Legendary South Indian playback singer S. Janaki has passed away at the age of 88. She breathed her last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mysuru.
Widely celebrated as the "Nightingale of South India," S. Janaki recorded nearly 48,000 songs in over 20 languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Tulu, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Konkani, Assamese, and Sindhi. She also sang in English, Japanese, Arabic, German, and Sinhala, showcasing her extraordinary linguistic versatility.
Born on April 23, 1938, in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, Janaki developed a passion for music at the age of three. Her maternal uncle, Dr. Chandrasekhar, played a significant role in nurturing her musical talent. In 1956, she won second prize in the All India Music Competition conducted by All India Radio, a milestone that paved the way for her musical career.
In 1957, she joined AVM Studios in Madras and made her playback singing debut with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu, composed by T. Chalapathi Rao. Although the film was never released, she received opportunities to sing in six languages that same year. Her first Malayalam song was "Irul Moodukayo En Vazhiyil" from the 1957 film Minnunnathellam Ponnalla.
S. Janaki lent her voice to more than 1,200 Malayalam film songs. Some of her memorable Malayalam songs include Thaliritta Kinaakkal (Moodupadam), Vasantha Panchami Naalil (Bhargavi Nilayam), Sooryakanthi Sooryakanthi (Kaattuthulasi), Manimukile (Kadathukaran), Kavilathu Kanneer Kandu and Thaamarakumbilallo (Anveshichu Kandethiyilla), Avidunnen Gaanam Kelkkan and En Praana Nayakane (Pareeksha), Kannil Kannil (Danger Biscuit), Thaane Thirinjum Marinjum (Ambalapraavu), and Innale Neeyoru (Sthree), among many others.
She received the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer four times. Her first National Award came in 1976 for the Tamil song "Sindhoora Poove" from the film 16 Vayathinile. In 1981, she won the award for the Malayalam song "Ettumanoor Ambalathil" from the film Oppol. She also received National Awards twice for Tamil songs and once for a Telugu song.
In addition, S. Janaki won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer 14 times, the Andhra Pradesh State Award 10 times, and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award 7 times. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2013, but she chose to decline the honour.
S. Janaki's remarkable voice, unmatched versatility, and timeless songs have left an indelible mark on Indian music. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of musicians and music lovers alike.
