When composer Mithoon Eshwar recently shared a brief clip of S Janaki recording what is believed to be her final song, it struck an emotional chord with music lovers. On July 16, he released the complete recording session of Amma Poovinu, a lullaby he had composed for the Malayalam film Pathu Kalpanakal. The song was recorded in 2016, with the film releasing the following year.Having gifted Malayalis several unforgettable lullabies over the decades, S Janaki added another memorable one with Amma Poovinu. Speaking to us, Mithoon says, “Many people requested that I share the complete recording session so they could watch Amma perform. That’s why I decided to release it now.”The Bengaluru-based composer says there was never any doubt about whom he wanted to sing the lullaby. “For a song like this, I couldn’t think of anyone else. She was my first choice, though I wasn’t sure she would accept it because she was very particular about the songs she chose. She liked the melody and immediately agreed to record it. As always, she elevated what I had envisioned. I consider it my good fortune to have met her and recorded a song with her. When you work with singers like Janaki Amma, they always elevate your composition. That’s the kind of experience they bring. Modern-day recording techniques were nothing for artistes of her calibre.”Mithoon also remembers her meticulous preparation in the studio. “She sat with me and lyricist Roy Puramadam, discussing even subtle changes in Malayalam pronunciation. She recorded the song on her own recorder and practised thoroughly before the actual session. That kind of humility and dedication is difficult to put into words.”According to him, the decision to release the live recording was driven entirely by public demand. “Back then, she had dedicated the song to mothers. She was also planning a concert in memory of her son and was composing a few songs for it. We were supposed to discuss all of that when we met again, but that meeting never happened. I was supposed to meet her in June, and was in Mysore in early July too, but couldn’t meet her both the times,” he shares.
