Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (popularly known as Annamayya) was a saint composer of the Fifteenth Century, who hailed from Tallapaka village (Rajampeta Mandal) of Cuddapah District, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was believed to be the Nandakaamsham of Lord Venkateswara. He was born on a Vaisakha Shuddha Paurnami. Though he was born in Smartha (Shivite) tradition, he was later taken into the fold of Vaishnavism. Annamacharya was the very first Vak-geyakaara (composer of sankeerthanas using colloquial language) in Telugu and established a tradition which was later followed by a number of saint composers like Tyagaiah, Kshetraiah, Ramadasu, etc. Purandaradasa, Kannada composer, praised the Sankeerthanas of Sri Annamacharya and said that the Sankeerthanacharya is the incarnation of Lord Venkateswara Himself.

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya is believed to have born somewhere in/around Salivahana Saka 1330 (corresponding to 1408 AD) and attained Kaivalyam sometime in/around Salivahana Saka 1424 (corresponding to 1503 AD). Lord Venkateswara gave this composer His Darshan when he was 16 years old and directed him to compose kirthanas (Some say, the composer started his Sankeerthanas when he was just 8 years old. Some others say that one day while he was cutting grass with a sickle, it hit his hand and blood oozed out forming Shankam and Chakram of the Lord which diverted his way from leading a normal life towards composing thousands of Sankeerthanas). One of his two wives (Acchamamba) was also the first woman-writer in Telugu (She wrote 'Subhadra Parinayam').

Sri Annamacharya has in total composed 32,000 Sankeerthanas in Venkatachala Mudra, in different ragas, in praise of Lord Venkateshwara (He sang at least one a day during his lifetime) from a very young age. When he set forth on a pilgrimage to Tirumala, he is said to have had Darshan of Alamelu Manga (Padmavathi Devi); soon after which he sang a set of 100 poems (Alamelu Manga Shatakamu) in Sri Venkatesha makutam.

Sankeerthanaacharya was also in the court of King Salva Narasimha at Penugonda (grand father of Sri Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire) for about a year or so. He was the one who ensured that all kirthanas were carved/engraved on copper plates; some of which are now in the possession of Sri Venkateswara Oriental Research Institute, Tirupati.

Annamayya Sankeerthanas

In all, Annamacharya composed 32,000 sankeerthanas in Telugu out of which only 12,000 are found now. The Lord perhaps kept with Himself the rest 20,000 keerthanas when Annamacharya put forth these Sankirthanas before Him, as is evident from this Keerthana: Daachuko Nee Paadalaku...

Even out of these 12,000 sankeerthanas, only 2,000 could be deciphered and brought in consonance with the present form of language practice and ragas in vogue. (Telugu during 14th Century was somewhat different from the language now used and spoken.) Even out of these 2,000 keerthanas, only about 200 have become popular and very popular. Annamacharya's great adeptness and command over Telugu literature and its extensive usage is evident from his keerthanas like Srimannarayana, Hari namame kadu anandakaramu, Ide sirasu manikyam, Bhavamulona baahyamu nanduna, Bhavayami Gopalabalam, Tiruveedhula merisi devadevudu, Kadaludipi neeradaga talachu vaaralaku, Ksheerabdi kanyakaku, Tirutiru javarala, etc. (just to name a few). But at the same time, unlike many composers who confine themselves to literary (grandhika) form of language, Annamayya used the language of the lowest strata of the society, the language they used in their daily life. The keerthanas are in the form of a one-to-one dialogue of the Composer with the Lord Himself, as also in the forms of Gobbillu, Changu Bhala, etc. with dieties like Alarmelmangai / Alamelu Manga, Lord Narasimha, Lord Rama, Lord Hanuman, etc.

Stalwarts like Bharata Ratna MS Subbulakshmi sung many of Sri Annamacharya keerthanas. Also Shri G. Balakrishna Prasad, Dr. Shobha Raju, Shri K. Murali Krishna, etc. have sung many keerthanas melodiously.

Some of the keerthanas which have become very popular are given below:

