P. Susheela, the nightingale of the south
“Her voice is bewitching,” said melody queen Lata Mangeshkar about P Susheela in 1969. The occasion: A Madras function hosted by AVM chief Saravana Chettiar to honour P Susheela on her winning the first-ever national award for best female playback singer. (The song: Paal polave in the film Uyarndha Manidhan.) Lata presented Sushila with a miniature veena on behalf of AVM. She later visited Susheela at her home.
Lata took to Bombay a collection of Tamil songs, and showered praise on the compositions as well as on Susheela’s songs, particularly those in Pasamalar and Pava Mannippu.
When Susheela visited Lata in Bombay, she was welcomed with so much warmth and affection that she said “There are actually five Mangeshkar sisters including one in the south”. Asha Bhosle took to addressing Susheela as Didi. She once sang three Susheela songs at a function in Chennai.
If Lata was Bollywood’s greatest music legend, Susheela is the No 1 female playback of the south, who has inspired honours and superlatives aplenty in a 60-year musical career that began in 1952 and encompassed 11 languages. Her peak period was the 1960s and 1970s, when there was hardly a film that didn’t feature her. She won the national award for best playback singer five times – in 1969, 1971, 1977, 1982 and 1983 (twice for Tamil songs, thrice for Telugu) -- and numerous state government and lifetime achievement awards. She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2008.
In 1970, Susheela and TMS were asked to record the official Tamil Nadu state song Neerarum Kadaluduthu. It has been played at all official functions ever since.
In 2016, at the age of 80, Susheela made an entry into the British-based Guinness World Records for having sung 17,695 solo, duet and chorus-backed numbers in 12 Indian languages, including Tamil and Telugu, since 1960. The award was made possible by her fans and aficionados who organized the onerous documentation necessary. (Guinness recognizes a song only if it has sold at least 100,000 records, as confirmed and authenticated by recording companies.)
Susheela’s entire musical oeuvre would comprise more than 40,000 songs. “Even the most ardent fan of Susheela would not have listened to more than 35% of her songs,” says IT expert and music critic Sriram Lakshman, who belongs to a Susheela inner circle of friends and volunteer helpers.
While Susheela’s numbers are overwhelming, it’s qualitative impact that accounts for her titanic popularity. Susheela’s songs bring to mind some of the most memorable sequences and performances of Tamil cinema. (This article is confined to Susheela’s career in Tamil.)
“If there is a singer I adore, it is Susheela,” said A R Rehman who invited her to inaugurate a division of his KM Music Conservatory. Tamil poet and lyricist S Vairamuthu says if he is given a last wish before death, it would be to listen to a Susheela song in solitude, with doors closed.
What makes Susheela a great singer? Four factors, says Vairamuthu. First, her “grasping power”, her ability to grasp what the composer wants, what a situation requires, how an actor performs. Second, a voice that is sweet and uniquely so. “No one else has her voice.” Third, clear and flawless pronunciation. “Susheela’s mother tongue is Telugu, but I would advise students of Tamil to learn from her articulation.” Fourth, expressiveness. Susheela can emote with her voice. It can give eloquent expression to any emotion or feeling – be it love, joy, ecstasy, grief, melancholy, devotion, exuberance, serenity, introspection, family affection.
Vairamuthu says he wrote the lyric for the song Kannukku mai azhagu in the 1993 film Pudhu Mugam. He told composer AR Rahman that only Susheela should sing the song. Why, asked Rahman. “The word azhagu occurs often in the song. Only Susheela can pronounce it right.” Rahman consented.
Susheela sang more than 300 songs in 100 films in five languages for former CM Jayalalitha. In 2004, Susheela was one of the recipients of the “Anna awards.” When Susheela approached the dais, Jayalalitha got up and hugged Susheela and kissed her on both cheeks. Susheela was invited to each of the three oath-taking ceremonies of Jayalalitha as CM.
Evolution of her career
Susheela was born in Vizianagaram to a musically inclined family. Her father was a lawyer, also a veena player. He organized systematic training for Susheela in Carnatic music. He would often invite musicians and critics home, and ask Susheela to sing. His ambition was to see his daughter blossom into another M S Subbulakshmi. But Susheela found herself drawn to film music. She took part in a number of contests during schooldays, filling cupboards at home with prizes. She obtained a diploma in music from the Maharajas Music College, Vizianagaram.
