Loving someone means being able to let them go, and it is time to let this beloved singer of ours go too.
I can only thank God for giving us this man, with his voice that touches us directly in our hearts.
The last time I mourned a public figure was LKY. Then I mourned with a whole country.
Today I mourn with a people, a generation of people whose lives were touched by the golden melodious voice of SP Balasubramaniam, SPB as he was known.
You know, we often mourn those whom we feel belonged to us, and I am blessed to count myself among those who feel SPB belonged to them. He belonged to me, as he did to countless others who grew up listening to his voice.
I mean, those who know me, know that the radio used to be on all the time in every room in my house! This was so I could walk into music, and it was SPBala's voice I was walking into most of the time.
He was ever present in my childhood, dominating the airwaves in the 80s and 90s, he was there as I grew up and started work in the 2000s, and he is there as I play his songs for my children today.
He didn't only sing heart-wrenching soulful melodies that brought tears to our eyes. He also sang playful, cheeky numbers that we would sing to our lovers and friends, soothing lullabies that we play for our children, resounding numbers that inspired us to believe in ourselves, fast paced numbers we danced to at clubs, and divine songs that made us feel closer to God. Seriously, he was everywhere!
It is not just him as a singer that we miss, but also him as a person. He was always lifting people up and encouraging them, with his gentle and humble presence - his fellow singers, the musicians, and upcoming child artistes. That little lilting laugh he adds to his songs.. ah!
If it is true that the soul is eternal and the body but temporary, I can only say, we are the blessed generation to hear that soul sing so sweetly in our lifetime. 50 years, 40,000 songs across languages.
Thank you for the music sir. May you ever rest in peace.
#spb
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