1. Adivo Alladivo Srihari vasamu
2. Alara chanchalamaina athmalandunda nee alavatu
3. Alarulu kuriyaga aadinade
4. Ammamma emamma alamelmanga nanchaaramma
5. Amaregade nedu anni sobagulunu
6. Andariki nekkudaina Hanumanthudu
7. Anni manthramulu inde aavahinchenu, vennatho naaku kalige Venkateshu manthramu
8. Annitaa bhagyavanthuda vavuduvayya
9. Annitikini idi parama aushadhamu
10. Anniti moolambathadu vennuni kantenu velpulu leru
11. Antharyami alasiti solasiti
12. Anurenu Paripoorna maina roopamu
13. Aparadhini nenainaanu
14. Athani paadedanu adi vrathamu
15. Ayameva Ayameva aadi purusho
16. Bhaktha sulabhudunu parathanthrudu Hari
17. Bhavamu lona Baahyamu nanduna
18. Bhavayami Gopala balam
19. Brahma kadigina paadamu ... brahmamu taane nee paadamu
20. Brahmamokate Para Brahmamokkate... Tandanana ahi
21. Chakkani Thalliki changu bala
22. Cheri Yashodaku sishudithadu
23. Choodaramma sathulaala sobaana paadaramma
24. Choodavayya nee sudati valasamu
25. Daachuko nee paadaalaku thaga ne chesina pooja livi
26. Deenudanu nenu Devudavu neevu
27. Devadevam bhaje divya prabhavam
28. Deva sikhaa mani divijulu vogadaga
29. Dolayam nanda dolayam hare dolayam
30. Eda sugyana meda telivi naaku
31. Eedagu pendli iddari chesemu.. chedelaala idi chepparugaa
32. Eethadu O Ramudu ekaanga veerudu
33. Emani pogaduthume eka mimu
34. Emoko chiguru tadharamula edaneda kasthuri nindeno
35. Entha mathramuna evvaru thalachina ..
36. Entha nerchene ee kaliki .. inthula ketike inthesi pagatu
37. Gathulanni khilamaina kaliyugamandunu
38. Govindashrita gokula brinda paavana jayajaya
39. Hari naamame kadu ananda karamu
40. Hari nee mayame anthanu
41. Hari Ninnu pilichenu adigo amma
42. Ide shirasu manikyam icchi pampe neeku naake
43. Idi gaaka soubhagya midigaaka tapamu
44. Idiye naaku mathamu idi vratamu
45. Ihapara sadhanamidi okkate
46. Indariki abhayammu nicchu cheyi
47. Indukorake kada indaru itlayiri
48. Inni janmamu laetiki haridasulunna oora thanundina chalu
49. Ithadokade Sarveshvarudu
50. Ithanikante ghanulika leru
51. Itharulaku ninu eruga tharama..
52. Jagadapu chanavula jajara saginala manchapu jaajara
53. Jagathi pranulakella samsara bandhambu
54. Jayalakshmi Varalakshmi sangrama veera lakshmi
55. Jeevathamudai yundu chilaka
56. Jo achyutananda jojo mukunda rave paramananda
57. Kadaludipi neeradaga thalachu varalaku
58. Kantimi nedide garuda chalapathi
59. Kanti Shukravaramu gadiya ledinta
60. Kattedura vaikuntham kanachaina konda
61. Kolanilona munu gopikalu
62. Koluvai unnadu veede Govinda raaju
63. Koluvu dee bhakti kondala
64. Kommalala enthavade Govinda raju
65. Kondalalo nelakonna koneti rayudu veedu
66. Ksheerabdi kanyakaku Sri Maha Lakshmiki .. neerajanam
67. Madhava kesava madhu soodhana Vishnu
68. Mandu laedu deeniki mathamemiyu ledhu
69. Mangambudhi Hanumantha Nee charanam
70. Manujudai putti manujuni sevinchi
71. Marali marali jaya mangalamu
72. Medina jeevula gaana melukovayya
73. Meeku meeku namarunu mikkili vedukalella
74. Moode maatalu moodu moolla thommidi
75. Moosina muthyalakele moragulu
76. Muddugaare yashoda mungita muthyamu ..
77. Naa nati baduku naatakamu kanaka kannadi kaivalyamu
78. Namo Namo Raghukula Nayaka
79. Narayanate Namo Namo
80. Natanala bhramayaku naa manasa
81. Nigama nigamantha varnitha manohara roopa
82. Nithya poojalivigo .. pratyakshamainatti paramatmunaku
83. Okapari kokapari vayyaramai
84. Paluku thenela thalli
85. Parama purusha nirupamaana - saranu
86. Parama yogeeswarula paddathi idi
87. Paramatmudaina Hari pattapu ranivi neevu
88. Phala nethranala prabala vidyullatha
89. Periginadu choodaro pedda hanumanthudu
90. Pidikita thalambralu pelli koothuru
91. Podaganti mayya mimu purushothama
92. Ramudu Raghavudu Ravikuludithade
93. Ranga Ranga Rangapati Ranganatha
94. Sahaja vaishnava achara varthanula
95. Sakala sangrahamu .. hari naamamu
96. Sandadi sommulathodi saakaaramide veede
97. Sarva sulabhudu
98. Sarveswarudavu swatantrudavu neevu
99. Sevimparo janulala cheri mokkaro
100. Sharananti maathani sambandhamuna jesi
101. Shathaparadhaalu sahasra dandanalu levu
102. Sharanu Sharanu Surendra Sannuta
103. Shobhaname sobhaname vaibhavamuna
104. Shodasa kalanidhiki shodasopachaaramulu
105. Srimannarayana nee Sri Paadame Sharanu
106. Tharaka brahmamu thanai unnadu
107. Thé sharanamaham te sharana maham seshava Krishna
108. Thiru tiru javarala thithi thi thi
109. Tiruveedula merise devadevudu
110. Tolliyunu maa raaju tottela
111. Tvameva Sharanam kamalodhara shree jagannaatha
112. Ugguvettare voyamma cheyyoggeenide sishuvoyamma
113. Vacchenu Alamelu Manga
114. Vande Vasudevam Sri Patim
115. Vedakina theliyadu
116. Vedamulu sthuthimpaga vedukalu daivaraga
117. Vedukondama Venkata giri venkateshuni
118. Vibhuni vinayamulu vinavamma
119. Vijathulanniyu vrudha vrudha
120. Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha
121. Vinnapalu vinavale vintha vinthalu pannagapu domathera

          ... and many more (Just an indicative list, not exhaustive)