The legendary singer, who was hospitalized in August after testing positive for COVID-19, died Friday afternoon at a private hospital in Chennai.
Legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away in a private hospital in Chennai on Friday. He was 74 years old.
Balasubrahmanyam was hospitalized in August at MGM Healthcare after testing positive for COVID-19, and although he reportedly did well initially, he worsened and was put on a ventilator and ECMO support.
On September 7, he tested negative for COVID-19, but continued on the ventilator and ECMO even while participating in passive physical therapy.
Popularly known as SPB, Balasubrahmanyam made his singing debut in 1966 with the film Telugu. Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. She has sung more than 40,000 songs in up to 16 languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.
Balasubrahmanyam was also an announcer. He was the voice-over artist for actor Kamal Hassan, whenever the latter’s Tamil films were dubbed in Telugu. Balasubrahmanyam also acted in some movies.
He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, both of whom are reproduction singers.
Balasubrahmanyam sang thousands of songs in South Indian languages and Hindi over five decades for generations of actors, from MGR, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan, to the stars of the present, and is the winner of six national awards. He had also won the hearts of various fans around the world for whom his songs set milestones.
‘Paadum Nila’ (Singing Moon), as his fans called him, had a melodious voice with the best traces of great singers. “His was the voice of AM Raja, like the breeze, with the softness of PB Srinivas and the naturalness of Mohamed Rafi,” said film music historian Vamanan.
His voice effortlessly captured various human emotions and feelings. In one scene he sang a parody: Annatha adarse othiko a laugh in his voice, and in another scene he would powerfully express the anguished mind when translating Unna nenachan paatu padichen thangame as seen in Apoorva Sagodharargal. She had acted in movies like Manathil Uruthi Vendum, Keladi kanmani Y Sikaram, in addition to composing music for some movies.
An extremely kind and cool man who enjoyed his moments with interviewers, SPB once said that he liked life and never wanted to die. Others in the industry had only the best words for him, considering him a friend and guide.
SPB won its first national award for Sankarabharanam, even though all the songs in the Telugu movie are based on purely carnatic ragas. He was never formally trained in carnatic music, but that didn’t stop him, not then, not ever. “Even SPB was apprehensive about taking on the task, as he didn’t have the proper training in classical music. It was TK Pugazhlendi, the assistant music director KV Mahadevan, who convinced SPB to perform the songs, ”said Mr. Vamanan. And what a success they turned out to be.
The second time she won the award was for her first Hindi song, Tere Mere Beech Mein in the movie. Ek Duuje Ke Liye. Two more awards came their way for Telugu movies. Sagarasangamam Y Rudraveena. Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai, Kannada’s film earned him the fifth national award.
The Tamil Film Award eluded him for many years despite the fact that his collaboration with music directors Ilayaraja and MS Viswanathan had resulted in countless duets, solos, folk songs, parodies and songs with classical touches. He finally won it for the song Thanga Thamarai in the movie. Minsara kanavu for which the music was composed by AR Rahman.
SPB in an interview said that Tamil movies offered many scenes and scopes in which a song sat perfectly, without any artificiality.
Born Sripathi Paditha Arathyula Balasubramaniam, in 1946, the son of Sambamurthy, an exponent of Harikatha based in Nelloor, SPB’s ambition was to become an engineer. His failure to clarify an issue in his PUC course forced him to follow the now-defunct AMIE course in Chennai. But the music in his blood attracted him to singing competitions and eventually to the world of cinema.
His talent was discovered by another playing singer and musical director, SP Kothandapani, who was sitting in the audience at a competition at the Andhra Cultural and Social Society (ASCA) and provided him with the opportunity to sing in the Telugu film. Sri Sri Mariatha Ramanna. SPB was one of four singers, SP Kothandapani, P. Susheela, PB Srinivas and Eelapada Raguramaiha, who performed the ragamalika song, Emi Evindha Mogum.
