Veteran Indian playback singer S Janaki, fondly known as the Nightingale of South India, passed away at the age of 88. She breathed her last at Apollo Hospital in Mysuru. While she was at the hospital while undergoing treatment for her age-related ailments, she suffered a cardiac arrest.
Popularly called Janaki Amma, the legendary singer had declined the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2013, saying the recognition had come too late. She had also expressed that her decades-long contribution to Indian music deserved the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award. Over the course of her illustrious career, Janaki received four National Film Awards and an unprecedented 33 State Film Awards across multiple languages.
Janaki began her illustrious playback singing career in 1957 and went on to become one of India’s most celebrated voices. Over the decades, she forged iconic collaborations with composer Ilaiyaraaja and legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, delivering countless timeless songs across multiple Indian languages.
S Janaki sang more than 40,000 songs in various languages, including Kannada.
Her immense contribution to Indian music earned her several prestigious honours, including the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and the Padma Bhushan. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the field of music.
Janaki married V Ramaprasad in 1959. Following his demise, she made Hyderabad her home, where she spent her later years. As the news of her demise was known to people, several tributes started pouring in. Many celebrities like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, CM Vijay Joseph among others paid their tributes to her.
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