Music has this special place in everyone's heart. Even the lyrics that you might not have heard for years, comes rushing to your mind the moment you think of it or hear the music associated with it. At times it becomes a ear worm that refuses to switch off, playing continuously in loop. Likewise are the singers i would say. Years back, when my friend mentioned about Mohammad Rafi, i was hearing his name for the very first time and was thinking of him as some foreign individual. It was several years later only i got accustomed to his mesmerizing talent and all those fantastic songs in his honey dipped voice. Kishor kumar got introduced as a comedian in movies and later only realized it was the same guy who sang all those master class songs. Even now, the moment i think of him, his performances in padosan or chalti ka naam gaadi comes to mind and then only his mellifluous voice. Ditto goes for SPB.
For long his name was a default one that i assumed to be present on every movie title card when it displayed the singers list. I never ever thought why others never feature as regularly as this guy or for any politics behind those opportunities. The sense of appreciating something or "rasanai" in tamil is not my immediate best feature and i generally pick it from other peoples thought process when they share their experiences and how they appreciate those experiences sets the template for me to pursue that passion. If left unattended i would be the perfect example for Newton's first law!! When SPB passed away, i had mentioned some of my favorite songs from his humongous collection and thought that would be it. But the more i get to hear those songs, on and off, whenever i get a chance, the more i realize the mastery of this man and the impossible achievement of his!! Whenever i see any music shows when the judges gush over the performances of the participants and then mention titbits about how the original version was composed, it astonishes me the extent to which this one man has left his imprint on film music!! And some of the random videos that crop up on the feed show his multifaceted personality as well. Be it mimicry (there is one video where he imitates leading Telugu superstars of his time with one dialogue being spoken by all of them in their own style. It goes something like "Baboi chandamama" something. Anyone who sees that video will think of him as a frontline comic!!) His admiration for the music directors who gave him so many opportunities is covered in detail across so many videos. Be it MSV (the way he pours his heart out in praising him is a must watch) or Rahman (the way Rahman used to interact with him during his early days is a fun watch) and of course Ilayaraja, with whom he shares an undeniable and enviable journey that he establishes across every opportunity and even when they were not on talking terms.
There was a tribute video during his remembrance where he goes to the podium to praise a kid who had sung well and when he walks back to his seat, the DJ plays the title aalap from "mandram vandha thendral". SPB stands stunned for a minute and raises his hand to acknowledge - in a way his own greatness in coming up with such soulful rendition- the greatness of the song as a composition in itself. The beaming face and the satisfaction written all over it tells the success story of the voice behind 35000 songs. Ideally this should have been the requiem post that should've been posted during his demise. But it all came rushing back when i heard that song again somewhere while passing by. I've never been an ardent fan of any particular person or thing. But that voice made me realize possibly for the first time, even though so late, that it might not be heard again live. But the memories it kindles are immortal, like the very songs themselves.
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