Veteran singer S Janaki’s last concert will be held in Mysuru on October 28. Incidentally, it will be curtains down for the nightingale at the same venue where she began her career 65 years ago.
S Janaki shared the dais with PB Sreenivas in 1952 at the Mysuru Vishwavidhyanilaya under the music direction of GK Venkatesh. Since then, she has sung scores of songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi etc.
Last year, S Janaki crooned the number Pathu Kalpanakal for a Malayalam film and announced that it would be her last song. However, on compulsion from her well-wishers and fans, Janaki decided to make Mysuru her last singing destination. She will stop performing in concerts henceforth, say sources.
S Janaki’s debut song in Vidhiyin Vilayattu was Uladamidhuve Ulagamappaa which was scored by T. Chalapathi Rao but the movie never released. She then went on to sing in the Telugu movie Nee Aasa Adiyasa which was composed by Pendyala Nageshwara Rao.
S Janaki has numerous songs to her credit and has won several awards and accolades. She went on to win four National Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for Senthoora Poove in 16 Vayathinile in 1977, Ettumanoor Ambalathil in Oppol in 1981, Vennello godari andham in Sitaara in 1984 and Inji Iduppazhagha in Devar Magan in 1992.
Apart from the National Awards, S Janaki also has various state government awards to her credit including the Tamil Nadu state government awards, Nandi awards from the Andhra government, the Kerala state government awards, Filmfare awards etc. It is indeed sad that the nightingale has decided to quit giving public performances but her timeless songs will continue to live on forever.