Telugu

Telugu is the language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Film singers like P. Susheela (who got her start singing in 1952) and an ever-shifting cast of so-called Tollywood filmmakers dominate the marketplace, but Andhra Pradesh actually has a long history of linking music, dance and storytelling. Ancient forms like kalapam explore a single dramatic moment or incident through a string of songs. But the most popular link between music and storytelling is the burrakatha, an event that traditionally lasts up to three days and involves three performers taking turns narrating, singing and acting out often improvised stories about mythology, history or current politics.