S.P. Balasubrahmanyam In Concert
Seeing S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, widely known as S.P.B., in concert can feel almost like a religious experience. It's not that he's necessarily singing about spiritual matters, but when India's most beloved playback singer delivers a song, it can seem like he's being taken over by a presence outside of himself. He doesn't engage in any onstage histrionics, in fact he barely even moves during his performances, generally remaining rooted to a single spot on the stage. But from whatever spot he plants himself, S.P.B. digs deeply into his soul, and that magnificent voice comes flowing out, full of power and subtlety in equal measure. As the man who entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording more film scores than anybody else on the planet, S.P.B. has naturally got an enormous repertoire from which to choose when it comes to curating his concert repertoire, but whichever songs he delivers, he forges an unbreakable bond with his audience.
S.P. Balasubrahmanyam Background
Indian playback singers simply don't come more iconic than S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, commonly known as S.P.B. Since starting his career in the '60s, he's earned a startling number of awards, be they Nandi, National Film, or Filmfare. He has recorded more than 40,000 songs, securing himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in the process. And in addition to singing, he has somehow also found time to work as an actor, director, and producer. The first film he sang on was 'Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna' in 1966, and since then, S.P.B.'s voice has been heard in a staggering number of films, but it was his work on the celebrated 1980 movie 'Sankarabharanam' that really put him on the map. Some of his most beloved recordings include the music for such films as 'Saagara Sangamam,' 'Swathi Muthyam,' 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun,' and A.R. Rahman's film composing debut, 1992's 'Roja.' But in addition to all of his triumphs as a recording artist, over the years S.P.B. has shown himself to be just as powerful as a live performer.