Veteran Composer Koti to Perform 90s Reunion Concert in Gachibowli on August 22

Veteran Telugu music composer Saluri Koteswara Rao, popularly known as Koti, is scheduled to perform live at the "Koti: Hyderabad’s Biggest 90s Reunion" concert at Heart Cup Coffee in Gachibowli on August 22.

Koti will perform his original film compositions alongside a band comprising six singers. The performance follows a recent show at a venue in Vijayawada, with the composer noting that classic songs from the 1980s and 1990s continue to find appreciation among younger generations, including Gen Z listeners.

With a career spanning 50 years as a musician and 42 years as a composer, Koti reflected on his long journey in Telugu cinema. Early in his career, he partnered with composer Raj (Thotakura Somaraju) to form the successful duo Raj-Koti. Together, they incorporated electronic instruments and rhythm-heavy beats into Telugu film music, scoring tracks for leading actors such as Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Suman, and Mohan Babu.

Notable tracks from their catalogue include "Priya O Priya" from Natchathira Porattam and "June July". Koti continued to compose independently through the 2000s, delivering successful soundtracks for films such as Nuvve Kavali, Nuvvu Naaku Nachav, Malleshwari, Ela Cheppanu, and Nuvve Nuvve, culminating in his acclaimed work for the fantasy film Arundhati.

Reflecting on his beginnings, Koti shared that he started playing drums at age six with a Chennai-based band named Vibrations without formal training. Although his father, composer S. Rajeswara Rao, wanted him to pursue a career as an IAS officer, Koti taught himself guitar after school and subsequently developed his approach to composition.

Koti also weighed in on technological shifts in modern music, stating that while advanced processing tools and artificial intelligence are widely used, AI-generated outputs merely recombine existing trends, patterns, and processing techniques from the past decade rather than serving as truly creative platforms. He added that he remains open to composing for films again if given the right project.