Revolutionary folk singer and co-founder of Jana Natya Mandali, Vangapandu Prasad Rao, fondly referred to as ‘Uttarandhra Gaddar,’ passed away on Tuesday at his residence in Parvathipuram, Vizianagaram. The 77-year-old had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Vangapandu was a recipient of the Kala Ratna award in 2017. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, Vangapandu Usha. Usha is the cultural wing convenor of YSRCP.
Vangapandu was born in Pedda Bondapalli of Parvathipuram mandal in 1943. He founded the Jana Natya Mandali, the cultural wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War Party, along with ballad singer Gaddar in 1972.
The folk artist had written over 300 revolutionary and folk songs about class struggle, as well as songs touching the lives of the northern Andhra Adivasis. Some of his popular songs include, Yem Pillado Veldham Vasthava, Yentrametta Nadusthu Undante, and Jajjanaka Janare. Some of his songs have been translated into several languages. He also wrote songs for some Telugu films.
His longtime friend, ballad singer Gaddar mourned his death. "Vangapandu used to fuse folklore, literature and science in his songs. He was communist, who never feared to experiment with a variety of elements," Gaddar said.
Reacting to the demise of Vangapandu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote, “The news that Vangapandu is no more has deeply saddened me. I knew him personally and was fond of him. He made folklore his voice, and became the literary commander of the Uttarandhra movement by saying there are ‘paamuni podichina cheemalu’ (ants that have stung the snakes). I extend my deepest condolences to the Vangapandu family.”
వంగపండు ఇక లేరన్న వార్త ఎంతో బాధించింది. ఆయన వ్యక్తిగతంగా నాకు ఆప్తులు. జానపదాన్ని తన బాణీగా మార్చుకుని ‘‘పాముని పొడిచిన చీమలు’’న్నాయంటూ ఉత్తరాంధ్ర ఉద్యమానికి అక్షర సేనాధిపతిగా మారారు. వంగపండు కుటుంబానికి ప్రగాఢ సంతాపం తెలియజేస్తున్నాను.
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) August 4, 2020
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu also expressed his condolences. “The news that the revolutionary public poet, Vangapandu, who had enriched folk literature to revitalise the downtrodden, is no more, is very distressing. Though he is from northern Andhra, his literature has inspired people all over the world.”
“This is a huge loss to the Telugu literary world,” Naidu added.
అణగారిన వర్గాలలో చైతన్యం కలిగించేలా జానపద సాహిత్యాన్ని సుసంపన్నం చేసిన విప్లవకవి, ప్రజాకవి వంగపండు ప్రసాదరావుగారు ఇకలేరన్న వార్త ఎంతో బాధను కలిగించింది. ఉత్తరాంధ్ర వారే అయినా విశ్వవ్యాప్తంగా ఆయన సాహిత్యం ప్రజలను ఉత్తేజపరచింది. తెలుగు సాహితీలోకానికి ఇది తీరని లోటు pic.twitter.com/EPzkA099RA
— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) August 4, 2020
Similarly, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao offered his condolences to his family members and hailed Vangapandu Prasad Rao for writing songs on the common man’s problems, issues, movements, while trying to create awareness.