S.B.P

Early life and background

Balasubrahmanyam was born in a Telugu Niyogi Brahmin family to S. P. Sambamurthy in Konetammapeta, Nellore, Madras Presidency (now in Andhra Pradesh, India).[1] His wife is Smt. Savitri. He has two brothers and five sisters. He is the elder brother of the well-known singer S.P. Sailaja. Balasubrahmaniyam has a daughter, Pallavi, and a son, S. P. B. Charan.

Career

Balasubrahmanyam began singing as a hobby during his childhood. He developed an interest in music very early in his life, studied notations and learned to play instruments such as the harmonium and flute on his own while listening to his father. His father wanted him to become an engineer; this brought him to Ananthpur, where he enrolled for the Engineering course at JNTU. Later he discontinued the course due to typhoid, and then joined as an Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers. Meanwhile, he also pursued his hobby and won awards at many singing competitions. In 1964, he won the first prize in a music competition for amateur singers organised by the Madras-based Telugu Cultural Organisation, and earned his first opportunity from music director S. P. Kodandapani.

Band
Before he became a full-fledged cinema singer, Balasubrahmanyam was the leader of a light music troupe that comprised:

    * Anirutta, on the harmonium
    * Ilaiyaraaja, on guitar and later on harmonium
    * Baskar, on percussion
    * Gangai Amaran, on guitar

Playback singing

Balasubrahmanyam made his debut in film music as a singer on 15 December 1966 with Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna, a film scored by his mentor S. P. Kodandapani. He has sung in more than five different Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Marathi.

Balasubrahmanyam's first break in Hindi films was Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), for which he received the 1982 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer.

He has performed both the popular and classical music of India. For example, the songs he performed in the films Sankarabharanam, Sagara Sangamam, and Rudra Veena were based on Carnatic classical music, and the song "Umandu Ghumandu" in the movie Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavayi was based on Hindustani classical music.

He hosts many TV shows in Telugu including Paadutha Theeyaga on E-TV, Paadalani Undi on MAA-TV, a Kannada show called Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu on E-TV Kannada , and the Tamil shows Ennodu Paattu Paadungal on JAYA-TV and Vaanampaadi on Kaliagnar TV. He also anchors a music show called Sunada Vinodini on TTD Channel.

He entered The Guinness Book of World Records for recording the most number of songs by a male singer. He is the only South Indian singer to make a strong mark in the Hindi film industry.