“I hear you muttering something…”
We are setting up equipment at singer KS Chitra’s residence in Saligramam, Chennai, named Shruti, and the singer – Padma Shri recipient and six-time National Film Award-winning composer – has just arrived. “Why don’t you sing,” she asks, almost pleading.
I freeze.
With just memories of learning Carnatic music decades ago, I muster up the courage to break into one of his songs – ‘Malargal Ketan’ O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). I lose steam when I encounter a tough line. She breaks into a grin—the kind that says, ‘It’s okay—and later, does that line with ridiculous ease, slowly scaling the higher notes like they were familiar territory, a big smile. Before breaking in – reserved type for completing a task well.
She’s associated with a big-hearted grin and a laugh Chitra since childhood. “If someone looks at me, I usually smile. It’s part of my personality. My mother often scolded me for smiling at strangers.”
Singer KS Chitra | Photo credit: Johan Satyadas
Tamil film music lovers are all smiles too; He just heard Chitra in the trending ‘Veera Raja Veera’ track Mani Ratnam’s the upcoming Ponniyin Selvan 2 , PS2 Tamil, A composition based on the Drupada tradition of Drupada, this song is written by Ilango Krishnan And it also features singers Shankar Mahadevan and Harini. “When I get a call from AR Rahman’s studio, it’s mostly, ‘Amma, can you come today?’ In my earlier days, whenever I used to get such calls, I used to catch cold, unfortunately! But, he would say, ‘Cold Eruka, Come today You will sound different. He always wants me to sound different; Different from how other musicians use mine.
He is happy with the way the song has turned out. “It was a long song and took about six hours to complete because it had so many layers,” she says.
diverse experience
Chitra hails from Kerala but is known for her work in multiple languages, and she has many co-singers to thank for that. For example, late singer SP Balasubrahmanyam played a big role in delivering Telugu hits. “Picking up Tamil was easy as I grew up in Trivandrum, which is not far from the Tamil Nadu border. Also, I got a lot of help from the lyricists and musicians of Chennai. Telugu, on the other hand, was a challenge; I didn’t know the language at all. Then SPB used to guide me a lot. Try to sing this word with a smile because it goes with its meaning, he used to say sometimes. Keeravani sir also helped a lot. Janaki Mother He has also guided me a lot; Because of my reticent nature, I used to shy away from certain expressions on stage, but he gave me the direction to overcome that.
One of Chithra’s first songs was for Ilaiyaraaja, and her latest track is AR Rahman, “Both of them are big pillars of Indian music. Singing for Raja Sir is like writing an exam; I am usually very tense while recording with him. With Rahman, who is much younger, there is a lot of freedom…but still, I get stressed!”
Chitra’s songs have been a lullaby for many a parent, and also a companion to many listeners in difficult times. Does she believe in the healing power of music? “My teacher (Dr. Omanakutty) had researched music therapy and talked about how music helps people a lot, especially children with autism and other mental deficiencies.”
It has also helped Chitra personally, especially during her period of grief after the death of her eight-year-old daughter, Nandana, who drowned in a swimming pool in Dubai in 2011. “After that incident, I didn’t listen to music at all. , Then, my relatives pressured me to listen to music to calm me down and after a few months, I started singing again. This helped a lot. Even today, when people ask me how I got over that period, I tell them: ‘The wound will always be raw, but you can come out of it only if you immerse yourself in an activity that takes your Be interested.
giving back
With over four decades of experience and over 25,000 songs, Chitra Now she is at that stage of her life where she wants to give back to the industry that brought her so much joy. Apart from being a regular on talent hunts on TV, he is also the Faculty Head at Mumbai-based Artium Academy, a music-tech platform that hopes to ignite music education. “During the lockdown, I was teaching around 15 children through a web portal, but had to stop when recordings and concerts came my way. My current role as Head of the Faculty compels me to guide the teachers who impart music education to the students.”
The most important aspect is how the students are trained to become artistes rather than just singers, says Chitra. “I still get butterflies in my stomach when I’m on stage. Everything we sing is instantly available to eat… and everyone’s shooting on their phones these days! Performing in front is very different from singing inside a studio.
In her endeavor with singers less than half her age and experience, Chitra becomes aware of the direction music will take in the future. “There are many talented musicians, but I wouldn’t say all of them will get film opportunities. This is the era of independent music, where they can experiment with any genre. Everything is changing and I enjoy it all.” I have been