L.R. Eswari: The voice that transcends genres

The Hindu

22-07-2025

It's the Tamil month of Aadi and also a time when L.R. Eswari's (Lourde-Mary Rajeshwari) devotionals such as 'Karpoora nayakiye', 'Chellatha' and 'Maariyamma' trend.
While Eswari has given us many devotional albums, she first became known through her film songs. Although she had been active in singing for films since the 1950s, her future was made when she sang 'Vaarai yen thozhi' (the 1961 film Pasamalar, music: M.S. Viswanathan). The rest is history, and Eswari went on to sing in all the South Indian languages.
'Lively' is the adjective usually used to describe her singing, but there is more to Eswari's voice. Hers is the voice that gave us the raunchy 'Elandappazham' (film Panama Pasama) and alsothe melody'Idhu maalai nerathu mayakkam' from the film Darisanam, where the heroine expresses her love to the hero, a man who has seen life in the raw.
The lines for the hero, in this song, show us that he is completely disconsolate, and T.M. Soundararajan's (TMS) voice captures the hero's inclination towards renunciation. Easwari matches the sombreness of Soundararajan's voice, while singing the lines that show the heroine's yearning for the hero.
Be it singing a philosophical song or amorous verses in a melancholic tone, Eswari is adept at singing both.
In 'Naan kalaignan alla' from thefilm Neelagiri Express, TMS gets a meaty lyric, but there are no profound lines for Eswari, except to sing the syllables ah ha throughout. Yet, her voice captures the plight of the heroine, who is caught in the clutches of a criminal gang, wanting to maintain her distance from her lover, and yet succumbing to the dictates of her youthful heart.
In 'Pattathu rani' from the film Sivandha Mann, when the heroine is whipped, Eswari .brings out gasps of pain, immediately followed by some spirited-singing, to show that the heroine hasn't been cowed down by the antagonist. She makes it seem simple, but obviously, it couldn't have been. Eswari won Lata Mangeshkar's appreciation for this song, while her other numbers such as 'Muthukulikka vaareehalaa' from the film Anubhavi Raja Anubhavi and 'Nee yenbadhenna' from the film Vennira Adai won applause from Asha Bhosle and R.D. Burman.
In 'Ninaithaal sirippu varum' from the film Bhama Vijayam, Eswari's playback singing for Jayanthi, who dances in a frenzy to woo her on-screen husband, is boisterous, while P. Susheela sings for Kanchana in muted tones. Both Susheela and Eswari simply shine through in this song.
The film Yaar nee is full of Gothic tropes and Eswari's voice in the song 'Paarvai ondre', though a romantic number, evokes a sense of mystery and impending doom throughout. 'Thenaatrankaraiyinile' from the film Utharavindri Ulle vaa is supposed to spook out the comedian, yet, with its fake macabre tone, it leaves the audience chuckling.
'Palinginaal oru maligai', from the film Vallavan oruvan, is sung in the hope of ensnaring the hero, Jaishankar, and killing him. While it appears to be a lively song on the surface, the lyrics are suggestive of the denouement the woman is hoping for.
A common thread that runs through all the L.R. Easwari songs listed above is that they are unusual. The songs are not clearly defined as romantic, pathos or philosophical. It takes an unusual voice and a singer like Eswari, to give it the right effect. While Eswari is described as an unschooled genius, because she never trained formally in classical music, one can't help but wonder if that gave her the freedom to explore her range without boundaries. She couldn't be typecast or categorised. Her voice is free to explore the mixed emotions.
This was seen in her singing 'Thathi thathi' as a six-year-old girl. While her 'Buddhi Sigamani Petra Pillai' is a lullaby that brims with comedy, 'Kadhoduthaan' from the film Velli Vizha, is a soft number rendered in hushed tones. She was also adept at singing 'Vandaal ennodu' from the film Naan in the tune of 'Come September'. M.S. Perumal, who wrote the story of the film Aval Oru Thodar Kathai, points out how Eswari excelled in both versions of the song 'Yennadi ulagam'. She first sings nonchalantly for a young woman without a care in the world, and in the next, she captures the angst of the woman, now chastened by her experiences.
If we have to describe L.R. Eswari's singing in one word, versatile would be apt. Whether she renders a devotional number or a film song, her voice casts a spell on the listeners.
Top five devotionals of L.R. Eswari Chellatha Chella Mariyaatha Maariyamma Engal Maariyamma Karpoora Naayagiye Muthumari Ammanukku Tirunaalam Karumari Samayapurathaaye