>Msclrfl22 at 10:31, 23 May 2021

2021-05-23T10:31:24Z

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{{short description|Indian playback singer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = B. R. Chaya
| native_name =
| image = BR Chaya.jpg
| caption = Chaya in 2019
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 16 October
| birth_place = [[Bengaluru]], Karnataka
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 1983–present
| genre = [[Sugama Sangeetha]], [[Playback singer|playback]]
| occupation = Singer, entrepreneur
| website = {{URL|brchaya.com}}
}}

'''Bengaluru Ramamurthy Chaya''', popularly known as '''B. R. Chaya''', is an Indian, Kannada [[playback singer]], [[Stage musical|stage performer]] and a popular [[Sugama Sangeetha]] singer from [[Karnataka]] state. She has performed pop, folk, devotional and bhavageethe (light music). She is affectionately known as the "Nightingale of Karnataka",<ref name=autogenerated1>http://www.saiamrithadhara.com/singers/chaya.html{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> a [[Rajyotsava Prashasti]] recipient from the State Government of Karnataka and a recipient of [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer]] twice.<ref>{{cite news |title=On My Pinboard: B R Chaya |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-lifestyle/on-my-pinboard-b-r-chaya-744847.html |work=Deccan Herald |date=4 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Pupora - ESCUCHAR MUSICA ONLINE GRATIS SIN DESCARGAR|url=https://pupora.com/artist/1276189/b-r-chaya/about|access-date=2021-03-27|website=pupora.com}}</ref>

She has, to her credit, more than 16000 songs in the non filmy genre. She works primarily for the Kannada film industry. Chaya owns an audio company called "Kinnari Audio" that focus on encouraging the new budding musical talents to launch their own musical albums. She also owns a popular music band "B. R. Chaya & Party" that conducts various musical programs across Karnataka state.<ref>{{cite news |title=Watch Popular Kannada Devotional Video Song 'Taatana Padakke' Sung By B. R. Chaya. Popular Kannada Devotional Songs {{!}} Kannada Bhakti Songs, Devotional Songs, Bhajans, and Pooja Aarti Songs {{!}} Lifestyle - Times of India VideosTweets by TimesLitFestDelTweets by timeslitfestkol ► |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/lifestyle/devotional/kannada/watch-popular-kannada-devotional-video-song-taatana-padakke-sung-by-b-r-chaya-popular-kannada-devotional-songs-kannada-bhakti-songs-devotional-songs-bhajans-and-pooja-aarti-songs/videoshow/74824030.cms |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

==Early days and debut==
Chaya was born to Ramamurthy and S. G. Janaki. She was a music lover from her childhood and was called a "child prodigy"<ref name=autogenerated1 /> and received her first music lessons from her grandparents, Krishna Rao and Bhageerathamma. Although Chaya qualified her exam in carnatic classical music, she was interested in light music in general along with film songs particularly.

She was 16 years old when she debuted her first song while visiting a recording studio in Chennai with her family. She was discovered by [[Ilaiyaraaja]] who asked her to record a song with [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam|S P Balasubrahmanyam]]. She was advised to stay in Chennai to continue singing but as the city was unfamiliar to her, she worked as a watch mechanic for a few years in [[HMT (company)|HMT]] after doing a course in [[horology]] at [[R.V. College of Engineering|RV College]], and later represented Karnataka at a [[Doordarshan]] national competition in [[Chennai]].<ref name="deccanherald.com">{{Cite web|date=2021-02-13|title=B R Chaya: I was never burdened with household work|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/b-r-chaya-i-was-never-burdened-with-household-work-950659.html|access-date=2021-03-27|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=BR Chaya|url=http://www.brchaya.com/about.html|access-date=2021-03-27|website=www.brchaya.com}}</ref>

==Career==
Chaya recorded her first song in 1983. She was 16 years old and was on a trip to south India with her family. During the trip, they happened to visit a recording studio in Chennai where Ilaiyaraaja was also recording. After listening to her sing, he made her come back the next day for recording. What followed was a duet between her and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam for the Tamil film ''Jothi'' . She recollected that S.P was "very encouraging". “He saw my notes written in Kannada, and he was excited that I was a Kannada speaker,” she said.<ref name="deccanherald.com"/> But it was her participation in a Doordarshan national competition in Chennai few years later that brought her attention. The music composer, Vijaya Bhasker, was a judge at the competition and was impressed by her singing. He introduced her to the Kannada film industry where she got the chance to record ''Hindusthaanavu endoo mareyada'' in Puttana Kanagal’s directorial ''Amrutha Ghalige''.

