Visakhapatnam :

Legendary playback singer and movie artist Rao Bala Saraswathi Devi was honoured at Kalabharathi here on Sunday. The artiste’s first song ‘Thinne Meedha Sinnoda’ in 1943 was one of the first instances of playback singing in the history of Telugu cinema. The legendary singer continued for almost two decades more and she is still remembered for her melodious lullabies and sand songs.

Bala Saraswathi, who received the Ugadi Puraskara from the founders of the Seetha Ramaih Sangeetha Seva Trust, Velicheti Seetharamiah and Sujatha, thanked members of the trust for rendering some numbers she had sung almost seven decades ago. The troupe went on to render many of her later hits, including the numbers from Chenchu Lakshmi and Peeli Sandadi. Rao Bala Saraswathi noted that playback singing had undergone major changes over the last seven decades and added that she was delighted to witness these changes over the years.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / March 24th, 2014