I am devastated. My favorite singer of all time has been cut down by COVID-19. Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (SPB), known fondly as "Balu" to those close to him, has sung over 40,000 songs in 16 languages in a career spanning almost six decades. He was a workhorse of the movie playback industry. When you contrast that with some artists who record a few songs and become multi-millionaire sensations to be worshipped by teenagers worldwide.. no wonder I have never gotten into popular culture in my part of the world. This should be in no way construed as a slight to artists around the world. But the pedigree built by the likes of SPB, S.Janaki, etc. would be incredibly hard to parallel by anyone else.
Below are two of my all-time favorite songs. The first one was recorded by SPB and S.Janaki for the movie Sathya starring Kamal Haasan and Amala (the pictured actors and fine artists in their own right). This is one of many such melodies voiced by SPB that defined my youth growing up as a teenager in India.
SPB also acted in a few movies. Here he is acting and singing with Radhika:
RIP 😢
