The Bay Area Telugu Association (BATA) organized an evening of Annamacharya Sankeertanas rendered by renowned singer Dr. Shobha Raju at Livermore Hindu Culture and Community Center. The event was co-sponsored by Livermore Temple. The mesmerizing concert was enjoyed by over 700 people for over 3 hours and 30 minutes. The hall started filling up 45 minutes before the concert started and was filled to capacity by the time 
the concert started. Such is the allure of the rendition of Sankeertanas by Dr. Shobha Raju that people were looking for any place in the hall to sit and witness this unforgettable concert. 

Ms Vijaya Aasuri welcomed the audience on behalf of BATA and introduced Dr. Shobha Raju. She mentioned the accomplishment the singer has achieved over the past 29 years of her singing career and the many titles and honors conferred on her by the government and various organizations across the world. Ms. Vijaya thanked Dr. Shobha Raju for giving BATA the opportunity to organize the concert in the bay area for the 4th time and welcomed her onto the stage.

Dr. Shobha Raju started by rendering a prayer in remembrance of the victims of hurricane Katrina and prayed for the well being of the survivors. She then rendered a song on Lord Ganesh celebrating Vinayaka Chaturthi. Dr Shobha Raju immediately captured the audience with the magic of her voice and the 
compositions of Sain Annamacharya. The audience was lost in the music and imbibing every word from Dr. Shobha Raju. Dr. Shobha Raju interspersed her songs with experiences from her long career and anecdotes that captured the audience’s imaginations. She explained the teachings that were being imparted in the songs in great detail. Her excellent knowledge and understanding of puranas, shastras, sankeertanas was evident through out the concert. This educational, spiritual and musical rendition was enjoyed by the audience which stayed glued to their chairs for 
more than 3 and half hours. 

Dr, Shobha Raju displayed her versatility by singing a Hindi song to the delight of the audience. The entire hall was filled with rhythmic clapping as the audience was lost in the rendition of some sankertanas in folk tunes by Dr. Shobha Raju accompanied by some melodious music. People from the audience started sending in requests to Dr. Shobha Raju to sing some of their favourite songs. She called 7 year old Saaketh to accompany her on his request. Young Saaketh stole the hearts of the audience by his memory and 
confidence with which he sang the song as he sat next to the legend.

Ms. Vijaya Aasuri invited the BATA committee Ramesh Mandalapu (President), Veeru Vuppala, Karun Veligeti, Yugandhar Reddy, Kalyan Kattamuri, Prasad Mangina, Satish Pola, Srinivas Kolli, Srilu Veligeti, Sireesha Battula, Rai Thiruveedula, Veera onto the stage to felicitate Dr. Shobha Raju and her accompanying musicians. 

BATA conferred the title of “Annamayya Ganamrutha Varshini” in recognition of her efforts to preserve and propagate Annamacharya Sankeertanas and outstanding achievements as a singer. Dr. Shobha Raju introduced her musicians Samba Siva Rao on Tabla, Guru Prasad on Keyboards and Phani Narayana on Veena. 
Srinivas Malladi from Livermore Temple thanked Dr. Shobha Raju for the excellent concert. Temple priests blessed the couple Dr. Nanda Kumar, Dr. Shobha Raju and the musicians and presented Maha Prasadam.

Dr. Shobha Raju ended the concert with a soul stirring rendition of one of the famous Annamacharya Sankeertanas “Tandanana Ahi Tandananapure”.