A vocality is about chords and contexts: The story of C. Krishnaveni and songmaking

In writing the histories of film practitioners such as C. Krishnaveni, one recognizes the value of how their vocalities, literal and metaphoric, as observers, creative artistes and enablers are indicative of the form that cinema has historically taken within specific spaces of language and culture. This article reviews key themes and developments around the encoding of voices of early actors and singers, places their contribution in the cultural and linguistic context of South India and notes their historical position in innovating with cinematic technologies and creating new musical and narrative materials.