They dream to achieve

Kalaganti Kalaganti ippuditu kalaganti/nella lokamulaku appadagu Thiruvenkatadrisu ganti" (I just had a dream , a vision of the Lord of the cosmos Sri Venkateshwara who resides on the Hills of Tirumala ) rejoiced the 15th century saint poet Annamacharya known for his beautiful compositions replete with unbridled devotion, lyrical beauty and philosophical exposition. The earliest known musician to compose songs called sankirtanas, the poet from Tallapaka in Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh considered his compositions to be floral offerings to Venkateshwara and truly their fragrance lingers as generations of musicians all over the world carry his legacy forward. "It was divine providence that Annamacharya dreamt of Lord Venkateshwara and we dreamt of preserving, popularizing and propagating the works of Annamayya" says Dr. Sriram Sonty, Founder Director of the Sri Annamacharya Project of North America (SAPNA) who along with his wife Dr. Saradapurna Sonty, the founder Managing trustee, established the not for profit organization dedicated to Annamayya's works in Chicago 32 years ago. "We took a statue of Annamayya crafted by Kalappa, the famous sculptor from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) outside India for the first time and this Uthsava Vigraham has been taken to various Venkateshwara temples across America since' adds Dr. Saradapurna who edited, designed and produced a book titled "SAPNA @32" outlining the journey, achievements and plans of the project which was recently released in Hyderabad. The book features photographs and details of great musicians and legends of Hindustani and Carnatic music, who performed in America on their invitation, articles from eminent musicians, musicologists and scholars and chronicles their journey as promoters of ancient and sublime art, music and literature from India.

Dr. Saradapurna Sonty a scholar in Telugu and Sanskrit, musicologist and author has three PhD's to her credit and is working on the fourth. She submitted her first thesis on the dance (nritya and natya 'aspects) of Annamayya compositions after 8 years of extensive research followed by those in Sanskrit and musicology. Her study took her to Tallapaka village which she visited three times and Nellore where she discovered material that states that Annamayya donated agraharams to prostitutes and street dancers who were taught his compositions and danced to them. Names of 40 devadasis have been found in the records here according to her. "Celebrated as "Padakavita Pitamaha" Annamacharya was truly a people's poet. He was the first person to speak up against social injustice and caste discrimination, believed in women's empowerment, romanticism, eroticism, regional rights, folk rights and art and revolutionized creative writing without destroying classicism. He dwelt on the regional, colloquial and dialectical aspect of language, literature and art which makes his work immortal' Saradapurna avers. Dr. Sriram Sonty an eminent ophthalmologist and founder director of the L. V Prasad Eye Institute moved to America in the seventies and is involved in organizational matters while his wife is the heart and soul of all activities of the project. "The mission statement of SAPNA is the promotion, preservation, propagation and perpetuation of Indian Classical fine arts. The efforts of this organization are built on the fundamental ideas presented by legends like Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, Dr. Sripada pinakapani, Dr. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and others. The inexhaustible repertoire of saint composer Tallapaka Annamacharya is a source of inspiration both spiritual and aesthetic" adds Dr. Sriram. Dr. Balamuralikrishna holds a special place being one of the first performers and a revered guest at their home in Chicago the couple recall fondly.

Associated with the Venkateshwara temple in Chicago and a number of foundations and philanthropic organizations the Sontys visit India often and keep their Indian connection through various cultural programmes and literary conferences organized in both countries. They conduct two festivals every year, the Annamacharya festival held during ' Fall' and the Veena festival conducted at ' Spring'. Their art gallery "Sunada Sudha" has 32 commissioned oil paintings of great music composers from India like Tyagaraja, Purandara dasa, Swati Tirunal, Bhakta Tukaram and others and 23 more are ready to adorn its hallowed walls. A unique antique bell from India bought in an auction at California also finds a special place the couple reveals with pride. Regular teaching sessions are in place and more than 30 children from their project participate in the Margazi festival in Chennai and are featured in the Carnatic idol contest as well. Their daughters Siri and Sita are trained dancers in the Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam traditions and one of them is a neurosurgeon, while the other is a diplomat. Dr. Saradapurna Sonty has the distinction of being nominated as one of the Top ten living Telugu Legends in America among a plethora of other awards.

The fact that the second generation of Indians in America is committed to learning and perpetuating Indian music and culture is immensely satisfying they say when asked to spell out unforgettable moments in their life's journey. "Everything in our life has been pre-destined. We feel humbled when we see our efforts taking shape. Annmayya's lyrics which have the five aspects of swaram, balam, varnam, laya and samabalam characteristic of veda mantras are like mantras moulded into lyrics. They have today truly transcended borders as a cherished legacy" adds Dr. Saradapurna. "Thana chaduvu phalinchina kada/Thanadaina atma lo shanti nelakonuta" (only when one's endeavours are fruitful will one find peace within) Annamayya's words resonate in the life of the Sonty couple Drs. Sriram and Saradapurna as they move forward ever striving, ever achieving.