Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam[a] (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), shortened as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam or SPB, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer.[7][8] He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian singers of all time.[9][10][11] He predominantly worked in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films and sang in a total of 16 languages.[12]
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam made a debut as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with a Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna scored by his mentor, S. P. Kodandapani.[8][13] In career spanning over five decades, he has won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his works in four different languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi; 25 Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards for his work in Telugu cinema; and numerous other state awards from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments.[14][15] In addition, he won six Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award.[16] According to some sources, he held the Guinness World Record for recording the highest number of songs by a singer with over 50,000 songs in 16 languages.[12][17][8][18] On 8 February 1981, he created a record by recording 27 songs in Kannada from 9 am to 9 pm. In addition, he recorded 19 songs in Tamil, 16 songs in Hindi in a day, which has also been called a record.[8]
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam was born in Nellore, in present-day Andhra Pradesh into a Telugu Brahmin family.[22][27][28] His father, S. P. Sambamurthy, was a Harikatha artist who also acted in plays.[29] His mother was Sakunthalamma, who died on 4 February 2019.[30] He had two brothers and five sisters, including singer S. P. Sailaja.[31][32][33] His son S. P. Charan is also a popular South Indian singer, actor and producer.[34]
Balasubrahmanyam developed an interest in music at an early age, studied musical notations and learned music out of his own interest. He enrolled at the JNTU College of Engineering Anantapur with the intention of becoming an engineer. He often said that, at the time his only dream was to fulfil his father's ambition and become an engineer and get a government job.[35][36]
Balasubrahmanyam continued to pursue music during his engineering studies and won awards at singing competitions. He discontinued his studies early due to typhoid and joined as an associate member of the Institution of Engineers, Chennai.[37][38] In 1964, he won the first prize in a music competition for amateur singers organized by the Madras-based Telugu Cultural Organization.
He was the leader of a light music troupe composed of Anirutta (on the harmonium), Ilaiyaraaja (on guitar and later on harmonium), Baskar (on percussion) and Gangai Amaran (on guitar).[39] He was selected as the best singer in a singing competition which was judged by S. P. Kodandapani and Ghantasala.[40][41] Often visiting music composers seeking opportunities, his first audition song was "Nilave Ennidam Nerungadhe". It was rendered by veteran playback singer P. B. Sreenivas, who used to write and give him multi-lingual verses in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, English and Urdu.[42]
SP Balasubrahmanyam and his wife being felicitated by K. J. Yesudas and his wife
Balasubrahmanyam debuted as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with the song 'Emiyee Vinta Moham' for Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna, a Telugu film scored by his mentor, S. P. Kodandapani.[36][43][13] The first non-Telugu song that he recorded just eight days after his debut Telugu song was in Kannada in 1966 for the film Nakkare Ade Swarga, starring Kannada comedy stalwart T. R. Narasimharaju.[44][45] He recorded his first Tamil song "Athaanodu Ippadi Irundhu Eththanai Naalaachu", a duet with L. R. Eswari under the musical direction of M. S. Viswanathan for the film Hotel Ramba, which never released. The song "Medante Meda Kaadu" from the film Sukha Dukhalu (1968) composed by Kondandapani brought him recognition in Telugu cinema.[46]
Other early songs he sang were duets with P. Susheela, "Iyarkai Ennum Ilaya Kanni" in the 1969 film Shanti Nilayam, starring Gemini Ganesh, and "Aayiram Nilavae Vaa" for M. G. Ramachandran in Adimaippenn.[47] His first song with S. Janaki was "Pournami Nilavil Pani Vizhum Iravil" in Kannippenn. He was then introduced to the Malayalam film industry by G. Devarajan in the film Kadalppalam.[48] As per Balasubrahmanyam, "Ye Divilo Virisina Parijathamo" from the 1973 Telugu film Kannevayasu composed by Satyam gave an amazing turning point to his singing career.[49]
Balasubrahmanyam had the distinction of rendering the most songs on a single day by any singer.[50] He had recorded 21 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bangalore from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on 8 February 1981 and 19 songs in Tamil, 16 songs in Hindi in a day.[51] In his words, "There were days when I used to record 15–20 songs, but only for Anand Milind. And I would take the last flight back to Chennai."[52][53] In the 1970s, he also worked with M. S. Viswanathan in Tamil movies for actors such as M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan. He recorded duets with P. Susheela, S. Janaki, Vani Jayaram and L. R. Eswari. Balasubrahmanyam's association with Ilaiyaraaja began even before Ilaiyaraaja came to the cine field. In the early days, he used to sing in towns and villages all over south India and Ilaiyaraaja, then an unknown harmonium and guitar player accompanied him in his concerts.[54]
1980s
Balasubrahmanyam came to international prominence with the 1980 film Sankarabharanam. The film is considered to be one of the best films ever to emerge from the Telugu film industry.[55] Directed by K. Viswanath, the film's soundtrack was composed by K. V. Mahadevan and led to an increase in the usage of Carnatic music in Telugu cinema as well as in other languages. Not a classically trained singer, he used a "film music" aesthetic in recording the songs.[56] Balasubrahmanyam received his first National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his work. His first work in Hindi films was in the following year, in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981),[57] for which he received another National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer.[15]
