SP Balasubrahmanyam No More…
It is hard to imagine that the colossal figure in the Indian film industry has fell silent. The legendary singer, SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB as he is known popularly) who was hospitalised in August after testing positive for Covid-19, died on Friday afternoon at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 74.
Spirituality to Devotional Songs
Very few people know that SPB was not just films playback singer, he has over 6,000 devotional albums to his credit. Even the devotional songs he has sung in all the south Indian languages as well as in Hindi.
There was an SPB song for all occasions. His devotional songs were constantly played on the cassette player at the neighbourhood temple, Ganesha pandals and he was the top choice of those preparing for the pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
Former BBC correspondent Sampath Kumar did a 63-part radio series on Tamil film music, said SPB was never methodical in his music. He surprised the listener with the drama in his voice. “There is never a dull moment when SPB sings,” Kumar said.
SP Balasubrahmanyam Life
Born Sripathi Paditharathyula Balasubrahmanyam, in 1946, to Nellore-based Harikatha exponent Sambamurthy, SPB’s ambition was to become an engineer. His failure to clear a subject in his PUC course forced him to pursue the now-defunct AMIE course in Chennai. SPB didn’t train in classical singing, although he did show interest in learning instruments.
A college friend’s intervention in 1963 changed SPB’s future. The friend entered SPB’s name in a light music competition, which he won. At another such competition, music director SP Kodandapani asked for an audition. The budding singer chose the melody Nilave Ennidam Nerungathe, sung by PB Sreenivas in the Tamil movie Ramu. In retrospect, the choice seems obvious. The song drowns the listener in pathos and provides the singer ample opportunity to emote.
SP Balasubrahmanyam Film Journey
SPB made his professional debut on December 15, 1966, in the Telugu movie Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. The song “Emi E Vintha Moham”, became fairly popular. From then there has been no looking back. As he made a mark in film industry, his impeccable voice was something to be reckoned for among other the music industry in the country.
Slowly, people approached him for singing devotional albums and being a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, he was more than happy to oblige to be part of devotional songs. A no-nonsense person that he is, SPB worked with young and old alike and never displayed his stature. “This was what is needed for singing devotional songs. Films songs are different; here we need dedication, sincerity and most important respect to the songs. SPB sir had this in ample,” says Satyadev Janga, who has done over dozen devotional albums with SPB.
Be it songs on Ayyappa or Vinayaka or Venkateswara or Devi or Muruga, he has song all of them, and every single album is a big success. They are popular among the devotees and at most of the pilgrimages in south India, one can hear them to the fullest.
SP Balasubrahmanyam Bhakti
Even his devotional songs for films like Annayamayya, Bhakta Ramadasu, Panduranga, Shridi Sai, Pooja, Naagu, etc are very popular numbers that are listened to by people till date. “There is an unknown beauty in the voice that has made SPB a legend. His devotional songs are something that are out of this world and listening to them in itself takes to the world of divinity and spirituality.
“Man for all seasons and all occasions, SPB had the very unique gift that made him adopt to the needs of the music director and deliver the best for that particular song. It is not just with film songs, but is all the more important for devotional numbers, because the voice should clearly bring out the divine quality of the lyrics and SPB was master in that,” says Keeravani (MM Kreem in Hindi film industry), music director who has worked with SPB for more them dozen devotional films.
Just go to Google and type devotional songs of SPB, you will find endless list that will surprise you because he is the same person who has sung best of romantic songs, and he also has credit of signing the greatest devotional songs of all time.
SPB’s songs are part of the collective experience of devotion and spirituality. Where will history place SPB in the pantheon of great singers? His sheer longevity, perhaps matched by none other, sets him apart from all.
@religionworld
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