

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Reddy termed his daughter’s entry into the field as something ‘out of the blue’. “Until one of the instructors advised us to undertake full-time coaching under an expert, we did not know her potential. After that, there was no looking back. Her first break was through a TV programme ‘Vijetha Voice of Andhra’ at Annapurna studios. She subsequently performed for FM Radio-Tirupati and Doordarshan Saptagiri Telugu channel,” he added.

Monisha was also conferred the title of ‘Gaana Sudha’ by APNGO’s Praja Hitha Seva Samstha, Chittoor and holds ‘Excellency in Classical Music’ and ‘Bala Rathna Award’ by Rotary Punganur Central and Tirupati Jawahar Bal Bhavan (zone level) respectively.

Attempt at world record

Recently, Mr. Reddy has applied for registering a world record in which, Monisha will be singing 108 Annamacharya Sankeerthanas in different ragas of Carnatic classical music, continuously for 10-12 hours. He further said that no one in the age group of 10-14 years had attempted such a record, especially 108 sankeerthanas in different ragas.

Training herself for the attempt, which is expected to be a potentially new record in the category, Monisha exudes confidence in setting the record with her devotion and inclination towards Carnatic music and Annamacharya Sankeerthanas.