Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Saturday condoled the death of veteran singer S Janaki, describing her as one of the greatest personalities in South Indian film music, whose timeless songs will continue to resonate for generations.
In a condolence message, Satheesan said Janak’s voice had the rare ability to express every human emotion – devotion, love, joy and sorrow – with unmatched depth and grace.
He said that despite Malayalam not being her mother tongue, every song she performed in the language, characterized by impeccable enunciation and emotional intensity, had become an “inseparable part” of Malayali life.
Recalling her contribution to Indian cinema, the chief minister said that Janaki mesmerized audiences for more than six decades and that music directors often got performances that exceeded their expectations.
He said the singer was much more than a playback artiste and had become a member of every Malayali family through the warmth and love reflected in her songs.
Calling her his favorite singer, Satheesan fondly recalled some of her evergreen Malayalam songs including ‘Malare Then Malare’, ‘Thumbi Vaa’, ‘Aadi Vaa Kaatte’ and ‘Nirangal Than Nritham’. He said that Janaki’s songs were a priceless treasure that had transcended time and that there would hardly be a day when Malayalis would not remember at least one of her tunes.
Janaki died at a private hospital in Mysuru on Saturday due to age-related ailments. She was 88.
According to family sources, she had difficulty breathing on Friday evening and was hospitalized, where she died.
Known for her versatility, Janaki recorded more than 48,000 songs in over 20 languages, mainly Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
