Annavarapu Rama Swamy

Annavarapu Ramaswamy was born on March 27, 1926 in Somavarappadu, West Godavari district. His father Pentayya Nadaswara was a Nadaswaram scholar. His elder brother Annavarapu Gopalam worked as an Ghatam artist on the Akashavani for a long time and then retired and died. He learned music from Maganti Jagannadham Chaudhary and later from Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Panthula. Among the disciples of Parupalli Ramakrishna - Balamuralikrishna, Annavarapu Ramaswamy and Nallana Chakravarti Krishnamacharya are famous.

Over the past eight decades, he has given concerts in many countries such as USA, Canada, UK, France, Muscat, Bahrain, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Doha, Sri Lanka. In 1998 and 2012, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations awarded him the title of Outstanding Artist under the Violin category. Madras Music Academy conferred T. T. K. Memorial Award to him. He invented new Taal called "Vandana", "Sri Durga". He invented the locks called "Trinētrādi" and "Vēdādi". He composed new characters and works. He studied vocals, lute, clarinet, flute and vocal instruments along with many other violins. His disciples organize the Hyderabad Thyagaraja Worship Festival every year.

He joined All India Radio Vijayawada in November 1948. The Vijayawada center had not yet been started. N. S. Ramachandran selected him, Krishnamacharya and Dandamudi and started the center. They worked as artists until 1986. He is now a top grade musician on the radio. He was elected for the Fellowship of Andhra Pradesh Sangeeta Akademi in 1983.

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, by the Government of India, 1996[6]
• Fellowship of Andhra Pradesh Sangeet Akademi in 1983[5]
• Padma Shri, by the Government of India, 2021[4]