M. S. Subbulakshmi.html

M. S. Subbulakshmi

Born	September 16, 1916(1916-09-16) Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India
Died	December 11, 2004 (aged 88) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Spouse(s)	Kalki Sadasivam (1940-death)

Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (Tamil: மதுரை சண்முகவடிவு சுப்புலட்சுமி, Maturai Caṇmukavaṭivu Cuppulaṭcumi ^?), popularly known as M.S. or M.S.S.) (September 16, 1916 - December 11, 2004) was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor [1].

1 Early life
2 Career
- 2.1 Films
3 Personal life
4 Discography
5 Honours and awards
6 See also
7 External links

Early life

Subbulakshmi was born as Kunjamma to Shanmukhavadivu (Veena Vidwan), in a devadasi musical family, in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu in South India. Her biological father Subramania Iyer did not marry her mother but provided monetary support.

She started learning Carnatic music from an early age.

Career

Subbulakshmi gave her first public performance during the Mahamaham festival at Kumbakonam at the age of eight, and released her first recording at the age of ten. She began her Carnatic classical music training under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and then Hindustani classical training under Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas. By the age of 17, Subbulakshmi was giving concerts on her own, including major performances at the Madras Music Academy, a prestigious center for the study and promotion of Carnatic music. Performance in Carnatic music concerts, was until then, a domain, traditionally reserved for men. She performed a vast variety of musical forms in different languages including Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati and Marathi.

She traveled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India's cultural ambassador. Her concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966; the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982; and at the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987 were significant landmarks in her career.

After the death of her husband Sadasivam in 1997, she stopped all her public performances.

Films

M.S. also acted in a few Tamil films in her youth. Her first movie "Sevasadanam" was released in 1938. MS Subbulakshmi also played the male role of Narada in "Savitri" (1941) to raise money for launching Kalki, her husband's nationalist Tamil weekly. Her title role of the Rajasthani saint-poetess Meera in the eponymous film (1945) gave her national prominence. This movie was re-made in Hindi in 1947. The movie had M.S Subbulakshmi. sing the famous Meera bhajans, with Dilipkumar Roy as the music director. Following the success of the film she quit films and turned wholly to concert music.

Personal life

M.S. met T.Sadasivam, a freedom fighter and a follower of Rajaji, in 1936. Subbulaksmi stayed with Sadasivam during this period until their marriage in 1940 upon the demise of Sadasivam's first wife.

This was a period in which she was in a quandary as to whether she should marry GNB,the handsome and brlliant musician or Sri. Sadasivam.[2]. She chose Sri Sadasivam as her husband and her marriage spanned almost 60 years, in which Sadasivam shaped MS's career like a master craftsman.They had no children of their own. However Sadasivam's children from his previous marriage, Radha and Vijaya were blessed by the motherly love showered on them by Subbulakshmi.

M.S and Sadasivam also trained Radha who frequently sang with M.S. in concert while Vijaya played the Tanpura. Radha became a vital force in MS kutcheris and accompanied her for almost 50 years till illness prevented her from doing so.

Subbulakshmi died on December 11, 2004 after a brief illness, due to complications relating to pneumonia and cardiac irregularities.

Discography

Venkateshwara Suprabhatam
Vishnu sahasranama along with Bhajagovindam
A set of 5 volumes by name Balaji Pancharatna Maala
Many more Meeraa Bhajans

Honours and awards

While Lata Mangeshkar called her Tapaswini (the Renunciate), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan termed her Suswaralakshmi (the goddess of musical notes), and Kishori Amonkar labeled her the ultimate eighth note or Aathuvaan Sur, which is above the seven notes basic to all music. Her many famous renditions of bhajans include the chanting of Bhaja Govindam, Vishnu sahasranama (1000 names of Vishnu) and the Venkateswara Suprabhatam (musical hymns to awaken Lord Balaji early in the morning).

An EMI record of MS Subbulakshmi

She was widely honored, praised and awarded. Some of them more popular ones include Padma Bhushan in 1954, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1956, Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1968 (literally, Treasure Chest of Music. She was the first woman recipient of the title), Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974, the Padma Vibhushan in 1975, the Kalidas Samman in 1988, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1990, and the Bharat Ratna in 1998. She was also honored as the court-singer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

She was bestowed with enormous prize moneys with these awards, she donated most of them to charity.

She was awarded honorary degree degrees from several Universities.

She was an ardent devotee of Kanchi Mahaswamigal and she rendered his composition Maithreem Bhajatha (O World! Cultivate peace) in her concert at the UN in 1966. She donated many of the royalties on several best sold records to many charity organizations.