His voice is elixir. His songs are memorable. His singing style is unparalleled. A singer like him will never be born again in the Indian film industry. He is none other than S.P Balasubrahmanyam and his 40,000+ songs stand as witnesses for all the above facts. Great music director SP Kodandapani recognised Balu’s singing talent for the first time when the latter was singing at ‘Madras Social and Cultural Association’. Kodandapani took Balu to several producers and told them about his efficiency and simultaneously gave him his first song ‘Yemi ee vinta mooham’ in the film ‘Sri Sri Sri Maryada Raamanna’.
Like Balu, Kodandapani also holds the credit for introducing Mohammad Rafi, KJ Yesudas and Vani Jayaram to the Telugu film industry. He used to look after SPB like his son. Kodandapani enjoyed the rising prominence of Balu and the latter named his recording studio after his guru. SP Balasubrahmanyam was one of the singers who participated in the singing competitions held in ‘Madras Social and Cultural Club’ in 1964. Music stalwarts such as Pendyala Nageswara Rao, Susarla Dakshina Murthy and Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao donned the judge’s chairs in that show in which Balu was chosen for the first prize.
SP Balu was born in Konetammapeta into an orthodox Brahmin family. His interest in singing and music made him discontinue his Engineering and try in films. SP Balu’s film journey was not a cakewalk as he sang in the chorus groups for four years. He worked as an assistant for music directors like Susarla Dakshina Murthy, Master Venu and KV Mahadevan until he sang his first song in ‘Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna’.
It is extraordinary that SP Balu hasn’t undergone any formal training in music, but his music knowledge and immaculate singing prowess made him the ‘King of Singing’ in the industry. His voice was still sounding young for a septuagenarian. We will all miss his eternal voice which has gone silent.
