M. S. Subbulakshmi
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| M.S.Subbulakshmi | |
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 An EMI record of Subbulakshmi
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| Background information | |
| Born | September 16, 1916 Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Origin | India |
| Died | December 11, 2004 (aged 88) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Genre(s) | Indian classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Classical Vocalist |
| Years active | 1930 - 2004 |
| Label(s) | HMV |
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (Tamil: மதுரை சண்முகவடிவு சுப்புலட்சுமி, Mathurai 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]
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[edit] Early life and background
Subbulakshmi was born in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu to Shanmukhavadivu, Veena Vidwan and Subramania Iyer, a lawyer, in a devadasi musical family, .[2]
She started learning Carnatic music from an early age.
[edit] Singing career
Subbulakshmi first recording was released when she was 10 years old. She gave her first public performance during the Mahamaham festival at Kumbakonam at the age of sixteen. 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 centre 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. In 1969 she was accompanied by Indian Railways Advisor SN Venkata Rao to Rameshwaram, where she famously sang several songs in front of each idol in the Rameshwaram temple.
After the death of her husband Sadasivam in 1997, she stopped all her public performances.
[edit] 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. Later, she quit films and turned wholly to concert music.
[edit] Personal life
M.S. Subbulakshmi met Thiagarajan Sadasivam, a freedom fighter and a follower of Rajaji, in 1936. She 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 whether she should marry G.N. Balasubramaniam (GNB),a handsome and brlliant musician or Sri. Sadasivam.[1]. She chose Sri Sadasivam as her husband and her marriage spanned almost 60 years, in which Sadasivam shaped her 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.
[edit] Discography
- Venkateshwara Suprabhatam
- Vishnu sahasranama along with Bhajagovindam
- A set of 5 volumes by name Balaji Pancharatna Maala
- Many more Meeraa Bhajans
[edit] Awards and honours
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had this to say about MS.Subbulakshmi- "Who am I , a mere Prime Minister before a Queen, a Queen of Music ". While Lata Mangeshkar called her Tapaswini (the Renunciate), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan termed her Suswaralakshmi (the goddess of the perfect note), 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).
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. Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) has installed a bronze statue of M.S.Subbulakshmi at the Poornakumbham circle in the temple town. It was unveiled by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on May 28, 2006
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.
[edit] Bibliography
- M.S. Subbulakshmi, the Voice Divine (79 pages) by V. Gangadhar.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- "Artists: M.S.Subbulakshmi, Nat Geo Music". National Geographic Society. http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/ms_subbulakshmi.
- Biography at the official site of Ramon Magsaysay award
- M.S.Subbulakshmi - One Hundred Tamils of 20th Century
- M.S. Subbulakshmi at the Internet Movie Database
