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SP Balasubrahmanyam: Prolific voice of Indian melodies
On August 5, SPB, 74, tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai. His condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the ICU on August 13 and put on a ventilator and an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).
Wearing a white N95 mask, S P Balasubrahmanyam (or SPB, as he was often called) walked on to a quiet platform on July 18 and folded his gloved hands bowing down to a virtual audience before bowing down thrice to greet the orchestra surrounding him. He pulled down his mask to his chin to check the mic in what would be his swan song at a concert to raise funds for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Corona is a curse for all our wrongdoings,” he said at the end of the concert. “We have destroyed nature. We are handing over a graveyard for our future generations. We have to undergo its consequences.”
As much as SPB was revered as one of India’s iconic singers, he was also endearing to his contemporaries and fans alike for his flamboyant and cheerful disposition, his humility and philanthropic moorings.
On August 5, SPB, 74, tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai. His condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the ICU on August 13 and put on a ventilator and an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). Though he tested negative on September 4, he continued to be on life support and died of cardio-respiratory failure on September 25 at 1.04 pm.
During his time in hospital, long-time collaborator, friend and music director Ilaiyaraaja sent a message in Tamil that said, simply, “Get up and come soon, Balu.”
A separate ICU room was created for SPB for his family to visit and his son, S P Charan played the video messages to him. Speaking to HT, Dr Deepak Subramanian, senior consultant at MGM who is among the team of doctors who treated SPB for 52 days said, “Only for Ilayaraaja’s video, he told Charan to come closer, replay the video and he kissed the phone.”
Born in Konetammapeta village (present day Andhra Pradesh) in 1946, SPB had no formal training in classical music though he was musically inclined since childhood. His father, SP Sambamurthy was a Harikatha (a popular art form of storytelling in Andhra Pradesh) exponent. He was spotted by popular Telugu composer SP Kodandapani after SPB had won a singing competition in the early 60s.
SPB made his debut in playback singing in 1967 in a Telugu movie Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. That was the start of SPB’s colossal career spanning five decades, recording more than 40,000 songs in 16 languagaes (a Guinness Record) while straddling Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films.
SPB idolosied singer Mohammed Rafi, whom he often quoted. On Sonu Nigam’s show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, on Zee TV, SPB spoke of how Rafi’s Dewaana Hua Badal (Kashmir Ki Kali, 1964) moved him to tears. “You can see that the man is coming to your ears and caressing and singing with a smile,” SPB said after rendering his version of the song.
SPB won the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011. He was also a popular actor, playing a single father, a doctor and even a Bharatnatyam dancer alongside choreographer Prabhu Deva. SPB was Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand’s first sponsor when he donated an amount to his chess team for their national championship in 1983.
A cricket fan, SPB watched IPL matches in the hospital. SPB was homesick after his wife visited him and asked the doctors (by writing a note) if the ICU could be set up at home but understood when the doctors explained his critical situation. “But, he was never scared,” said Deepak Subramanian. The team was worried not to affect his vocal chords while they did a temporary tracheostomy under sedation and checked his voice post the procedure. “His voice was intact,” said Subramanian. “He said hello, I’m fine and things like that.”
At his last virtual concert, SPB said in the future it seemed like his musical relationship with his audience will be virtual. “I’m grateful; for you have travelled along with me for all these 55 years. I’ll be there still for a while. Please bless me and be with me.”
“Pedananna (uncle in Telugu) was happiest when he was immersed in music,” SPB’s nephew, SP Abhishek, a music composer and voice artist told HT.
“Whether it is a 3-year-old girl or a nonagenarian singing, he will enjoy their music and he is so kind to everyone.” After Abhishek’s father (SP Jagadish) passed away in 2012, SPB offered to record all his songs in their studio. “It was his way of helping me. He was the only moral support and fatherly figure I had.”
SPB was known to prefer audio notes over messaging on WhatsApp. He sang a wish for their birthdays or told them to stay safe during the pandemic in his voice chat recordings. SPB’s family organised a condolence meeting on September 30 where his songs were performed and the film fraternity eulogised him. “It was too painful to listen to his voice while I was preparing to perform.” Abhishek said. “I miss him.”
