AAA 7
AAA- 7
Hello hello hello...how are you all doing? Next Octave Editzz is back again with one more banging episode of AAA (Amazingly About The Artist). Every week we have requests floating in on which artist the series has to continue with, it takes lot of time & effort to select a particular artist & write about them, it is not done just like that, there is a an effort of some sleepless nights, heartfelt passion, errors , deletes & revert backs & finally this would become the output. So selection process is not done like that or neither a chronology is followed too, but based upon the requests or the artist's career span, talent etc a decision is taken on which artist the review has to be written for that particular month.
Every month's last Wednesday is ours, we just owned it coz I know you all will be waiting for the brand new episode of the series, so .. so.. so...guesses apart, this month's artist is the euphonious 'SWARNALATHA'
Her name itself makes her fans go bonkers- SWARNALATHA, such a great singer. Among the most unique voices we have in India, Swarnalatha aces that list, such a voice she has got which is like a precious cabochon!! Having left this world so early she has a special place in every music lover's heart. In a career spanning less than 22 years she has recorded 7000 songs in almost all the Indian languages & has recorded with almost every music director & artist in India!! A big salute madam.
We literally crave for a voice like hers & speaking about her songs, what sort of expression & style she carries!! just blows our mind!! May be she is the one singer who has got too sing max. songs under A. R. Rahman's compositions after K. S. Chithra & also might be she takes 3rd position in recording max. songs to Ilaiyaraaja after Janaki amma & Chithra. If emoting was an art then who else would have emoted so well except Swarnalatha in songs? If music was a language who else would have the hit charts with every song they sang like Swarnaltha? If barriers were just barriers & did'nt mean to be a hurdle in the path who else would have crossed it like Swarnalatha? Probably none!!
Hailing from Palakkad (a place in Kerala) she speaks Tamil, Kannada & Malayalam fluently. She was born into a Malayalam speaking Brahman family & accustomed to music as both her parents were trained musicians, so it's like a cake walk for her to build entirely an empire in this field. Later Swarna moved to Banglore for her schooling & then came back to Chennai to work in films. With the very initial film itself she was shot into fame, her first song had all the biggies, like MSV & K. J. Yesudas & she must be lucky enough to get an opportunity to work with such legends.
Being a singer with much eccentric voice it was not a big task for her to make a way for her in-spite of the domination of S. Janaki in South- Indian songs. Swarnalatha got a very quick recognition in Tamil films especially who loved her for her sui generis voice!! Later in 90's she had tough time with K. S. Chithra continuing the legacy of S. Janaki in South- Indian pictures yet Swarna made an impact.
After a long long & spectacular journey she left all of us in grief in 2010. She died suffering from Idiopathic lung disease at the age of 37. Her fans miss her till date, she has become an angel for them & they keep mourning her while listening to that cute innocent voice. Like the saying "all good things happen to all the good persons" though she is no more her gem like songs are with us which keep telling that she 'Lives On'!!
Coming to the rendition, her style along with her voice is the major reason for her success. She has such a peculiar style of rendering which is nearly impossible for any other singer to mimeograph atleast!! That sort of husky rendition along with a sensuous voice, what more can a film singer dream of!! Kuddos to the legend & here is an article attributed to the gone legend who lives through her songs!!
Now, read along & listen to these 7 songs that sum up to Swarnalatha's versatality.
01. Adi Rakkamma
Movie: Thalapathy- 1991
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyrics: Vaali
Co- Singer: S. P. Balasubrahmaniyum
Language: Tamil
Once BBC released a list titled as "Top 10 songs of all-time in the world" & this song was placed fourth among the songs in the list, one & only one Indian song featured in the list!! Great is'nt it? And Swarnalatha getting to sing such song is really lucky. Ilaiyaraaja had sittings with R. D. Burman's orchestral group for the arrangement of chords in this song & truly it deserved such lavish arrangement. Maniratnam's directorial & Rajinikanth- Mammootty's starer had the best tracks of all time, like we will never forget Janaki amma's Chinna Thayaval rendition in this film & also Swarnalatha's rendition of this song. This song is a solid proof that her voice had the versatility in her chromosome itself. Enjoy the essence.
02. Hai Rama Yeh Kya Hua
Movie: Rangeela- 1995
Music: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Mehaboob
Co- Singer: Hariharan
Language: Hindi
This film had everything right, might be the direction, cast or music everything was perfect & brilliant. One will'nt forget Asha Bhosle's 'Rangeela Re' & this song from this film too, it was Rahman's magic. This luscious song featuring Urmila & Jackie Shroff needed guts to shoot nor atleast make such tracks, but Ram Gopal Varma had that guts to bring in such a aesthetic picturization yet sensuous vocals!! And as per the prerequisite of the song who else can make it sound much better than Swarnalatha, her lilting vocals are just the solo success notes to the song. Rahman knew it perfectly who would suit for this number & hence Swarnalatha is here. Go listen to this haunting melody once again.
