Of things that you grow up with, few make more of an impression than sights and sounds that, when remembered or reminded, take you back to your childhood and let you linger, even if it is only for a few minutes, draw a breath deeply in and become a child. And as time goes by, some things are left behind, the toys that you outgrow, the friends that fall by the wayside, the dish that you are not so fond of anymore-mostly things that you fondly remember, but don't actually miss, because you're too old for it.
And then there are phenomena. They are eternal. They are evergreen. They hardly age. You never outgrow them. They sustain you. They transport you. They transform you. And they grow with you. From a child to an adolescent, to a young woman, to a newlywed, to a mother, and now an almost 50 year old crone, there is this voice that has been always there. Through it all. As a child you liked the tune. As an adolescent you liked the tune and the voice. Growing up a bit more, the lyrics caught your attention. Even older, you appreciate the nuance in tone and the emotion the voice can convey so flawlessly and effortlessly. And now in your forties, you understand that it was in its own way, a big part of your life-in the background maybe, but a huge influence and source of joy and solace.
That was SPB. To most South Indians born after the 60s, his voice was it. That was what defined music for you. For a culture where playback singers were the mainstream singers one knew and classical music was not exactly everyone's forte, he was a tidal wave. He took over the field and man did he excel! While quite a few other singers were famed for their voices, by sheer numbers, he was King.
And the voice! Ah, the voice! Honeyed and soft at love songs, he could growl and hum and burr when needed. Religious music could move you to devoted moksha, duets could lure you with the promises of love and of course more, and the way the voice beguiled you, you would follow senselessly in that direction. Patriotic songs could whip you up into a fervor and baleful tunes would move you to tears.
Since Indian movies were a mishmash of everything from familial love to societal ills and religion and sports, SPB has sung the entire gamut.
I cannot begin to name my favorite ones. There are a thousand and more. Some off the top of my head. Like the lullaby I sang to my oldest when he was a newborn. Thene thenpandi Meene. Like my favorite solo lovesong, Kaadalin Deepam Ondru. Like the lovelorn mournful solo, Yen Kaadale Yen Kaadale. Like the innuendo filled duet(too many of them, but my favorite..),Yen Veettu Thottathil. Keladi Kanmani, Kalyaana Maalai, Nalam Vaazhe..... And the list can go on and on. Every south Indian over the age of forty now will have favorites starting from the 70s, 80s and running into the recent past. Everyone's list will be different, after all there are more than 40,000 to choose from. Prolific, proficient and professional, but it was so personal to all of us.
Growing up before the advent of TV, our generation sat by the radio all our free time. That was our relaxation. I remember the advent of cassette players and the luxury they afforded of playing back songs at will. That was our go to source for music for a really long time. CDs came much later and now with Spotify and Amazon music and all kinds off apps, music is literally at our fingertips. For which I give thanks. Waking up today to the horrible news that he was no more and that the honeyed voice was silenced forever, I went off to YouTube for solace.
Most of us probably have had no personal interaction with SPB, but his voice was almost in our blood. And losing him so cruelly to Covid-19 is heartbreaking. Unfair. That he should be taken by something that could have been stopped in its tracks but wasn't. If we want to pay homage to him, let's do this. Remind everyone we know or even don't know, to mask up, wash hands often, maintain social distance, and most importantly, do all this all the time, with no exceptions, ALL THE TIME.
When we look back after this horrible scourge has left us, we will mourn once more everyone we have lost, and for this voice, silenced forever. But heaven is probably resounding with his voice-pure, sweet and melodious.
Rest in peace SPB.
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