“Anyone who had heard the role he played for Shoban Babu would have realized the potential of the voice. It turned out to be the prelude to a recording career in film music, ”Vamanan said. As they say, the rest was history.
Looking back, even as he secured a foothold in the Telugu industry, a break in the Tamil film industry proved elusive until an introduction to music director MS Viswanthan (MSV) through his friend Bharani. SPB chose to feature Nilava Ennidam Nerungathy over MSV, who liked the voice, but had reservations about her Tamil pronunciation. It was actually a chance encounter with MSV that opened the doors to Tamil film music. SPB came in like a cool breeze with Iyarkai Ennum Ilayakanni, for the film Santhi Nilayam.
“Although the song was recorded first, another song, Aayiram Nilave Vaa on the MGR-starrer Adimaipen it reached the public first: the film was released in early 1969, ”explained Mr. Vamanan.
Both songs became a hit overnight. SPB would appreciate the opportunity provided by MGR and Music Director KV Mahadevan, who introduced him to the future Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
SPB fell ill with malaria after the trial ended. But MGR waited until he recovered. “MGR told me they didn’t want to disappoint me. I felt that I would have informed my friends and that if they did not give me the opportunity, my friends would not think well of my ability as a singer, ”SPB once said.
Later in the movie Suryakanthi, he sang the number Naan Endral Avalum Naanum and the late Prime Minister Jayalalithaa interpreted the verses in English. His replay songs for actor Sivaji Ganesan, particularly Pootuvaitha Mugamo in Sumathi In Sundari and Emuna Nadhi Inkey in Gowravam they were equally popular.
Although there is an argument that MGR had become involved in SPB due to its difference of opinion with TM Soundararajan (TMS), Mr. Vamanan said that MGR continued to prefer TMS to perform duets and songs with political messages. MGR also provided opportunities for KJ Jesudas and Jayachandran.
SPB sang Aval Oru Navarasa Natakam in the movie Ulagam Suttrum Vaaliban and Paadum Pothu Naan Thendral Kattru and Angey Varuvathu Yaro in the film Netru Indru Naalai. MSV continued to use SPB in all-actor movies.
Although he worked with other musical directors such as V. Kumar, Vijaybaskar and Shyam, the trajectory of SPB’s career rose with the arrival of Ilayaraja and actors such as Rajinikant and Kamal Haasan.
Even with Ilayaraja it didn’t happen right away. SPB couldn’t have a chance at Annakili, Patrakalai, Kavikuyil, Durgadevi, Deepam Y Thunai Iruppal Meenakshi. However, once the combination started, it proved unstoppable. Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri He offered him two outstanding songs: Raja Enbar Mandhiri Enbar and Vizhiyile Malarnthathu. The duets he did with S. Janaki were irreplaceable.
At a time when Ilayaraja began to dominate film music, MSV’s music for Ninaithale Inikkum it rocked and almost every song was performed by SPB in the movie. Later, when MSV and Ilayaraja teamed up to compose music for Nick Thiranthathu Kathavu, SPB was his natural choice.
Actor Mohan benefited greatly from Ilayaraja’s music and SPB’s voice. Almost every song in his movies turned out to be a huge hit. His voice remained eternally young and captivated his fans by appearing on stage with light music companies.
He and Ilayaraja got into a little fight after the musical director prevented him from singing the songs he composed on stage, based on copyright claims. The two got dressed up later, at a public event.
SPB was MSV’s favorite singer and he would always appreciate the song Ilakkanam Marudho in the movie. Nizhal Nijamahirathu.
When MSV composed music for Krishna Ganangal written by Kannadasan, SPB sang the song, Ayarpadi Maligaiyil Thaimadiyil Kantrinaipol Mayakannan Thoongukiran lullaby. And now, the SPB himself will be asleep forever, his voice sounding the same lullaby that he has played in various homes for decades.
SPB no longer exists, but your voice will live on.
.
