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Starting the new series with the first ever artist, the legendary & the greatest 'S. Janaki' amma.
If at all I start this series with introducing this legendary artist, it would be one of the biggest blunder that I would commit. Because, this iconic lady does'nt need any introduction, she's known by everyone. She is one such artist in India, who has made her own path towards success with utmost effort & grace. No doubt, why she's hailed as 'Nightingale Of South' . This lady hailing from 'Gunturu' district of Andhra Pradesh belongs to a Telugu- speaking Brahmin family.
She is the most recorded female artist from south, she has recorded nearly 48,000 songs!! Dont' wonder, take a deep breath before I list her achievements!!
She has won 4 national awards, 12 Andhra Pradesh state awards, 11 Kerala state awards, 6 Tamil Nadu state awards, 1 Filmfare Lifetime achievement award & the list goes onn...!! She's a wonder machine, this lady who can just sing a song with her voice & does'nt even make an impression on her face by even touching the highest octave of notes with ease. If at all you happen to watch her performing live, dont' get into a dubiety whether she's cheating us by playing a track besides, coz, she's a perfectionist!! not even a single note goes wrong, even by chance. If someone who is a legend like SPB or Chitra say that they not only adore S.Janaki but love her to core,just believe it, coz, Janaki is such a person who can woe anyone in this world with her unique voice. And definitely not!! I'll not attempt to speak about her history, or her experience because I'll be no one to judge her. Now, going in, let's start.
Let's look into that 8 Amazing songs that will surely make you a fan of S. Janaki.
01. Aakasham Eenatido
Movie: Nireekshana (1982)
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Language: Telugu
As I was speaking, her voice is the most unique in the whole Indian film history, this song shows you why it has been the most unique. This voice which is matchless, unparalleled is surely making you fall for her!! Her voice is such a peasant beauty in the song, like montage shots in the film. This song has a separate fan base according to me. If the lyricist aces by writing metaphors about the nature, this amazing singer excels in bringing in a melodious cover to her idiosyncratic voice. Raaja does magic, but she's the magician who drove the show forward. Listen to that last humming "lalalala", no wonder if they say that she sang that whole part in one single breath!! I bet, she's the only singer in India with that huge breath capacity.
02. Senthoora Poove
Movie: 16 Vayathinile (1977)
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Language: Tamil
Sridevi dancing with grace in a white saree, Raaja at the board for the composition, Janaki taking the lead of vocals & Gangai Amaran speaking about Senthoora Poo, What a combination, it is!! Just epic!! Like that percussion fused drum beat in the first interlude, Janaki takes you to ride on roller coaster with full of emotions that a girl hides for her man. This is that song, which brandished the talent of our southern singer at pan India level. There is really no music lover, who will'nt fall in love with that amazing voice in this song. She has sung this song at the age of 40 to a 16 years old girl awaiting & singing about her feelings for martial life!! No wonder again, she's the best forever!!
03. Dil Mein Ho Tum
Movie: Sathyamevajayathe (1987)
Music: Bappi Lahari
Language: Hindi
Once the 'Disco King' Bappi Lahari happen to visit a tamil recording (Prasad Studios), there he got an opportunity to listen to a voice who is singing in Tamil & he was so impressed with that voice, that he wanted to record with that artist & asked the composer who was that girl singing in the voice room, then the composer told "That voice is'nt of a girl, but it's of our own Janaki amma", that's it Bappi was awestruck by the legends' magnificent voice & gave her a chance of singing in Bollywood films. There it all started!! If you ever thought "Did Janaki record any hindi song?", to everyone's surprise she has 109 songs in hindi to her own credit!! This song, is one such gem among her Hindi numbers, this Vinod Khanna's mellifluous track will take us to trans. Janaki amma's diction, accent everything will make us fall awe for her. She's not a legend without reason!! enjoy the essence of the song. This song is remade by Rochak kohli for the film "Why Cheat India", to advertise that Janaki is one such phenomenal singer not only in South, in north too!!
