Singer Mano Reflects on Four-Decade Music Career at Chennai Event

Singer Mano reflected on his four-decade career in film music during a conversation event held on Thursday at The Hindu’s head office in Chennai. The veteran playback singer, who has recorded over 10,000 songs across multiple languages, shared memories of his musical journey, his early training, and his collaborations with legendary composers.

The event, moderated by B. Kolappan, Senior Deputy Editor of The Hindu, traced Mano's life from his childhood. Born Nagore Babu, Mano recalled growing up in a family of musicians who staged mythological dramas. By the age of six or seven, he was already familiar with the characters and songs from these performances.

Mano credited his early success to his training in Carnatic music and his two-and-a-half-year stint working with Tamil composer M.S. Viswanathan. He explained that working with Viswanathan taught him how to write notes and understand different styles of taalam, which proved highly useful as his career progressed. He also acknowledged his long-standing relationship with Telugu composer K. Chakravarthy.

A significant turning point came when maestro Ilaiyaraaja christened him 'Mano'. The singer recalled his debut track for Ilaiyaraaja, 'Then Mozhi' from the film Solla Thudikuthu Manasu, noting that the composer had to teach him how to pronounce the Tamil letter 'zha'. Mano also highlighted singing all the songs in the film Enga Ooru Paatukaaran as an unforgettable milestone.

Addressing the frequent comparisons made between his voice and that of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Mano recalled a humorous moment when both sang together for a song in the film Jallikattu, and Ilaiyaraaja jokingly asked them who sang which line. Mano expressed gratitude to the industry giants he grew up alongside, including Balasubrahmanyam, Yesudas, and Malaysia Vasudevan.

Beyond singing, Mano spoke about his work as a dubbing artiste, having served as the Telugu voice for actor Rajinikanth in several films. He also mentioned that he is currently running a mentorship programme to provide stage opportunities for aspiring singers, with the Chennai leg scheduled for September.