Susheela’s first public performances were for “Pappa Malar”, a children’s radio programme on All India Radio. In 1951, producer P. Nageswar Rao asked AIR to recommend a girl singer for a children’s film. Susheela was one of five girls suggested by AIR. At her audition, Susheela sang Mohe bhool gaye sawariya, Lata’s emotional scorcher from Baiju Bawra. The producer was a Naushad fan, and he wept. He gave Susheela her first film assignment – a duet with A M Rajah in Petra Thai.
Susheela joined the staff of AVM Productions as a playback singer on their invitation, and was with them for three years. Mr A V Meiyappan organised special coaching in Tamil for Susheela. This was a godsend, and stood her in good stead in her career.
1955 was a game-changing year for Susheela – like 1949 was for Lata. The films Kanavane Kankanda Deivam and Missiamma were released during the year. Both were thumping hits, and Susheela’s many songs in the films rocketed her to fame.
When Susheela entered the world of playback, it was crowded -- with singers such as Leela, Jikki, ML Vasantha Kumari, Jamuna Rani. But Susheela raced to the top pretty quickly.The Sivaji-Padmini starrers Pudhayal, Mallika and Uthama Puthran contained several chartbusters ranging from the romantic to the joyous to the melancholic. Examples: Thanga mohana thamaraiye (Pudhayal), Neela vanna kannane (Mallika), Mullai malar mele (Uthama Puthran). The film Thangamalai rahasyam featured several singers, but the most popular and the most melodious was Susheela’s Amudhai pozhiym nilave. The kind of song that stops you anywhere.
The 1959 Kalyana Parisu (wedding gift) was a career gift for Susheela. Singer AM Rajah turned composer with this film, and his music was a sensation. Susheela sang two solos and three duets in the film, all of which were evergreen hits.
In the 1960s, Susheela was the uncrowned but undisputed queen of playback. Almost every film in the decade had a song by her. “Her voice is more fragrant with every song,” said Vaamanan. Films like Karpagam, Mannadhi Mannan, Kalathur Kannamma, Pudhiya Paravai, Kadalikka Neramillai, Karnan, Vennira Adai, Ayirathil Oruvan, Pattanathil Bootham, Anbe Vaa, Vanambadi, Saraswathi Sabatam, Nenjil Oor Aalayam, Thiruvatselvar, Thillana Mohanambal made Susheela the numero uno of Tamil playback.
She was the favourite of master composers Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, K V Mahadevan and G Ramanathan. Top actresses like Padmini, Savitri, K R Vijaya, Devika, Kanchana, Sowcar Janaki and Jayalalitha recognized that Susheela’s songs built their image and imparted depth, glitter and charisma to their acting performances. She sang many memorable duets with A M Rajah, TMS and SPB.
Susheela’s form continued during the 1970s when she won several national and state awards and sung in Hindi films. She remained the first-choice singer of many composers. But Susheela gradually cut down on film assignments and shifted focus to devotionals (she recorded more than a thousand devotional songs) and live shows in India and abroad. She drew huge audiences in the US and Canada, Europe and the Middle East. In many cities, the Indian community insisted on providing home hospitality to Susheela and her team.
In 2008, the P. Susheela Trust came into being. It offers monthly pensions to musicians in need. Every November, a fund-raising musical concert is held and a lifetime achievement award conferred. Awards have been presented to TMS, P B Srinivas, S Janaki, Vani Jairam, L R Easwari, P Jayachandran, S P Balasubramanyam and KJ Yesudas.
“I was born to sing,” says Susheela of her illustrious and fulfilling career -- which has inspired the entire music world and entertained millions of fans and music-lovers. She has also been a role model as a celebrity, with her humility and simplicity.
By S R Madhu, Rotary News, August 2023
A Little humour of Palakkad !
😀😀
A Chinese man landed in Coimbatore airport, the taxi🚖arranged by hotel in Palakkad, picked him up to be dropped off at Palakkad.
On his way, by seeing a bus 🚌after Walayar, the told the taxi driver, that in Kerala buses🚌 run very slow. In China buses run very fast.
After sometime, he came to Kanjikode signal,🚦 said the signal was very slow! In China signal turns very fast.
They tried to pass a truck 🚛the Chinaman said this truck is very slow! In China we have 12 lane highway and trucks go at minimum 120 kmph!
Then they came to Chandranagar signal, the signal 🚦was not working and a traffic police man was doing duty. The Chinese said, this policeman👮🏻♂️ is lethargic, look how slow he is moving and showing signals! In China our policemen are like tigers, they move very fast!
Palakkadans, being very polite and humble, the taxi driver kept quiet and kept nodding throughout the journey.
