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Annamacharya

Tallapaka Annamacharya (; 9 May 1408 – 23 February 1503), also known as Annamayya, was a Telugu composer and Hindu saint. Born in Thallapaka, he composed devotional songs known as ''saṁkīrtanas'' in praise of Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu. He is the earliest known Indian musician to utilize this song form.

Annamacharya composed approximately 32,000 ''saṁkīrtanas'', of which 14,904 are extant. His kirtanas are classified into ''adhyatma'' (spiritual) and ''sringara'' (romantic) genres and are credited with influencing the structural development of Carnatic music. His work also addressed social issues of his era, including the status of untouchable castes.

In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, he is identified as an avatar of Nandaka, the sword of Vishnu. He is referred to in Telugu literature as ("Grandfather of Telugu Songwriting"). Provided by Wikipedia