03. Osey Ramulamma
Movie: Osey Ramulamma- 1997
Music: Vandemataram Srinivas
Lyrics: Ashok Teja Suddhala
Co- Singer: Vandemataram Srinivas
Language: Telugu
Back in 90's we never thought of any other singer who could sing a folk song other than S. P. Sailaja, but Swarnalatha proved them wrong & got an opportunity to set forth the trend, the day when she sang this song & later when it released in 1997 & today yet in 2020 this song is a celebration, no wonder in it!! Credits to Srinivas & Swarnalatha, they deserve a standing ovation for this number. That too being a Telangana folk song it is not an easy task for a non-telugu singer to make it sound right, but she just rocks this number. Especially those phrases " పసిడి వన్నె ఒంటి మీద పాడు సూపు పడకుండా పసుపు పూసినారే అమ్మలూ .. సిట్టి వయసు పారిపోయే సిగురు వయసు జారిపోయే అని సీర కట్టినారే గుమ్మలూ " what an expression & what a rendering!! Madam took a bow for your singing spirit!! If you have never heard this number, then immediately do listen to it, it is a gem!
04. Kalalai Poyenu
Movie: Sakhi- 2000
Music: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Veturi Sundramurthy
Language: Telugu
This reverberating solo just takes away my breath!! Her voice, this song, the tune & lyrics- what a great composition & I just regret why did'nt she get a national award for this amazing number? But A'm sure she won the hearts of all the music lovers. If there is a ting of melancholy in her voice itself, then there is a melancholy in this composition too. One who gets into the soul of the song will shed tears unknowingly!! Such brilliant is Swarna's rendition. I know this is the dubbed version, original is in Tamil but this version is my personal favorite. I feel there is much feel in this rather than the original yet both are sung by this legend!! When ever I felt low, I used to listen to this track so that I feel better- thank you ma'am for happening to us., you are just awesome.
05. Mukkala Mukkabla
Movie: Kadhalan- 1994
Music: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Vaali
Co- Singer: Mano
Language: Tamil
Come on now point a person who does'nt dance at listening to the rhythm of this song!! Probably there might be none. Mano taking the lead of the song with his idiosyncratic rendition much similar to that of R. D. Burman's rendition is a feast to the movie aficionados & Swarnalatha joining the club is just like beyond expression. Especially that last part of the song "Hunnana huyinaanaara" what a rendition!! She keeps proving time & again that she's a pro.
06. Maalayil Yaaro
Movie: Chatiryan- 1990
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyrics: Vaali
Language: Tamil
A song in 'Suddhadhanyasi' raaga & Raaja at helm & Vaali on board, what a combination & much more to all the addition we have Swarnalatha singing an intense female solo & Bhanupriya playing the lead role!! Nothing much, this is enough- now the almighty take away our lives!! Listening to such numbers itself is a boon!!Swarnalatha just sounds brilliant & no words she is beyond desciption. I'll share one instance that will sum upto all the words- "When ever this song is sung by any other singer may be if at all let P. Susheela amma reprise it but still Swarna's fans say this is the best forever" that is what she has gained by rendering such numbers. Respect!!
07. Akka Akka Nuvvekkade
Movie: Adavi Chukka- 2002
Music: Vandemataram Srinivas
Lyrics: Ashok Teja Suddhala
Co- Singer: K. S. Chithra
Language: Telugu
May be Swarnalatha is only singer in India who has recorded max. number of female duets, who ever might be the other female lead singer but she is constant. She must be grateful for getting to sing such amazing Telangana folk songs in Telugu. Vijayshanthi, the lady superstar who just has acted in many female centric roles & this movie is literally a heart wrenching experience, so are the songs. This song too is a wonderful track narrating the love & affection that two sisters share, a great song indeed. Surprisingly, Chitra is pulled in, to sing such a folk number & she is a singer who can bring flying colors out in any genre that she sings, so it is really hard to pace up with such a singer. Here in this song, Chitra literally emotes till the brimming & dampens our eyes! But don't you think if it was'nt Swarnalatha who is accompanying the legend in the song, Chitra would have dominated the track? But Swarnalatha did'nt give that chance, she just gave a very healthy competition which drove the song towards a success path.
At last thanking the legend, a note to be shared- " Something gone too soon is something great, someone gone with no farewell often bid a memory lane back in past , they are no more yet we hear to their voice when we utter their name & their lovely smiling face flashes while hearing to their lovely voice" these lines sum upto Swarnalatha's gesture!! truly we miss such a legend!!
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