04. Megharaajane Noodi
Movie: Sipay (1996)
Music: Hamsalekha
Language: Kannada
Did you know that Janaki's highest number of songs are in Kannada!! No matter, if she belongs to Telugu speaking state, but she's loved everywhere. Talking about the song, Soundarya has got some amazing films to act in her very mere span of acting career & talking about her evergreen hits, this is such song which always finds it's place in her top 5 songs. Hamsalekha is known for a variety in his instrumentation, & did you know that he is one such composer in Kannada who has utilized Janaki amma's voice in utmost films after Rajen-Nagendra!! After an epic intro about the song, look at the range that she hits with ease in the song, at the age of 58!! Once again, there is no singer who could beat her in terms of expression & modulations with a roomy range.
05. Amma Poovinum
Movie: 10 Kalpanakal (2016)
Music: Mithun Eshwar
Language: Malayalam
After illustrating a 60 glorious years of career, she decided to retire from the music field. So, if she has taken such brave decision, what would be the song that she would think of winding up with? Her answer was a dubious question again!! So, one fine morning, when she was called to record a lullaby for this malayalam film, she decided to wind up her career with this song, but it gave a mini heart attack to all her fans & crew members present over there!! No body, wanted this singing legend to leave the industry so fast!! If at all she's ready to sing for 100 more years, she has got fans who would wait for that 100 more years. talking about the song, can someone expect that a age of 77 one can sing so effortlessly with a melodious tone? except Janaki!! That's why she's a wonder machine!! This cute lullaby, makes listeners to love her voice more & more, no body cares about the visuals when she's singing the song.
06. Priyathama
Movie: Jagadekha Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990)
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Language: Telugu
If you ask me, what's my most favorite song of Janaki amma, I would definitely show this one!! Once, in a college an essay writing competition was conducted & a girl who wrote a thought provoking line won the competition. Actually, that girl has written an essay on Janaki amma, she quoted that after she dies burn her body out, but separate her heart because she has hid her idol, favorite singer Janaki amma in it!! , this particular instance moved me into tears & made me wonder how attached she is to her idol!!Like she holds a separate space in her fan's hearts, this song & voice not again & anywhere!! I think only she can sing such songs & make listeners feel that emotion. If Sridevi was an angel in the film, Janaki was the voice of that angel.
07. Singara Velane Deva
Movie: Konjum Salangai (1962)
Music: S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Language: Tamil
"It was the time when the 'Nadigayar Thilagam', 'Mahanati' Savitri was ruling the film industry. Then she always complained about the entry of new singers & always restrained Janaki from singing songs in her films. She was a fan of P. Susheela & in her absence liked to record the songs in P. Leela amma's voice only. If someone else recorded the song, she refused to act. There were instances where Janaki has recorded songs for Savitri amma, but later re-recorded by Susheela amma due to constant pressure from the lead heroin. This antagonized Janaki amma & she decided never again to sing to that lead heroin. But, one fine day, SM Subbaih Naidu garu has come up with Singara Velane & approached P. Leela for the song, but she silently refused the offer quoting "the scale is too high to be sung by a normal human being"!! then they had no other option other than Janaki, but she to refused to sing quoting "She does'nt sing if the heroin was Savithri". But, the director convinced the singer that he would use this song in some other film & finally recorded the song in Janaki's voice." Later, don't know what turned things up & down, Savithri acted with no hesitation, may be she realized that no body would have sung it so better other than Janaki. This is the story behind this epic song, I did'nt try to explain it's greatness as it would be a blunder, just bow to the legend.
08. Ich Libe Dich
Movie: Puthu Paatu (1990)
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Language: German
Did you know that , Janaki has sung in German, Japneese & English too!! Dont't think she would sound like a Indian singer in foreign languages too!! Believe me, she sounds damn good like a german singer & a japneese singer!! Her modulations have got no bounds, she can immitate a little child & also an elderly man to a old women to a teen girl to everything, because she is one & only S. Janaki!!
These 8 songs will never sum upto her greatness, there are yet so many songs to be talked about & yet so much to be discussed. But words fall in short to speak about the legend's greatness. Thankyou for happeing to us, Janaki amma. So this is about our first ever 'Amazingly About the Artist- AAA S Janaki"
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