S.Janaki

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Janaki was born on April 23, 1938 in Palapatla, Repalle Taluk, in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh. She was a child prodigy who took to singing at a tender age of three, kindled by music programs on radio. She was taught her early music lessons by Sree Paidiswamy at Rajamundhry, until she was ten.

Her father-in-law, a music artiste, who was nicknamed “fun doctor” Chandrasekharam, recognized her penchant for music and nurtured it. She learned to modulate her voice on a wide range from a three year-old to an eighty year old! She acquired a second prize from the former President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1956, at a competition held by All India Radio. Mr. Chandrasekharam later took her to Chennai and introduced her to AVM Studios in 1957. Singer P. Suseela's contract with AVM was over and the company was looking for a new voice. At the audition test at AVM, music directors R. Sundarsanam and Govardhanam heard the young singer from Andhra Pradesh sing Lata Mangeshkar's "Rasik Balma," and was impressed. Janaki started her career as a staff singer at AVM, and got instantaneous appreciation for her charismatic voice.

Her voice is so captivating that during one of her performances, people gathered to watch a nearby film shooting joined her program. This got her the first break as a playback singer after which, she never looked back. Through the first year of her career she sang almost 100 songs in six languages, without much effort, which was a record in those days. Thereafter she kept on climbing up her career ladder.

Janaki's first song was in Tamil for the film Vidhiyin Vilayattu, recorded on April 4, 1957, and was a pathos song under the music direction of Sri. T. Chalapathi Rao. Strangely enough, the film never came out. About the film never getting released, Janaki playfully remarks that “Vidhi” indeed “Vilayadithu.” The very next day, she sang her very first Telugu song, “Nee Aasa Adiyaasa Chejaare Manipoosa Brathukantaa Amavaasa Lambaadolla Ramdaasa…,” for the film M.L.A., produced and directed by Sri Tilak. It was a pathos again, sung as a duet with Late Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, which is remembered even today as one of the classics of Telugu film music. The song was penned by Sri. Arudra, and was sung under the music direction of Sri. Pendyala Nageswara Rao, Even her first Sinhalese song was a pathos recorded at AVM.

Janaki became sensational with her first experimental song (light classical), "Singaravelane Deva…" in 1958, under the music direction of Late S. M. Subbaiah Naidu, for the Tamil film Konjum Salangai. In the song, her voice competes with the Nadaswaram played by Late Karaikuruchi Arunachalam. The music director tested so many others’ voices to suit the notes played on Nadaswaram, as demanded by the scene, and finally chose Janaki. This song was appreciated and applauded by one and all in the South and also in the North and brought her laurels. She sang the Telugu version of this song, "Nee Leela Padeda Deva…" in the film Muripinche Muvvalu. Subsequently in 1961, Pendyala gave her a break with a solo song “Neeli Meghaalalo Gaali Kerataalalo Neevu Paade Paata…” in the film Baavaamaradallu” in the year 1961. The song won her critical acclaim from many music directors, and helped her get more chances to sing good songs.

Two years after she made a name for herself with the song "Singaravelane Deva…,” Janaki debuted in Malayalam films. Her first Malayalam song, incidentally, a pathos too, was for the film Minnunnathellam Ponnalla, and was recorded at AVM. Pronouncing Malayalam words was a big challenge for her. But she worked hard on the language, under the guidance of music composers and lyricists, and managed to speak it clearly. A fan of hers, Leela Chacko, used to call her up frequently, sometimes even in the wee hours. Janaki remembers that Leela became one of her good friends, and that speaking to her, Janaki’s Malayalam improved.

Comprehending her work in the industry for more than four decades, she has sung thousands of songs for almost five generations of heroines. She sang several unforgettable songs with the association of the maestros of music. She even rendered thousands of songs in Kannada leaving a lasting impression in the hearts of Kannada fans. There is one song that Janaki remembers as a particularly difficult one to sing: “It was in a Kannada movie, and was composed in two different ragams. The lyrics were like a tongue twister…” she recalls.

CAREER

Janaki, apart from being a prolific singer, is also a good lyricist and a very good music composer. Seeing her caliber, producer Ramoji Rao chose her as music director for his Telugu film Mouna Poraatam, in the year 1988. She is the third lady music director in Telugu Cinema field, after Bhanumati and P. Leela. She has also written lyrics for a number of songs in Tamil and Telugu. Janaki sang a sensational Tamil song for a small girl of 3 or 4 years old in a child's voice that paved the way for a variety of “child songs” in different languages in her voice. Her voice did wonders when she sang for a sixteen-year-old boy, a grown up lady, a very old woman, and some rustic songs. Her magical voice represents that of a baby, an adolescent, and even of a man's. She let her voice strolled to get consorted with great instrumentalists like

Bismillah Khan (on Shehnai for a Kannada film),
M.S. Gopalakrishnan (on Violin for a Kannada film),
Karaikuruchi Arunachalam (on Nadaswaram for a Tamil film),
Naamagiri Pettai Krishnan (on Nadaswaram for a Malayalam film) and
Hari Prasad Chaurasia (on Flute for Malayalam & Telugu films).

She moulds her voice according to the artiste for whom she renders a song. Sometimes she even adds certain breathtaking special effects into her songs. In the Malayalam song “Nadha Nee Varum…,” for the film Chamaram, she included a soft laughter that leaves the listener with goosebumps. She laughs melodiously for the Telugu song “Sirimalle Puvvalle Navvu…” in the film Jyothi, which was released in 1976 under the music direction of Chakravarthi. She brought out a typical child's voice for the Telugu songs “Gunnamaamidi Komma Meeda…” in the film Baalamithrula Katha, in 1973, and “Govullu Thellana Gopayya Nallana…” in the film Saptapadi, in 1981. Her Malayalam song, “Kokkaamandi Konanirachi…,” with the voice of a baby girl, left listeners awestruck. She even imitated a drunkard's voice in the song “Paapa Peru Malli… Ooru Kotta Dhilli…” in the film Mouna Geetham.

According to Janaki, her voice is God's gift. She neither practices nor does anything to maintain or improve her voice. She believes that God maintains it for her. All she does is avoid ice cream and cold drinks. She just goes to the recording room or the stage and sings, leaving everything to God. Janaki normally gets not much of a notice before she has to sing at a recording. The music directors usually call her up on the phone and ask her to go for recording of the song the next day.

Compared to singing at a studio recording, Janaki likes to perform live on stage. She opines that the enjoyment of the audience is what makes any singer happy. She thanks God for whatever she is and whatever she has been able to do. Janaki says that she will keep singing as long as her fans want her to. She thanks all her fans for supporting her.

Janaki’s favorite singers are Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhonsle. One of Janaki’s most memorable moments was her meeting with Lata Mangeshkar in Hyderabad at a function to honor Ghantasala. They met each other on the stage, and spontaneously hugged each other. Janaki recalls that as a very memorable event in her life.

Janaki has also released quite a few albums of her songs on various subjects, including one with love songs. She has also brought out an album with patriotic songs, in which her son has sung the title song with her.

Thousands of songs that Janaki has rendered as a playback singer have left a lasting impression in the hearts of her fans, with hardly anyone who could match her pitch and talent.

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