M. S. Subbulakshmi

S. Subbulakshmi was a leading exponent of Carnatic music. She was known by various sobriquets, namely, the Queen of Music, Nightingale of India, the Eighth Tone of Music and the Goddess of Perfect Note. A legendary singer, vocalist and musician, she was blessed with flawless singing capabilities that made her seem like a diva of music. Her powerful renditions of soulful music enthralled the audience and transported them to a world unknown. Subbulakshmi’s tryst with music started early. At the age of ten, she made her first stage appearance and her first recording. At thirteen, she performed at her first concert at the Madras Music Academy. She made her film debut at the age of 22 and acted in a few Tamil films. She travelled all over the world as India’s cultural ambassador and gave performances. For her outstanding contribution to Carnatic music, she was honoured with several prestigious awards including India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, in 1998. She also won the Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered Asia's Nobel Prize.

Early Life

S. Subbulakshmi was born on 16th September 1916 in Kunjamma, the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She belonged to a musician family. Her grandmother played the violin and her mother was a veena artist. Subbulakhsmi's interest in music developed from her childhood. Her first recording was released when she was only ten years old. In 1940, she was married to T. Sadasivam, who was a freedom fighter and a follower of Rajaji. He played a very crucial role in enhancing her career.

Career

M.S delivered her first public performance at the famous Rockfort Temple in Tiruchirappalli when she was just eleven years old. The performance was backed by popular musicians like violinist Mysore Chowdiah and Dakshinamurthy Pillai, a well-known Mridangam player. Her major breakthrough came in the year 1929 when she performed at the Madras Music Academy. The few lucky music lovers present at the event were mesmerized by the skills of a 13-year-old girl, who could sing bhajans with such grace and fluency. Impressed by her vast knowledge on music, the academy invited her for several other performances and by the time she was 17, Subbulakshmi was a major attraction in all of her concerts.

Contribution to Music

Few of her most popular works are 'Suprabhatam' (Early Morning Hymns), 'Bhajagovindam' (admiring Lord Krishna) composed by Adi Shankaracharya; 'Kurai OnrumIllai', the composition of Rajagopalachari; 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' (1000 names of Lord Vishnu) and 'Hanuman Chalisa' (prayer of Lord Hanuman). The song 'Vaishnava Janato', is said to hold such depth and profundity that it brings tears in the eyes of every listener who listens to it. The way of her singing was very magnificent and hypnotic. She stopped performing in musical concerts after the death of her husband T.Sadasivamon 21st November 1997.

Awards

Subbulakshmi was a recipient of innumerable awards and honours. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Bharat Ratna – In the year 1998, M. S. Subbulakshmi became the first musician to be honoured with India's highest civilian award.
• Ramon Magsaysay award – This award is also known as Asia's Nobel Prize. In the year 1974, M.S became the first Indian to be honoured with this prestigious award.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – In 1956, she became the proud recipient of this award for her contribution in the field of Carnatic music.
• Sangeetha Kalanidhi – Awarded by the Madras Music Academy, this award is considered to be the most prestigious in Carnatic music. It was bagged by her in the year 1968.
• Sangeetha Kalasikhamani – In 1975, she won this award, presented to her by the Indian Fine Arts Society.
• Kalidas Samman – In 1988, the government of Madhya Pradesh honoured her with the Kalidas Samman.
• Indira Gandhi Award – She bagged this prestigious award in 1990. Presented by the government of India, this award was given to her for her efforts in national integration.

Humanitarian Works

Apart from donating most of her prize money to charity, M.S. Subbulakshmi also performed in over 200 charity concerts. From all her charity concerts, she had managed to raise more than one crore rupees which was a huge amount back then. In her lifetime, she came up with several best-selling albums, the royalties of which were donated to charity organizations.

Death

After suffering from complications related to Pneumonia and Cardiac Abnormalities, she died at the age of 88, on 11th December, 2004 in Chennai.

Legacy

Rishi MS Institute of Engineering and Technology for women is named after the great classical singer MS Subbulakshmi.