When they reached hotel, Chinese asked driver what is the meter reading? 💰
Palakkad taxi driver replied it is Rs. 8,000/-
The Chinese was shell shocked 😱😱. He shouted "are you kidding? In your country buses run slow, trucks are slow, signals are slow and cops too... everything is slow. How come the meter alone runs fast?"
Taxi driver:
Sir,
*"THE METER IS MADE IN CHINA"*
Palakkadans are polite and humble but also smart! Don't take a Palakkadan for granted
😂😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GStdIzreUyM
Don't take her for granted, she hada hard time
Don't misunderstand her or playwith her mind
Treat her so gently, it will pay youin time
You've gotta know she's the sensitive kind
Tell her you love her each and every night
You will discover she will treat you right
If you believe, I know you will find There ain't nothin' like the sensitive kind
She gets so lonely waitin' for you
You are the only thing to help her through
Don't take her for granted
She has a hard time You got to know she's the sensitive kind
You got to know she's the sensitive kind
Morning musings about evolution
The moon was a scimitar version of itself and only the curved tips of the dagger moon were visible to my eyes. I stood staring at it, gazing fondly and its shape slowly dawned on my lips as they shaped themselves as a curved sliver of an ebbing moon.
The new entrants mewled their protests and bawled their hunger loudly. Forgetting I was a different species, I excitedly looked down at the small, medium, and large feline specimens and said, ' Hey guys, look how beautiful the moon looks and you can see its entire shape even though only the crescent bit is lit up.'
Well, none of the cats, both big and small had any clue as to what I was going on about pointing to the morning sky, and a couple of them misunderstanding my thoughts to be my own mewlings of hunger, began furiously to rub themselves against me and then proceeded to cleaning my shoes.
I looked down at them and beseeched with open hands, ' Cats, what's with you and your lives? All you do is eat, crap, scrap, bonk each other, and litter. Don't you have anything better to do?'
One of my favourite songs that is a part of my morning ritual and routine rose and frothed and I whispered them lyrics.
அரியது கேட்கும் வடிவடிவேலோய்
அரிது அரிது மானிடராதல் அரிது
மானிடராயினும் கூன் குருடு
செவிடுபேடு நீங்கிப் பிறத்தல் அரிது
கூன் குருடு செவிடு பேடு
நீங்கிப் பிறந்தகாலையும்
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயத்தலரிது
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயந்தகாலையும்
தானமும் தவமும் தான் செய்தல் அரிது
தானமும் தவமும் தான் செய்வராயின்
வானவர் நாடு வழி பிறந்திடுமே...
My fellow humans, have you wondered what it is to be a human being? Okay, please stop with those four letter curse words and please, put down those stones, chappals and ash trays and lend me your time and soul for a few minutes.
Even though I was born to humans as a human baby, I was not aware of it for the first few years. Yes, for most of us, survival is the most important need, thing, and duty in our brief journey. Only after that comes other profound stuff such as purpose and goals. Survival means food, a safe den, and a protective tribe, and that filled my life as I hungered for chocolates, sweets, and now-extinct cream biscuits. Anything edible, I shoveled into my gob and forcefully shoved it down my throat. So, there I was a typical animal meant only to eat, crap, sleep, and... and...?
All that changed as I became conscious of my own consciousness and realized that even though I was just a product of a momentary lapse of reason that was likely filled with lust and booze( 50/50 chance), I had in me, genes that had been perfected over millions of years. I realized that I was I and uniquely I, in both appearance and character and in operation.
One of the kittens that had seen enough of my morning moods sank its tiny but sharp claws into my ankle and sent me a message.
' Match my tiny scimitar claws with your dagged moon, you cretin. Now stop with your crappy profound thoughts and come back to survival mode.'
I nodded and fed them all cat food strangely named " Whiskas " and watched in silence as they filled their bellies with growls and threats to their own species.
Millions of years ago, Nature came to a fork in the road and took the one that was called " Homo Sapiens " and finally came to that path of evolution we are in right now. " Homo sapiens sapiens " or Modern Humans.
I think, sorry, my humble opinion is that Nature is still evolving and we too are still evolving. Soon, we will destroy this planet after having used up all of its resources and maybe a precious few ( hopefully the good ones ) would have escaped into space and on towards another planet orbiting another star.
I think Mother Nature was aware of what she was doing when she gifted us and blessed our species with Consciousness and awareness. She surely must have known the consequences of placing so much power in the hands of one species and was fully aware of the collateral damage they would inflict on themselves and on other species on this planet that is home and then turn on the home itself.
And just like the ongoing evolution, my thoughts and chapters are an ongoing and growing process.
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