Keertanalu( Telugu) = songs which can be sung by anyone, anywhere and anytime.  Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of the following languages Kannada, Sanskrit , Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and many more.

Keertans contain three parts:

1. Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.
2. Anupallavi. The second verse.
3. Charana. The final (and longest) verse that wraps up the song.

Some Keertanas have a verse between the anupallavi and the charaṇa, called the chiṭṭaswara. This verse consists only of notes, and has no words.

  All songs by Tyagaraja (who composed in Telugu) have the word Thyagaraja in them, all songs by Muthuswami Dikshitar (who composed in Sanskrit) have the words Guruguha in them, songs by Syama Sastri (who composed in Telugu) have the words Syama Krishna in them, Purandaradasa, who composed in Kannada, used the signature Purandara Vittala  and respectively.

 Shruti boxes provide a rich drone background that supports singing or playing almost any  instrument.