Balasubrahmanyam began to record more songs in Telugu and other South Indian languages, especially for Ilaiyaraaja with S. Janaki, the trio considered to be highly successful in the Tamil film industry from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The songs were based on classical music, such as in Saagara Sangamam (1983) and Rudraveena (1988), for which both Ilaiyaraaja and Balasubrahmanyam won National Awards for Best Music Director and Best Male Playback Singer respectively.[58] South Indian actor Chiranjeevi admits that '''SPB''' voice is one of the main reasons of his success.[59]
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chitra performing at Celebrating 50 years of musical journey of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam on 9 December 2016 at Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai
Balasubrahmanyam recorded three songs for A. R. Rahman in the latter's debut film Roja. He had a long-time association with Rahman right from Roja. Other popular songs include "July Maadham" from Pudhiya Mugam, which also marked the debut of singer Anupama,[67] "Mannoothu Manthayilae" from Kizhakku Cheemayile which was a folk number and he almost sang all songs in the musical love story Duet and "Thanga Thaamarai" from Minsara Kanavu which fetched him, the sixth and latest of his National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer to date.[68][69]
Balasubrahmanyam's association with Hamsalekha began after the latter's successful venture Premaloka in Kannada. Balasubrahmanyam sang the most songs for Hamsalekha in Kannada. He received his fourth National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Umandu Ghumandu" from the Kannada film Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavayi (1995), which was a Hindustani classical music-based composition by Hamsalekha.[58]
SPB is the only singer having a long spanning career of 54 years having at least two songs to record per day, even in his last days.[71]
In May 2020, SPB crooned a song on humanity titled "Bharath Bhoomi" which was composed by Ilaiyaraaja as a tribute to the people such as police, doctors, nurses and janitors who have been significantly working amid COVID-19 pandemic.[72] The video song was officially unveiled by Ilaiyaraaja through his official YouTube account on 30 May 2020 in both Tamil and Hindi languages.[73][74]
Balasubrahmanyam was married in 1969 to Savithri and has two children, a daughter Pallavi, and a son S. P. Charan, also a playback singer and film producer.
Balasubrahmanyam considered S. P. Kodandapani, who gave him his first singing offer and mentored him in his early career, to be his guru. He would reminisce about him throughout his life and would often pay tributes to him.[36][46] He named his recording theatre after him. He also named his film production company after him as 'Sri Kodandapani Film Circuits'.[46][84] He also idolised Mohammed Rafi.[85][86]
Illness and death
On 5 August 2020, Balasubrahmanyam tested positive for COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in India and was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai.[87] Subsequently, his health deteriorated and he was shifted to the intensive care unit in a critical state. He required a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. It is stated that it was due to his age (74 years) and multiple comorbidities he had (like diabetes) that his condition worsened.[88][89] His son Charan provided periodic updates over social media, while members of the Tamil film industry engaged in a mass prayer via Zoom on 20 August and candlelight vigils were held by fans outside the hospital.[90] Similarly many actors of Telugu film industry urged people to pray for his life, many Tollywood music composers also organised virtual mass prayers. Members of the Kannada film industry got together for another mass prayer on 4 September 2020 in Bengaluru.[91] On 7 September 2020, Balasubrahmanyam tested negative for the coronavirus, although he remained using a ventilator and ECMO. He started showing signs of recovery, including light speech and physical activities.[92] However, the hospital released a statement on 24 September stating that he became "extremely critical" and was on "maximal life support".[93]
Balasubrahmanyam died on 25 September 2020 at 1:04 pm (IST) of cardio-respiratory arrest after over a month-long hospitalisation.[94] He was buried at his farm house in Thamaraipaakkam, Thiruvallur district with state honours on 26 September 2020.[95]
Awards and nominations
Then Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presenting the centenary award to S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
^"DEVOTIONAL SONGS". The Hindu. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2022. Mr. Balasubrahmanyam was addressing a function at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Saturday after receiving the Harivarasanam Award instituted by the State government.
^"SP.Balasubrahmanyam's 67th Birthday". 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013. Today, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam is celebrating his 67th birthday. He was born on 4 June 1946 into a Telugufamily in Nellore. Balasubrahmanyam started singing from a very young age. After dropping out from an engineering program in JNTU, he got his first break in 1966, when he sang for Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna and he has sung over 40,000 songs. The State Government of AP presented the Nandi Award to Balasubrahmanyam 25 times. The Government of India honoured him with a Padma Bhushan award in 2011 and also presented him with six National Awards.
^Dinathanthi, Nellai Edition, 11 August 2006, p. 11.
^"The Beat". The Beat. 11. University of California: Bongo Productions: 71. 1992. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
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