The technique of emotion: How the actor in SPB helped the singer in him

Discover the unparalleled genius of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, a master storyteller and playback singer, through his incredible body of work.

Every time I chance upon a video of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam speaking about his work, I am reminded of how little we speak to our artistes in this part of the world, especially about the processes that make up what we know as their technique or mastery. Thanks to those few interviews, mostly from the latter years of his career, and his comments on reality shows, we continue to get some precious glimpses of the incredible artiste he was. 

SPB, who passed away in September 2020 following COVID-19 complications, would have turned 78 on June 4. Attempting to unpack his genius as a playback singer is a delight, even if we merely scratch the surface of his staggering body of work, of tens of thousands of songs, spanning languages, genres, decades, and generations of composers. You invariably find something new, something that floors you. 

What was so incredible about SPB? Was it the sheer number of songs he sang? His unmatched consistency and adaptability? His voice texture? Skill? All the above and more. If one were to speak of vocal music, the technique is key. It is broadly about vocal range, precision in hitting the notes, pitching, breath control, modulation, ability to stick to tempo, and versatility in voice production and effects.

There is the technique, and then there is SPB. His mastery, arguably unparalleled in Indian playback singing, is to do with how he approached technique. Over and above the enviable tone and timbre of his voice, and his command over it, his ability to emote with the voice was unique and indeed special.

In a 2012 interview with The Hindu, SPB spoke of possibly having an edge over other singers because he was a good actor. “I can emote very well physically and my ability to emote with voice is only an extension of that,” he had said.

Thinking about it, SPB was a master storyteller who could hold listeners captive. His voice and artistry became formidable tools aiding his communication. The brilliant M.S. Viswanathan lets us savour this characteristic of SPB’s voice in his composition for Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu in 1980 for actor Kamal Haasan. The lines, from Subramania Bharati’s Theertha Karaiyinile, pack much intensity around a loved one’s failure to honour a promise. Offering a masterclass in restraint, MSV uses chords very minimally in the background and centres the human voice to convey betrayal and agony in this moving composition. When you listen to “vaarththai thavarivittai kannamma, maarbu thudikkudhadi” in SPB’s voice, you can’t but feel that piercing pain and resignation.

I tried to imagine how SPB, then in his thirties, might have recorded this song at MSV’s studio, at a time when retakes were sulked upon, and piecemeal edits were unheard of. He must have read the lines, got to their meaning, sympathised with the situation and character, learnt the tune from the composer, and practised it by applying different voice effects such as say, a sustained breath, a delicate vibrato, a gentle lowering of volume, and then finally gone with the version that MSV cleared. With experience and time, he would have had to try out fewer variants before finding the most appropriate one.