SP Subramaniyan - Golden Voice of Indian Music... Review on SP Balasubramaniam

"The melting voice through mazes running, Untwisting all the chains that tie. The hidden soul of harmony."

- Milton, L'Allegro

A voice, dulcet with an amazing range. An imagination that can capture every human emotion. An energy that is prolific and prodigious. Can all these attributes dwell in one singer?

Yes its true with Padmashri Dr. S. P. Balasubramaniam who has given his lovely voice in around 100 Hindi movies. Many great music directors including renowned music director A. R. Rehman always invite SPB to sing at least one song in most of the movies for which they work as a music director.

His lovely voice best suited to the Bollywood actor Salman Khan and many others. Moreover the lovely voice of SPB has played an important role in the grand success of Salman as a Super Star of Indian Cinema. He is very simple by nature and liked by everyone around him and in the film industry. SPB has successfully made his foot prints in Indian music after great Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh & Kishor Kumar.

SPB is one of my favourite singer of Bollywood. Lets have a look at some of the amazing Hindi collections of SPB in which we had listened lovely songs in the golden voice of SPB:

Ek Duje Ke Liye

Tere Mere Beech Mein. Mere Jeevan Saathi. Hum Tum Dono

Maine Pyar Kiya Dil Deewana. Mere Rang Mein. Aaja Shaam Hone Aayee. Aate Jaate Hanste Gaate. Hum Bane Tum Bane. Kabootar Ja Ja Ja. Maine Pyar Kiya. Aaya Mausam Dosti Ka. Antakshar

100 DaysSun Sun Sun Dilruba. Taana Deri Na Taana Na De. Sun Beliya

Love

I Am Sorry

Aaja Aaja Give Me a KissMy Love Meri Priyatama

Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya

Patthar Ke Phool

Deewana Dil

Naa Jaa Naa Jaa

Sun Dilruba Dil Ki Sada

Kabhi Tu Chhaliya Lagta Hai

Maut Se Kya Darna

Sajna Tere Bina Kya Jeena

Tumse Jo Dekhte Hi Pyar Hua

Saajan

Bahut Pyar Karte Hai

Jiye To Jiye Kaise

Pehli Baar Mile Hain

Tumse Milne Ki Tamanna Hai

Dekha Hai Pehli baar

Teri Paayal Mere Geet

Baat Sabse Karo Pyar Humse Karo

Har Jawaan Dil Ko Kisi Se Pyar Hota Hai

Teri Payal Mere Geet

Vansh

Hum Hai Raaja

Aake Teri Baahon Mein

Aaye Hain Jalaane

Roja

Roja Jaaneman

Yeh Haseen Wadiyan

Gardish

Hum Na Samjhe The

Aye Mere Deewano

Rang Rangeeli Raat Gaaye

Yeh Mera Dil

Andaz Apna Apna

Ye Raat Aur Ye Duri

Do Mastaane Chale Zindagi Banane

Shola Shola Tu Bhadke

Hum Aapke Hai Kaun

Dhiktana

Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai

Didi Tera Dever Deewana

Hum Aapke Hai Kaun

Joote De Do

Mausam Ka Jaadu

Mujhse Juda Hokar

Wah Wah Ramji

Dhiktana

Saagar

Sach Mere Yaar Hai

O Maria

Yunhi Gaate Raho

And many more.

About his Personal Life:

Our very own S.P.B. or Balu or S. P. Balasubramaniyam or Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam was born on June 4, 1946 in an Orthodox Telugu Brahmin family in Konetammapeta near Nellore, AP. He is the second son in a family of three sons & five daughters. His father S. P. Sambamurthy was a well-known exponent of Harikatha and his sister S.P. Sailaja is a former actress-singer in Telugu who married Subhalekha Sudhakar. SPB has two children - Pallavi & Charan.

SPB took to singing as a hobby and developed an interest in music very early in his life, started studying notations & learnt to play instruments like harmonium & flute on his own while listening to his father. While his father wanted him to become an engineer and brought him to Ananthpur, where he enrolled for the AMIE course in JNTU. Meanwhile, he also pursued his hobby and won awards at many singing competitions and identified as a good singer in annual college programs where he use to sing. Some of his friends recommended that he sing in Madras and provided him with referrals.

Also before he became a full fledged cinema singer, SPB was the leader of a light music troupe.

SPB is a gifted singer, highly regarded for his incredible vocal range, deep rich voice, and mastery of style, technique & control. These qualities allowed him expression across various genres of Indian music, and he has been highly sought after by many of India's film music composers. His approach to singing is methodical; he perseveres to understand the full meaning of the songs that he sings many of which are very poetic and the settings in which these songs are couched in order to most effectively match their requirements with his vocal delivery. S.P.B., though was very young, started singing for many different language films. As he became very busy, at times he used to sing even 17 songs in 12 hours at the recording theatre.

SPB made his debut in 1966 as a singer in Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna for music director and mentor Kodandapani. He is much loved by everyone in the film industry, and is highly regarded by musicians and composers for his versatility and virtuosity. Despite a vigorous singing career spanning 40 years, SPB has donned several other avatars, giving of his best in every one of them and enjoying the variety of the experience to the full.

Awards & Titles

2001     Padma Sri     President of India K.R.Narayanan

1999     Doctorate     Pottisreeramulu University(A.P.) Presented by Governor Rangarajan

SPB has won many National & State awards for Best Singer in Hindi as well as South Indian Cinema.

Film Fare Awards:

1. Movie - Mozhi, Year - 2007 [Tamil]

   
   




2. Song - Dil Deewana, Movie - Maine Pyar Kiya, Year - 1989

   
   

Film Fare Nominations:

1. Song - Tere Mere beech Mein,     Movie - Ek Duje keliye,     Year - 1981

   
   




2. Song - Tumse Milne Ki Tamanna Hai,     Movie - Saajan,         Year - 1991

   
   




3. Song - Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai,     Movie - Hum Aapke Hain Kaun,     Year - 1994

   
   

SPB's other Achievements:

1. Has recorded over 38, 000 plus songs in a span of 40 years which include film songs & devotional numbers recorded by various recording companies of the country. It's a world record which will be soon entering into the Guinness Book of World Records.

   
   




2. Has recorded 21 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bangalore from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. on Feb 8, 1981 which is a record.

   
   




3. Has recorded 19 songs in Tamil in a day, and 16 songs in Hindi in a day, which is a notable achievement.

   
   

SPB's other skills

SPB has been acting for over 20 years in different roles in South Indian cinema. SPB has also acted in several movies in full-fledged protagonist roles or  in cameo roles.

SPB has also worked as dubbing artist and given his voice for various renowned South Indian as well as Bollywood artists like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Salman Khan, Gemini Ganesh, etc. SPB was the default dubbing artist for Kamal Hasan's Telugu movies, dubbed from Tamil.

Thanks.

Comments Most Welcome!

Regards,

Akash