A strikingly good voice is a given in the Malayalam film industry. Every accomplished singer stands out for her/his enviable tone and inimitable timbre. P. Jayachandran, who passed away on January 9, 2025, managed to carve out a niche for himself in this ecosystem. In his career spanning half a century — predominantly in Malayalam but across south Indian languages — his pitch-perfect, melodious voice drew scores of music lovers world over.
Also read: Governor, CM, leaders condole singer P. Jayachandran’s passing
A soothing, melodious voice is in part genetics and in part training. Pitching the notes accurately is also in good measure training, both in singing and listening. A singer’s originality, however, lies in what he brings to a song beyond these two aspects. For Mr. Jayachandran, it was undoubtedly the emotions he brought out. Regardless of the composer and the style of a particular composition, he lent his songs rare tenderness. His songs are especially comforting.
As someone more familiar with his Tamil songs, especially for Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman — although he has sung beautiful numbers for M.S. Viswanathan before that — I was drawn to this characteristic.
When we speak of the genius of composers, it must include their ability to hear a song in a particular voice before it is recorded. The conviction that a particular voice will best suit a certain song. Otherwise, it would not be as hard to imagine ‘Rasathi onna’ song (Vaidehi Kathirunthal , 1985) in a voice other than Jayachandran’s. He owns it. Mr. Ilaiyaraaja must have foreseen this.
The charanam (stanza succeeding the first paragraph) is classic Jayachandran and addictive.
In the lines:
Kannukkoru Vannakili, Kaadukkoru Gaanakkuyil
Nenjukkoru Vanjikkodi Needaanamma
Thathi Thavazhum Thangha Chimizhe
Ponghi Perugum Sanga Tamizhe
Mutham Thara Nitham Varum Natchathiram
Yaarodu Inghu Ennakenna Pechu
Nee Thaanae Kannae Naan Vangum Moochu
Vazhnthaga Vendum Vaa Vaa Kanne.
Composer Ilaiyaraaja conceives a gradual, masterly build up as the lines tell a beloved “you’re indeed my breath, do come here we must live (together).” In Mr. Jayachandran’s voice, even a sort of ultimatum sounds gentle and disarming. The most endearing aspect of his singing is in his subtle embellishments as he transitions from one line together (Listen to the glide between the words Thanga Chimizhe and Pongi Perugum in this song, for instance). Far from loud and performative, they shine in restraint.
In yet another brilliant composition of his ‘Kodiyile Malliyappoo’ song (Kadalora Kavithaigal, 1986), Mr. Ilaiyaraaja brilliantly juxtaposes orchestration, the voices of P. Jayachandran and S. Janaki, and silence. In this sophisticated layering of the soundscape by the composer, Mr. Jayachandran’s voice soars in ecstasy like it does in the line parakkum dhisai yedhu, inda paravai ariyadu, for instance.
The Rahman effect
A.R. Rahman’s entry in 1992 marked a huge shift in many ways, but particularly in how we listen to music. His early embrace of technology in production enhanced sound in unprecedented ways. It was as if we suddenly had an audio equivalent to a zoom lens that would help us see (listen to) the smallest variations and effects produced by the human voice. What this did to a singer like Mr. Jayachandran was exceptional for the listener. It accentuated his quintessential, subtle touches. Although hard to reproduce, especially with that sort of ease, those songs offer a masterclass in aspects like how much to oscillate a note, how long to sustain it, how to modulate for effect in a way that the effect overshadows the effort, how to hold a note gently as it lands, and when to pause.
Clearly, Mr. Rahman decided to exploit Mr. Jayachandran’s unique voice dynamics that draw attention in every song of his, like a thin border of intricate lacework holding fabric. Songs such as ‘En mel vizhunda’ (May Maadam, 1994), ‘Kollaiyile thennai veithu’ (Kaadalan, 1994) and ‘Chitthirai Nilavu’ (Vandicholai Chinaraasu 1994) went on to set “a new normal” for melodies composed since.
In ‘En mel vizhunda’ (with K.S. Chithra), we get to listen to two very accomplished artistes and their voices in fine form, executing a delightful melody in beautiful sound and granular detail. Mr. Rahman tapped the more intense facets of Mr. Jayachandran voice in Rajyama Illai Imayama (Baba, 2002) or the haunting ‘Oru deivam thanda poove’ (Kannathil Muthamittal, 2002).
If we were to loosely compare Mr. Jayachandran’s work to other ace singers in the world of film music, he was more Mohammed Rafi than Kishore Kumar. More P.B. Sreenivas and A.M. Raja than T.M. Soundararajan. While sharing industry space with exceptional contemporaries such as K.J. Yesudas and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, however, Mr. Jayachandran retained his authentic, unique voice all through. Having worked with remarkable composers through the decades, Mr. Jayachandran leaves us with a very long, precious playlist of songs enriched by his artistry, from musical eras gone by, when melody was king.
Published – January 10, 2025 06:22 pm IST
