A cover from UN, New York with a UN Stamp featuring a person I admire the most !
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi is a name that is synonymous with the world of Carnatic music. 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 is famous as an exponent of Carnatic music, her expertise in Hindustani classical music was not short of brilliance. Subbulakshmi didn’t contain herself with just music, for she forayed into the field of acting as well.
The Queen Of Music
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.
@ UN general assembly
Subbulakshmi soon became an Indian ambassador for all things cultural, and represented the country in many foreign festivals. In 1963, she was invited to Scotland to take part in the famous Edinburgh International Festival. Her mesmerizing performance in the UK paved the way for her next foreign tour as she was invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1982, she got an opportunity to showcase her talent at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London. Five years later, she was invited by the government of Russia to perform at the Festival of India which was held in Moscow. Subbulakshmi also traveled to places like Canada and the Far East and songs of praise just kept following her wherever she went.
MS as Meera
M.S also tried her hand at acting and showcased her acting skills in five movies. One of her most memorable films came in the year 1945 when she once again played the title role in the movie ‘Meera’. The movie was directed by American filmmaker Ellis R. Dungan and it went on to become a huge success. The versatile singer sang all the famous Meerabhajans in her melodious voice and these bhajans were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
Her ardent fans - presidents and prime ministers waited to listen to her mesmerising music
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.
The great talent that M.S possessed brought a galaxy of fans. Her fan list included the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Kishori Amonkar. Mahatma Gandhi once commented that he would rather hear Subbulakshmi utter the lyrics of the songs rather than hear someone else sing it. While Jawaharlal Nehru called her the ‘Queen of Music’, Bade Ghulam Ali defined her as the ‘Goddess of perfect note’.
Subbulakshmi was a recipient of innumerable awards and honors. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Bharat Ratna – In the year 1998, M. S. Subbulakshmi became the first musician to be honored 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 honored 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 honored 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.
M. S. Subbulakshmi passed away on 11th December 2004 in Chennai. Her funeral was attended by hundreds of fans and music lovers from all over the country. Many national leaders like the then President A.P.J Abdul Kalam also paid their homage. Her mortal remain was consigned to flames with full state honors.
MS - immortalised at Tirupati - The Lord of the Seven Hills wakes up everyday to her voice !
In 2006, the Urban Development Authority of Tirupati installed a bronze statue of her and the same was unveiled by the then C.M of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. While a postage stamp of M.S. was issued in 2005, United Nations issued her stamps to celebrate her birth centenary.
In Kancheepuram, a type of silk saree has been named after her.
The MS blue !!
Please click on the link below to listen to her most famous “Vaishnava Janato” , which moved the heart of millions of people including Mahatma Gandhi.
The song , her voice and the music 🎶 has never failed to evoke the deepest corners of my heart !
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