Carnatic Vocalist Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi M. S. Subbulakshmi. She was born in Madurai, Madras Presidency, India to veena player Shanmu Kavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer. Subbulakshmi began her training under her mother Shanmu kavadiver Ammal. She then went on to learn the nuances of Carnatic music under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. While learning Carnatic music, she also learnt and mastered Hindustani music under the famous vocalist Pandit Narayanrao Vyas. M.S was a quick learner and thus finished her education at a young age.
Her mother, from the devadasi community, was a music exponent and a regular stage performer, and Subbulakshmi grew up in an environment very conducive to musical learning. Her musical interests were also shaped by regular interactions with Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar.
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.
Some of her most famous works include ‘Suprabhatam’ (Early Morning Hymns), ‘Bhajagovindam’ (composed by Adi Shankaracharya praising Lord Krishna), ‘Kurai OnrumIllai’ (composed by Rajagopalachari), ‘Vishnu Sahasranamam’, ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ (Prayers to Lord Hanuman), etc. Any ardent fan of Carnatic classical music is sure to have all these and much more works of M. S. Subbulakshmi. Another moving composition is the song ‘Vaishnava Jana to’. Her perfect pronunciation and flawless singing would bring tears to the eyes of anyone who listens to it.
Subbulakshmi didn’t contain herself with just music, for she forayed into the field of acting as well. M.S also tried her hand at acting and showcased her acting skills in five movies. Her debut came in the year 1938 when she essayed the role of a young girl in the movie ‘Sevasadanam’. The film was commercially and critically acclaimed and was considered a trendsetter at that time. In her second movie ‘Sakuntalai’, she played the title role. Her third film ‘Savithiri’ saw her portraying the character of Saint Narada and was appreciated for her performance.
This flawless singer, whose voice almost had a divine power, is the first singer to be presented with India’s highest civil honour, the Bharat Ratna. When she was honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay award, which is considered as Asia’s Nobel Prize, she became the first Indian musician to do so. Subbulakshmi, fondly addressed as M.S by her fans, was a true pioneer of anything that has to do with women empowerment. She led by example and showed the way to contemporary women of her era. Though she was famous as an exponent of Carnatic music, her expertise in Hindustani classical music was not short of brilliance.
