Sreerama Chandra Mynampati

Sreerama Chandra Mynampati is a professional singer and 2010 Indian Idol winner from Hyderabad who debuted his playback career in the Telugu film industry.^[1][2] Sreeram won the fifth season of music reality show Indian Idol 5 and was awarded by the most prominent figures in the history of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan.^[3][4] In 2013, He made his Telugu cinema acting debut with the film Sri Jagadguru Aadi Sankara. His debut movie as a hero is in Prema Geema Jantha Nai, which is now at production stage. He acted with Salman Khan for an advertisement with Suzuki.^[5]

He is the first person from South India to win the Indian Idol title. His victory on the show has landed him Rs.5 million cash, a one-year contract with Sony Music Entertainment, a Tata Winger car and, for the first time, a chance to sing a song in a Yash Raj Films project.^[4] The State Government of Andhra Pradesh honored him with the Lata Mangeshkar Award along with a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh.^[6]

Personal life

Sreerama Chandra was born in Addanki, a town in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, into a Telugu speaking Brahmin family. His father is a High Court advocate while his mother is a housewife.^[1] In spite of a non-musical background, Sreerama Chandra had a passion towards singing and started singing in his school days from Sri N.Ch.Parthasarathy and during college days.

He did his schooling at St. Andrews School, Bowenpally, Secunderabad and graduated (B.Tech) from the Royal Institute of Technology and Science (RITS). He learnt music at Sri Bhakta Ramadasu Govt. College Of Music And Dance, Secunderabad from Smt.Bhaskara Haripriya Garu (One of the Hyderabad Sisters - The Singing Divine Duo).

He currently lives in Hyderabad.

Career

Sreerama chandra started singing during his school days, but started playback singing at the age of 17.^[7] He has completed his fifth year of his Certificate course in Carnatic vocal at Sri Bhakta Ramadasa Music College, Marredpally, Secunderabad. After participating in ETV's Sye, a singing reality show, Telugu film music director Mickey J Meyer spotted Sreeram's talent and had him sing "Chirugalithone Adiga" for a movie called Notebook.^[1] He got his first break in singing in the track 'Nammalo Ledo' and 'Thidathara Kodathara' tracks for the critically acclaimed 2008 Telugu comedy film Ashta Chamma.

He worked with some prominent music directors such as Mani Sharma, Kalyani Mallik and Ramana Gogula. Sreeram performed the hit track "Tum Mile", to which music director Pritam commented that Sreeram was ready to start playback singing immediately. Sreeram has recorded a duet with Shreya Ghoshal for a latest Telugu movie. This song was offered to him by one of the judges of Indian Idol 5 and music director Salim Merchant. Sreeram Chandra learnt Carnatic music in Sree Bhakta Ramadasa Music College; he is the disciple of Smt.Bhaskara Haripriya Garu (One of the Hyderabad Sisters - The Singing Divine Duo).^[8]

He recently released his debut Hindi album Rehnuma in 2010 and said it is a tribute to his loved ones.^[9]

Sreerama chandra has started recording his new Music album called Crazy Love. http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/events/mumbai/crazy-love-album-launch/articleshow/20645155.cms

Competitions

• Finalist and 1st Runner-up of Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star 2 in 2012
• Title Winner of Indian Idol-5 Season 5 by Sony Entertainment Television.^[8] in 2010 (19 March to 15 August 2010).
• Title Winner of Okkare conducted by ETV in 2008 (June–December).
• Reached Top 18 of Amul STAR Voice of India conducted in the year 2007 March.
• Finalist in Sye Singer’s Challenge conducted in 2006-07, by ETV.
• Qualified for Delhi Finals Sangam Kala Group(Delhi), conducted in November 2006, by Hero Honda.
• Winner of radio competition Voice of Andhra, Was conducted in the year 2005-06 by FM radio.
• Runner-up in Relax songs competition conducted by Ramana Gogula in 2005.
• Winner of Ananda Ragam Contest conducted by the team from Anand in 2004.

Achievements and performances

• He started performing shows at the age of 8 and has done more than 200 stage shows including classical and filmy music.

• He performed shows with reputed singers like Sri. Mano, Sri. Malathi, Sri. Sunitha. He has done corporate shows with Limca.^[10]
• He has given programmes with Koti, M. M. Keeravani (M. M. Kreem), Madhavpeti Suresh, Vandemataram Srinivas, Ghantadi Krishna and many more music directors.
• He sang three songs in Sabari Gireesha Saranam an audio CD composed by Mantha Srinivas.
• He has given programmes abroad, at Singapore, Dubai, London.
• His first performance in his hometown Hyderabad was on 25 September 2010.
• He performed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games New Delhi closing ceremony along with great singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan etc.
• Magnum opus The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader^[11] which is set to release in 3D, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu alongside the English-language version, now has an added attraction for viewers. The film will have a song recorded by Sreeram, "Rehnuma," (originally recorded for his debut album), playing over the end credits. For the singer, this alliance marks a big achievement as he is not just the only artist from Asia collaborating with Fox but is also the first-ever Hyderabadi to have a song featured in a Hollywood film.

Awards

• Sreerama won the prestigious Lata Mangeshkar Award from Andhra Pradesh Government.^[12]
• He was awarded the P.B. Sreenivas Award on 19 October by singer Shri P. B. Sreenivas at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad, A.P.
• Sreerama received the Ghantasala Award on 4 December.
• He won the Indian Idol 5 contest on 15 August 2010
• In the non-film music category of GIMA 2011 Indian Idol 5 winner Sreeram won best music debut for Rehnuma

Discography

Filmography

As actor

• Sri Jagadguru Aadi Sankara - 2013
• Prema Geema Jaantha Nai - 2013

References

External links

• Interview with Sreerama Chandra on Tharanga on 5 December 2013