{"id":4002,"date":"2024-06-03T05:30:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T05:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/entertainment\/the-technique-of-emotion-how-the-actor-in-s-p-balasubrahmanyam-helped-the-singer-in-him\/"},"modified":"2024-06-03T05:30:36","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T05:30:36","slug":"the-technique-of-emotion-how-the-actor-in-s-p-balasubrahmanyam-helped-the-singer-in-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/?p=4002","title":{"rendered":"The technique of emotion: How the actor in S.P. Balasubrahmanyam helped the singer in him"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Every time I chance upon a video of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam speaking about his work, I am reminded of how little we speak to our artistes in this part of the world, especially about the processes that make up what we know as their technique or mastery. Thanks to those few interviews, mostly from the latter years of his career, and his comments on reality shows, we continue to get some precious glimpses of the incredible artiste he was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SPB, who passed away in September 2020 following COVID-19 complications, would have turned 78 on June 4.\u00a0Attempting to unpack his genius as a playback singer is a delight, even if we merely scratch the surface of his staggering body of work, of tens of thousands of songs, spanning languages, genres, decades, and generations of composers. You invariably find something new, something that floors you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What was so incredible about SPB? Was it the sheer number of songs he sang? His unmatched consistency and adaptability? His voice texture? Skill? All the above and more. If one were to speak of vocal music, the technique is key. It is broadly about vocal range, precision in hitting the notes, pitching, breath control, modulation, ability to stick to tempo, and versatility in voice production and effects. <\/p>\n

There is the technique, and then there is SPB. His mastery, arguably unparalleled in Indian playback singing, is to do with how he approached technique. Over and above the enviable tone and timbre of his voice, and his command over it, his ability to emote with the voice was unique and indeed special. <\/p>\n

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\nS.P. Balasubrahmanyam with R.D. Burman.
\n| Photo Credit:
\nThe Hindu Archives\n<\/p>\n

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In a 2012 interview with\u00a0The Hindu<\/i>, SPB spoke of possibly having an edge over other singers because he was a good actor. \u201cI can emote very well physically and my ability to emote with voice is only an extension of that,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n

Thinking about it, SPB was a master storyteller who could hold listeners captive. His voice and artistry became formidable tools aiding his communication. The brilliant M.S. Viswanathan lets us savour this characteristic of SPB\u2019s voice in his composition for\u00a0Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu<\/i>\u00a0in 1980 for actor Kamal Haasan. The lines, from Subramania Bharati\u2019s\u00a0Theertha Karaiyinile<\/i>, pack much intensity around a loved one\u2019s failure to honour a promise. Offering a masterclass in restraint, MSV uses chords very minimally in the background and centres the human voice to convey betrayal and agony in this moving composition. When you listen to \u201cvaarththai thavarivittai kannamma, maarbu thudikkudhadi<\/i>\u201d in SPB\u2019s voice, you can\u2019t but feel that piercing pain and resignation.<\/p>\n

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