How SPB brought fame to a poet

Doddarange Gowda says he owes the singer a debt of gratitude

S P Balasubrahmanyam rendered his voice for some of the superhit songs penned by Doddarange Gowda. Their collaboration lasted for over 40 years.

“I met him for the first time about 40 years ago when we were composing songs for ‘Parasangada Gendethimma’ (1978) movie. He attended a session on composing and sat next to me in room number 101 at a hotel in Madras,” he shares.

The song ‘Thera Yeri Ambaradaage’ sung by SPB became a superhit and Gowda became a household name overnight.

“Though I had written many songs before, people didn’t recognise me until then. It was SPB’s voice that brought recognition to me,” he says.

He used to sing up to 22 songs a day. “We were at Gemini Studios in Chennai for the title track of ‘Anupama’.

It was 10.40 pm when SPB came to record. He told me that it was the 19th song he was singing that day,” Gowda recalls.

The lyricist recalls an incident associated with ‘Aalemane’ (1981) for which SPB sang the song ‘Nammura Mandara Huve’. “He came out of the room because he wanted to listen to the song. He paused for a while after listening and said,”This will be a superhit song. It will be a song of the year.” His words came true,” Gowda says.

Composer C Ashwath and Doddarange Gowda waited for five months to get SPB sing songs for a private album, ‘Mavu Bevu LP’.

The two would make trunk calls every day around 6 am for an appointment. A five months, the singer responded, asking them to come to Chennai.

“He had brought his wife for the function to release the album. He said that it was the first time that he had brought his wife to Bengaluru,” he recalls.

‘Gaaligoddida Deepadante Namma Baluve’ in the album became a runaway hit. In 1987, during a concert at Palace Grounds, SPB was forced by an audience of over three lakh people for an encore performance of the song.

SPB and Gowda teamed up again in 2018 for ‘Halli Sogadu’. The song
was recorded at SPB’s residence in Chennai.

Association with Lahari Recording Company

Lahari Recording Company has brought out the highest number of songs sung by Balasubrahmanyam. The company’s association with SPB began over four decades ago. His last song was also brought by the company on August 15 when the singer was in the hospital.

“In devotional music, SPB means Shiva Stuti and Shiva Stuti means SPB. It may be equated with MS Subbulakshmi’s Venkateswara Suprabhatam,” says Lahari Recording Company’s Lahari Velu who closely worked with the singer for the last four decades.

Velu’s company has brought out a minimum of 8,000 songs by SPB. Till mid-1990s producers, directors, music directors and recording companies agreed for film projects only if they had SPB, he adds.

“Every song in ‘Premaloka’ (1987) movie is a testimony to his talent. He has modulated his voice in such a way that his voice looks different in every song,” Velu says.

Composer AR Rahman came out with ‘Together As One’, a track sung by 65 singers, including SPB, on August 15. It is a reprise of the hit song ‘Thamizha Thamizha’ from the movie ‘Roja’.