The voice of the south

A voice steeped in melody, and one that is burnt into the collective memory of millions, fell silent on Saturday. S. Janaki, always referred to as Janaki Amma, a suffix born out of respect and bequeathed to her spontaneously over the years, breathed her last at Mysuru.

In these weeks of departures, be it Bharathiraja and K. Bhagyaraj, Janaki’s move into the mists of time, is the latest blow. Her sound remained intrinsic to most Indians, especially south of the Vindhyas. Be it Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam, every fan from these Dravidian languages will have a favourite Janaki song, and one that made them believe that she belonged to their State.

Janaki sang in Hindi and Sinhala too, but it was in the South Indian languages that she carved a niche. Her rendition was infused with love and pathos and was often a hat-tip to bygone times. Be it Thenum vayambum in Malayalam, Chinna thayaval in Tamil, Naguva nayana in Kannada or Puvvu navennu in Telugu, she captured the emotion, the context, and the relevance of the song within the screenplay and made them eternal.

Be it solo endeavours or singing in tandem, Janaki remained unique. Along with Kamal Haasan, she performed the duet Sundari neeyum from the 1990 blockbuster Michael Madana Kama Rajan, a number that draws in listeners even now.

To hold her own space while singing with S.P. Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) and K.J. Yesudas, and to garner the respect of her peers all through her career, revealed Janaki’s dominance in her acoustic space in celluloid. If music is an art that enriches the aesthetic zone, Janaki was the undisputed queen.

Strangely, in the showbiz field, she preferred to be a commoner in her demeanour. Accessible and perhaps treating her talent and success lightly, there was a saintly aura in the way she presented herself in the public domain.

To sing so many lyrics under multiple music directors, and to gain that overwhelming affection whenever the All India Radio announcer mentioned that the song to be played was sung by Janaki, are a reflection of her longevity. That she was intrinsic to the lead-singer’s cast for music composer Ilaiyaraaja’s debut in Annakili, is another feather in her glittering cap.

SPB’s demise was personal to many; Janaki’s will be too. When K.S. Chithra, another legend in female playback singing, speaks about Janaki, the respect and affection are overwhelmingly evident. As the nightingale leaves at 88, there are memories to savour, and songs to cherish, even as some relief can be derived from the fact that the finest of art is eternal, and through her magical vocal chords, Janaki lives forever.