His Master’s Voice

Why am I drawn to him? For the simple fact that he’s outstanding,” PP Nair has been a fan,and over the years,a KL Saigal devotee. Not that he doesn’t sing or admires other legends,they were amazing,but Saigal had his own charm,his own place. “You have to taste the mango to judge its sweetness…you have to know Saigal,lend an ear to realise this musical genius,” Nair,a self-taught musician and singer,has been singing Saigal for long now,and according to him,Saigal’s tonal quality is unparallel. “The kind of results he produced in the world of music are worth mentioning for we must remember,Saigal never had a predecessor to emulate He had no style to imitate,and thus,he created his own,be it acting or singing. And not many know that Saigal never received formal training in music,it was a god given gift,” says Nair.

Ever since he heard the voice crack on the air waves of AIR,Nair tuned in everyday to hear the golden voices,especially Saigal’s whose songs were played religiously. “I would marvel at this man’s versatility,and wonder why people are not tuning in to hear him! His songs were a hit,but his ghazals were a world apart…writers’ words came to life when he sang them,” the insatiable search for Saigal has taken Nair to many bookstores,music shops,and libraries. So much so,that when he settled as a senior executive at the Cochin shipyard,he started learning the harmonium and table,trained himself,and sang to his heart’s content. Friends came to know,and public performances began. “I sing all singers,but somehow,the Saigal tag has attached to me,” he smiles,dressed in the inimitable Saigal style – the topi and kurta.

In town for yet another musical concert – KL Saigal ki Yaad Main organised by The Environment Society of India at the Government Museum and Art Gallery,Nair mesmerized audiences with golden oldies. “Saigal passed away when I was ten. I remember tuning into the radio and hearing his songs,but didn’t know a single one till 1980! But the first time I heard him uninterrupted,I was mesmerized,and his voice filled my soul…there has been only one Saigal,never before him,and no one after him….” True.