Singer S Janaki dies; CM Vijay, Rajinikanth mourn Nightingale of South India
Veteran playback singer S Janaki, known as Nightingale of South India, died at the age of 88 in Mysore. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi paid tribute to the late singer.
Veteran playback singer S Janaki, known as Nightingale of South India, died at the age of 88 in Mysore. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi paid emotional tributes to the late singer.
Vijay, on his X post, wrote, "The passing of Mrs S Janaki, the legendary playback singer who has won the hearts of multiple generations with her unique voice in the Indian film music world, brings immense sorrow (sic)."
The Jana Nayagan actor praised her achievements and added, "Her demise is an irreplaceable loss to the Indian music world. I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to her grieving family, the film fraternity, music artists, and her fans across the globe. I pray for her soul to attain peace (sic)."
Rajinikanth's X post read, "May her soul, who delighted generations of people with her honey-sweet voice, attain peace (sic)." Kamal Haasan on his X post, wrote, "The song will forever keep resounding. Where shall I seek that love, Mother? An inconsolable sorrow exists for many. My deepest condolences to them all (sic)."
Chiranjeevi, in his X post, wrote, "The news of Janakamma garu's passing has deeply shaken my heart. In my cinematic journey, she lent her unparalleled voice to countless unforgettable songs. It was her voice that breathed life into the many emotions we brought to life on screen (sic)." The actor praised Janaki's musical journey and concluded, "Janakamma garu... your voice is immortal. Om Shanti (sic)."
Also known as Janaki Amma, in 2013, she turned down the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour. Expressing that she should be considered for the Bharat Ratna — the nation's highest civilian award — Janaki stated that the recognition was long overdue given her extensive contributions to Indian music.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan also sent condolences on Janaki's death. His X post read, "The passing of S. Janaki marks the end of a remarkable era in Indian cinema and music. She may have come from another state, but her voice found a home in every Malayali heart. With every song, she gave expression to our deepest emotions and became part of our memories and our lives (sic)." He concluded by acknowledging the late singer's "extraordinary legacy."
A statement by Appolo Hospital mentioned that Janaki died around 7:30 pm on July 11.
The late singer was the recipient of four National Film Awards and 33 different State Film Awards.
S Janaki's family background
Janaki was born on April 23, 1938 in Pallapatla, Repalle Taluka, located in Guntur within the Madras Presidency of British India (present-day Andhra Pradesh). Her father, Sistla Sreeramamurthy, worked as an Ayurvedic doctor and a teacher. She spent the majority of her childhood in Sircilla, where she made her first on-stage performance at just nine years old. Although she learned the fundamentals of music from a Nadaswaram vidwan named Paidiswamy, she never undertook any formal training in classical music.
In 1959, Janaki married V Ramprasad, who actively championed her career and accompanied her to most of her recording sessions. He passed away in 1997 following a cardiac arrest.
While Telugu is Janaki's mother tongue, she is remarkably multilingual, possessing the ability to both speak and write fluently in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.
S Janaki's playback singing career
Janaki commenced her playback singing career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957) and went on to record tracks in six different languages within that same year. Her illustrious career spanned over six decades until 2016, when she formally announced her retirement from film recordings and live stage performances. She briefly stepped out of retirement in 2018 to lend her voice to the Tamil film Pannaadi, capping off an incredible 60-year legacy in the music industry.
Veteran playback singer S Janaki, known as Nightingale of South India, died at the age of 88 in Mysore. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi paid emotional tributes to the late singer.
Vijay, on his X post, wrote, "The passing of Mrs S Janaki, the legendary playback singer who has won the hearts of multiple generations with her unique voice in the Indian film music world, brings immense sorrow (sic)."
The Jana Nayagan actor praised her achievements and added, "Her demise is an irreplaceable loss to the Indian music world. I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to her grieving family, the film fraternity, music artists, and her fans across the globe. I pray for her soul to attain peace (sic)."
Rajinikanth's X post read, "May her soul, who delighted generations of people with her honey-sweet voice, attain peace (sic)." Kamal Haasan on his X post, wrote, "The song will forever keep resounding. Where shall I seek that love, Mother? An inconsolable sorrow exists for many. My deepest condolences to them all (sic)."
Chiranjeevi, in his X post, wrote, "The news of Janakamma garu's passing has deeply shaken my heart. In my cinematic journey, she lent her unparalleled voice to countless unforgettable songs. It was her voice that breathed life into the many emotions we brought to life on screen (sic)." The actor praised Janaki's musical journey and concluded, "Janakamma garu... your voice is immortal. Om Shanti (sic)."
Also known as Janaki Amma, in 2013, she turned down the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour. Expressing that she should be considered for the Bharat Ratna — the nation's highest civilian award — Janaki stated that the recognition was long overdue given her extensive contributions to Indian music.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan also sent condolences on Janaki's death. His X post read, "The passing of S. Janaki marks the end of a remarkable era in Indian cinema and music. She may have come from another state, but her voice found a home in every Malayali heart. With every song, she gave expression to our deepest emotions and became part of our memories and our lives (sic)." He concluded by acknowledging the late singer's "extraordinary legacy."
A statement by Appolo Hospital mentioned that Janaki died around 7:30 pm on July 11.
The late singer was the recipient of four National Film Awards and 33 different State Film Awards.
S Janaki's family background
Janaki was born on April 23, 1938 in Pallapatla, Repalle Taluka, located in Guntur within the Madras Presidency of British India (present-day Andhra Pradesh). Her father, Sistla Sreeramamurthy, worked as an Ayurvedic doctor and a teacher. She spent the majority of her childhood in Sircilla, where she made her first on-stage performance at just nine years old. Although she learned the fundamentals of music from a Nadaswaram vidwan named Paidiswamy, she never undertook any formal training in classical music.
In 1959, Janaki married V Ramprasad, who actively championed her career and accompanied her to most of her recording sessions. He passed away in 1997 following a cardiac arrest.
While Telugu is Janaki's mother tongue, she is remarkably multilingual, possessing the ability to both speak and write fluently in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.
S Janaki's playback singing career
Janaki commenced her playback singing career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957) and went on to record tracks in six different languages within that same year. Her illustrious career spanned over six decades until 2016, when she formally announced her retirement from film recordings and live stage performances. She briefly stepped out of retirement in 2018 to lend her voice to the Tamil film Pannaadi, capping off an incredible 60-year legacy in the music industry.
