South India’s Nightingale S. Janaki Passes Away at 88

The legendary playback singer S. Janaki has passed away at the age of 88 in Mysuru. She had reportedly been suffering with age related ailments and breathed her last just a while ago. Her family confirmed the devastating news. 

Fondly called by millions of fans as the ‘’Nightingale of South India”, she is well known for her mellifluous vocals and incredible singing talent that touched the hearts of generations of music lovers across the country in a career spanning over 6 decades. Born on April 23rd, 1923 in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, she started her musical journey in the year 1957 at the age of 19 years 

With the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu, closely followed by her Telugu debut song “Nee Navve Nee Jagaana” in the movie M.L.A.

Music lovers will forever cherish her rendition of “Chinnari Ponnari Kittayya” in the movie Swathi Muthyam, which perfectly captured the innocence of childhood. Her thousands of duets alongside the late legendary singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam still have a soothing effect on the ears. 

She sang over 48,000 songs in multiple Indian languages all over the country. She was highly praised for her amazing ability to express deep emotions and change her voice for different characters.

She also recorded songs in foreign languages like English, German, and Japanese. She officially retired from her long and successful singing career in the year 2017.

During her incredible career, Janaki won four prestigious National Film Awards for her crowd pleasing vocals. She also received thirty-three different state film awards from various state governments. Additionally, she was honored with an honorary doctorate from the famous University of Mysore. 

In the year 2013, she famously chose to refuse the Padma Bhushan award. She stated that south Indian artists were often not given the proper recognition they deserved. Her immense contribution to Indian cinema and music will be remembered by the nation forever.