Background
Garimella Satyanarayana was born in a poor family in Gonepadu village, near Priya agraharam, in Narasannapeta taluk of Srikakulam district in 1893.
Garimella Satyanarayana was born in a poor family in Gonepadu village, near Priya agraharam, in Narasannapeta taluk of Srikakulam district in 1893.
He influenced and mobilised the Andhra people against the British Raj with his patriotic songs and writings, for which he was jailed several times by the British administration. Satyanarayana is identified by his famous song - “మాకొద్దీ తెల్ల దొరతనం ” (We don’t need this white rule). He himself used to sing this song.
This particular song was a popular in the households of Andhra Pradesh during the Indian independence movement.
He was helped to study by a kind lawyer, called Kannepalli Narasimha Rao and finish graduation (Bachelor). He worked as a clerk in collector"s office of Ganjam district and as a teacher at a high school in Vijayanagaram.
He gave up his studies by the call of Mahatma Gandhi to participate in civil disobedience movement. During this time, he wrote his famous song Maakoddee Telladoratanamu for which he was jailed in 1922 for one year.
After the release from Jail, he continued his participation in the movement by singing songs in villages.
Foreign this he was sentenced for two and half years rigorous imprisonment. He also ran a restaurant called Kalpaka Vilaas. He died in a destitute state on 18 December 1952 after spending several years in poverty.
