This week I lost two people in India to COVID. They were both 74 years old. One was the legendary singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam who provided the sound track of my life. The other was my aunt who was with me for many of my firsts. Although I never met the former, and hadn't seen the latter in nearly a decade both the losses feel extremely personal.
My aunt was one of those rare persons in my family who spoke multiple Indian languages and English. She was my aunt by her marriage to my maternal uncle, which explains her linguistic abilities as we just didn't have the genes for it in ours. She was one of the most cheerful people I ever knew. It did not mean she had a trouble free life. She just had the knack of having a sparkling smile and welcoming face no matter what. She, with my uncle, was always there for all my important first steps - my first school, my first job, my first trip abroad - and they, along with my parents set me up for success. She also took care of my maternal grandmother (her Mother-in-law) as though she was her own mother. That's something I would always remember her for. Yes, my grandmom was amazing, but caring for a 97 year old when you yourself are 70 and doing it with cheer is not easy. My uncle has a gruff exterior although he is one of the kindest people I know. You need time to warm up to him. My aunt smoothed his rough edges and made him palatable to strangers. Her death was untimely and completely avoidable. She had breathing issues but unfortunately an overrun medical system unable to handle COVID patients failed her as she could not get a doctor or a hospital to take her in. This fact is going to remain with my uncle and my cousin for a long time. She was a collateral damage to COVID and she will be sorely missed!
COVID also claimed the life of a legend this week. Growing up in Chennai in the '70s to '90s there was one thing constant in my life - seasons, politics, friends, interests and tastes change, life ebbs and flows - but throughout it all the voice of SPB was the one constant. Tamil Nadu is famous for its polarizing dualities - MGR or Sivaji; ADMK or DMK; Kamal or Rajini; (and like that's even possible) Illayaraja or Rahman - but everyone and I mean EVERYONE unified around the voice of SPB. You get a bunch of Tamils in a room, sooner or later we will end up discussing Illayaraja + SPB songs. I definitely went through phases in my musical taste - I learned Carnatic, listened to a lot of pop, love alternate rock and even some metal, now I listen to opera. But once again throughout it all, SPB never left my life. I had seen him in live shows when I was in my undergrad in Chennai and then again in 2012 in California where he mesmerized my then 7 year old who also grew up with his music. I don't remember a day when we didn't have his voice in our midst. One of the earliest memories of my childhood was my brother's Kindergarten "interview". He was 3 and I was 7. My mom desperately wanted him to get into this school as it was close to our home and near mine - as a working mom this was critical for her. But you can't prepare a 3 year old who had a mind of his own! When asked what was his name, he belted out a "My name is Billa". The interviewer burst out laughing, much to the relief of my mother. He was then asked to sing a song (she didn't say rhyme) and so he did - another SPB tune. Subconsciously he covered both bases (Rajini and Kamal) and one can safely assume that the teacher must have been a SPB fan as the school did pick him! My brother and I never agreed on anything until we became adults, but SPB was the one great unifier in our childhood. SPB was with us for all occasions. He sang in 16 Indian languages and he was the one, before globalization and Rupert Mudroch invading our skies, who taught us the numerous genres of music - from disco to Indian classical. There was nothing he could not do. Dulcet tones with emotive power that stirred something deep within us - no wonder he was also a terrific actor although he only acted in a handful of movies. When I moved to the US I made a list of some of my favorite tunes (a couple of hundred) and my dad and brother got them recorded for me in tapes and shipped them for me. My daughter who was born in the US and grew up here, not fluent in Tamil, certainly doesn't understand the lyrics, has a playlist in her iPod for SPB! This is a child who learns the piano, loves Radiohead, Spoon, Imagine Dragons, Adele, Massive Attack and she still thinks SPB is special. There is a SPB for every occasion, she says. We were in Iceland a couple of summers back with our friends, and our kids were being DJs and suddenly they would say "it's time for some good SPB" and there he was - in Iceland, in our van, two families from two different parts of India with kids born and raised in the US listening to his voice! It didn't feel surreal, it felt natural. He was 74 when he passed and normally I would say he had a good life, left us a collection of 40,000 songs, enough for multiple lifetimes. Anyone else, I would say their best days were behind them. But not him - he had so much more to offer. He was 74 when he sang this song (one of his last) - a mindless, opening number - but the energy in his voice is pure magic, that my 15 year old once played it non-stop over a weekend. In Tamil Nadu music he was with us for three golden periods - MSV, Illayaraja and A.R.Rahman - three generations of composers and towards the end of his life sang for composers who as kids grew up listening to him. He was truly ageless that I never imagined there would be a time when we will not have any more new songs from him. This loss feels personal because his voice was personal to each and everyone of us and losing this constant almost feels like the loss of a parent. I was lucky to have had him in my life and thankful for the joy and comfort he provided. Here is a list of my favorites which will remain with me forever
1. Sangeetha Megam - A song that eulogizes him
4. Pani vizhum
6. Roja Ondru
7. Chinna Mani
8. Andhi Mazhai
9. Ilaya Nila
12. O Vasantha Raja
13. Ada Mapillai
14. Anjali Anjali
15. Engeyum Epodhum
No comments:
Post a Comment