Singer Mano described every song as a rewarding experience during a discussion on his 40-year career in film music at The Hindu office in Chennai on Thursday. His voice has featured in more than 10,000 Tamil and Telugu tracks plus hundreds in Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali, accompanying listeners through varied times. Moderated by senior editor B. Kolappan, the talk covered Mano’s early exposure to music through family mythological plays. Originally named Nagore Babu, he learned numerous devotional songs by age six or seven after visits to places of worship. He credited Carnatic training and 2.5 years with composer M.S. Viswanathan for building skills in notation and rhythm that aided his progress. A long association with Telugu composer K. Chakravarthy also shaped his work. Ilaiyaraaja gave him the stage name Mano and recorded his first song, “Then Mozhi,” from Solla Thudikuthu Manasu. Mano recalled learning the zha sound for that track and later singing every song in Enga Ooru Paatukaaran. He noted joint recordings with S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, including a light moment during Jallikattu when Ilaiyaraaja asked which lines each had sung. Mano is known for tracks such as “Azhagiya Laila” and “Muqqabula.” He also praised the chance to work alongside artists like Yesudas and Malaysia Vasudevan. In addition to singing, Mano has dubbed for several Rajinikanth Telugu films. He now runs a mentorship program offering stage chances to new singers, with the Chennai edition set for September. He stressed daily practice and sustained effort over quick success.
