Shobha Raju

Shobha Raju is an Indian singer, writer, and composer, who mostly specialize in the devotional genre. She sings bhajans or the recitals of the verses from the holy book, Bhagavad Gita. She was born in Vayalpadu, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, on December 30, 1957. R. G. Narayana Raju, her father, was a Deputy Collector. She went to Sri. Padmavathi Women's College, Tirupati, A. P, to do her degree course. Shobha has a bachelor's degree in history, music, and economics. Shobha's father was her first mentor followed by Sri Nedunuri Krishna Murthy Garu, Mr. Pullaiah, Mr. Tiruttani Krishnamurthy, and many others. Shobha was a child prodigy as she started composing music at the tender age of four. By sixteen, she played gramophone non-stop and made a record. At the same time, All India Radio also offered her a job to work with them.

The next year, she won most of the competitions at the National level. In 1976, she received a scholarship from TTD, using which she studied the compositions of Annamacharya. Two years later, TTD appointed her as the propagator of Annamacharya's views. Shobha was the project officer of Bhadrachalam Devasthanam that sponsored a music project named Rama Rasa Vahini. She routinely organizes cultural programs to encourage young talent. Shobha has donated some of the herearnings to Indian and foreign hospitals. She compelled the government of India's postal department to release a stamp featuring Annamacharya on it. Besides Annamacharya, Shobha is a follower of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Besides singing, she is also the author of Pedatirumalayya Parichayam, Sripadartham, and many others.

In fact, several newspapers and magazines have featured her stories and articles. Shobha is also a captivating speaker and has a good command of the language. She is the director of TV serials and music albums like Sri Annamacharya and Sri Annamacharya respectively. In 2010, the government of India offered her the Padma Shri award. Three years later, the state authorities of Andhra Pradesh gave her the prestigious Hamsa Award. Besides this, Shobha is also the recipient of Telugu Association of North America's Annamayya Pada Kokila, Telugu Kala Samithi's Sankeertana Praveena, and many others. Telugu University gave her their honorary doctorate. Shobha is also the advisor and committee member of regional ICCR and Annamacharya Project, TTD, respectively. Her husband, Dr. S. Nanda Kumar Nanda Kumar Sekar is a Chennai born Indian footbal >> Read More... , is an ex-project executive of National Dairy Development Board. However, he later quit his job to help Shobha in her endeavors.

Shobha Raju Family Tree (Infographic Family Tree)