The song turned out to be a hit and a slew of offers followed after that. She sung more than 15,000 non-film songs which where mostly Kannada bhavageethes in addition to singing songs in Tulu, Konkani, Tamil and Telugu. She became the youngest sir to get an 'A' grade in AIR and Doordarshan. Her hit bhavageethes include ''Karunaalu baa belake, Amma ninna edeyaaladalli, Ondu munjaavinali, Toredu hogadiro jogi, Yaako kaane rudra veene, Ibbani haasu jaaruthide, Huchhu khodi manasu, O enna deshabaandhavare, Ello hudukide illada devara'' and ''Bhaagyada bale.'' She has sung in more than 300 films so far. Her popular film songs include ''Belli rathadali soorya tanda kirana'' from ''Indrajith'', ''Ninnantha appa illa'' and ''Haalallaadaroo haaku'' from ''Devatha Manushya'', ''Eke heegaayto naanu kaanenu'' from ''Anjada Gandu'', ''Rutumaana samputadi'' from ''Kaadina benki'', and ''Ibbani tabbida ileya'' She went on to record songs with singers like [[M. Balamurali Krishna]], [[P. B. Sreenivas]], [[K. J. Yesudas]], [[Dr. Rajkumar]] and [[S. P. Balasubramanyam]]. She also sang with [[S. Janaki]], [[P. Susheela]], [[Bangalore Latha]], [[Vani Jairam]] and [[Manjula Gururaj]]. She has worked under music composers [[Rajan-Nagendra]], [[Vijaya Bhaskar]], [[Upendra Kumar]], [[M. Ranga Rao]], [[Hamsalekha]], [[V. Manohar]], [[C.Ashwath]], and ''H. K. Narayan''. Chaya got the chance to sing under [[P. B. Sreenivas]]'s music direction in the movie ''Helavanakatte Giriyamma''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kannada Devotional And Spiritual Song 'Sirasiya Sri Marikambe' Sung By B. R. Chaya {{!}} Lifestyle - Times of India VideosTweets by TimesLitFestDelTweets by timeslitfestkol ► |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/lifestyle/devotional/kannada/kannada-devotional-and-spiritual-song-sirasiya-sri-marikambe-sung-by-b-r-chaya/videoshow/73032264.cms |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Raaga.com|title=BR. Chaya songs, BR. Chaya hits, Download BR. Chaya Mp3 songs, music videos, interviews, non-stop channel|url=https://www.raaga.com/kannada/singer/BR.-Chaya|access-date=2021-03-27|website=www.raaga.com|language=en}}</ref>

She is currently a judge on ''Gaana Chandana'' and has been doing virtual concerts since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.[https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/b-r-chaya-i-was-never-burdened-with-household-work-950659.html]

Chaya is the first singer to receive the [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer]] for the song "''Ruthumana samputadi''" from the movie "[[Kadina Benki|Kaadina Benki]]" in 1988.<ref>http://www.saavn.com/s/song/kannada/Kadina-Benki/Ruthumana-Samputadi/Cg4JUht0VUA</ref>

==Personal life==
Chaya was born on 16 October. She completed her graduation at RV College in Bangalore and married to Padmapani Jodidar with whom she has a daughter. They are currently residing in Bangalore, India.

==Awards and recognitions==
* 2010 – [[Rajyotsava Prashasti|Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti]]
* 1988 – [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer]] – Song: ''Ruthumana samputadi'' from ''Kaadina Benki''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIJwJEinfnw|title=YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
* 1995 – [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer]] – Song: ''Ibbani tabbida ileyali'' from ''Rashmi''

== See also ==
* [[Bangalore Latha]]
* [[B. K. Sumitra]]
* [[Rathnamala Prakash]]
* [[Chandrika Gururaj]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|brchaya.com}}
*{{IMDb name|6497492}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaya, B. R.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Singers from Bangalore]]
[[Category:Kannada playback singers]]
[[Category:Indian female film singers]]
[[Category:Indian female pop singers]]
[[Category:Kannada people]]
[[Category:Film musicians from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Women musicians from Karnataka]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:Indian singers by state or union territory|Karnataka]]
[[Category:Singers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Women artists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2010]]
[[Category:1967 births]]

B. R. Chaya - Revision history

>Msclrfl22 at 10:31, 23 May 2021