S.JANAKI

S.Janaki is one of the greatest singers of all times in the Indian Cinema.  She will be turning 75 on 23rd April and I salute her for the wonderful songs that she has rendered over the last 55 years.  Many of her songs will remain evergreen and "Singaravelane Deva" is really the top on my list:


Her illustrious career in the film industry started in 1957 and she has sung several thousand songs in several  Languages including English, Japanese, German, Sinhalese and Sanskrit.  She has received the National Award for best playback singer four times and has received several state awards in the last five decades.

She is a very versatile singer and can easily adapt into any genre.  The testimony to this is her song in Hindi Film Saaheb in 1985 "yaar bina chain kahan re":


The songs that she has rendered in Maestro Ilayaraja's music are some of the best songs of S.Janaki.  She has also worked with various other Music Directors like M.S.Viswanathan, K.V.Mahadevan, Shankar Ganesh, Chakravarthy during the 1980s and given so many hit songs through her lovely voice.  The modulation and pitch with which she has rendered some of the songs is really unbelievable.  She is a truly gifted singer and her songs will live for ever.

There are a number of hit songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam and I have listed below some of my favourite songs from Tamil Films sung by S.Janaki:

1. Singaravelane Deva
2. Konja neram ennai marandhen
3. Kaatrukkenna veli
4. Unnidathil ennai koduthen
5. Poovarasamboo poothachu
6. Senthoora poove senthoora poove
7. Naadam en jeevane
8. Puttam pudhu kaalai
9. Kodiyile malliga poo manakkuthe maane
10. Azhaghu malar aada abinayangal kooda
11. Raasave unna naan
12. Kotta paakkum kozhundhu vethalayum
13. Nenjukkulle innarunnu sonnal
14. Vaazhavaikkum kaadalukku jai
15. Pattu poove mettu podu
16. Mounamaana neram
17. Maalai soodum velai
18. Isai medayil inba velayil
19. Then poove poove vaa thendral theda
20. Enadhu vizhi vazhi mele
21. Sandana Kaatre senthamizh oottre
22. Ye paadal ondru raagam ondru

The song in Rettai Vaal Kuruvi is one of my most favourite songs "kannan vandhu paaduginraan":

Long Live S.Janaki.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

5th April 2013