# B. R. Chaya

Bengaluru Ramamurthy Chaya, known as B. R. Chaya, is an Indian, Kannada playback singer, stage performer and a popular Sugama Sangeetha singer from Karnataka. She has performed pop, folk, devotional and bhavageethe (light music). She is recipient of Rajyotsava Prashasti from the State Government of Karnataka and also Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer .

## Early days and debut

Chaya was born to Ramamurthy and S. G. Janaki. she worked as a watch mechanic for a few years in HMT after doing a course in horology at RV College, and later represented Karnataka at a Doordarshan national competition in Madras. She made her debut with the Tamil-language film Jothi (1983) and her Kannada debut with Puttanna Kanagal's Amrutha Ghalige (1984).
She is currently a judge on Gaana Chandana and has been doing virtual concerts since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 "Kaadina Benki" in 1988.

## Discography

| Year | Film | Song | Composer(s) | Writer(s) | Co-Singer(s) |
| 1983 | Jothi (Tamil) | "Siricha Kollimalai Kuyilu" | Ilaiyaraaja | Vairamuthu | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1984 | Amrutha Ghalige | "Mayuri Natya Mayuri" | Vijaya Bhaskar | Vijaya Narasimha | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1984 | Amrutha Ghalige | "Hindustanavu Endu (female)" | Vijaya Bhaskar | Vijaya Narasimha | solo |
| 1985 | Nee Thanda Kanike | "Kannalli Preethi" (female) | Vijayanand | R. N. Jayagopal | solo |
| 1985 | Nee Thanda Kanike | "Kannalli Preethi" (duet) | Vijayanand | R. N. Jayagopal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1986 | Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma | "Nee Atthare Entha Chenna" | Singeetham Srinivasa Rao | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Rajkumar |
| 1987 | Huli Hebbuli | "Putta Putta Makkale" | Vijaya Bhaskar | Chi. Udaya Shankar | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1987 | Yarigagi | "Nota Kannota" | G. K. Venkatesh | Doddarange Gowda | solo |
| 1988 | Anjada Gandu | "Neeli Baanalli" | Hamsalekha | R. N. Jayagopal | solo |
| 1988 | Anjada Gandu | "Eke Heegaytho" | Hamsalekha | R. N. Jayagopal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1988 | Anjada Gandu | "Dumdum Dol" | Hamsalekha | R. N. Jayagopal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1988 | Devatha Manushya | "Ninantha Appa Illa" | Upendra Kumar | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Rajkumar |
| 1988 | Devatha Manushya | "Haalalladaru" (bit.) | Upendra Kumar | Chi. Udaya Shankar | solo |
| 1988 | Sangliyana | "Preethiyinda" | Hansalekha | Doddarange Gowda | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, B. R. Chaya |
| 1989 | Indrajith | "Belli Rathadali Surya" | Hamsalekha | Hamsalekha, KV Raju | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1989 | Yuddha Kaanda | "Kempu Thotadalli" | Hamsalekha | Hamsalekha | Vani Jairam, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| 1989 | Yuddha Kaanda | "Bolo Re Shanthi" | Hamsalekha | Hamsalekha | solo |
| 1990 | S. P. Sangliyana Part 2 | "Ramaiah Ramaiah Nee | Hamsalekha | Hamsalekha | Manjula Gururaj, Latha Hamsalekha |
| 1992 | Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda | "Bandano Bandano Bhagyava Thandano" | Vijaya Bhaskar | Nagathihalli Chandrashekar | Vishnu |

## Awards and recognitions

* 2010 – Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti
* 1988 – Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Song: Ruthumana samputadi from Kaadina Benki
* 1995 – Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Song: Ibbani tabbida ileyali from Rashmi