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Eternal India
encyclopedia
MUSIC
Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbulakshmi was
born on Sept. 16, 1916. Her mother Shanmugavad-
ivu was a famous classical musician and a brilliant
exponent of the Veena. Young Subbulakshmi learnt
her early lessons under her mother and became an
excellent Veena player. As she was gifted with a
melodious voice, her mother decided to train her as
a vocalist. Very soon, M. S. Subbulakshmi sang at
the veena concerts of her mother and began to build
a reputation for herself.
In 1932 she began cutting discs of her songs
like "Maragathamam”. "Senthoor Velandi" and
"Anbara Chidambaram Kanden". She is known for
her devotional songs, especially Meera Bhajans.
She gave concerts in the Edinburgh Festival, 1963
and UN, New York, 1966. When Subbulakshmi
KARNATIC VOCALISTS
visited the US for the first time in 1966 on an
invitation by U. Thant to give a special concert for
the UN General Assembly on UN Day, the magnifi-
cence of her music enraptured the assembled digni-
taries.
In 1940 she married T. Sadasivam who became
a great strength and main force in shaping her life
and career. The meeting with Gandhi was another
important event. She was the first woman to preside
over the Music Academy Conference, Madras, 1967.
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for
Karnatak Vocal Music. In 1956, she was awarded
D.Litt. from Rabindra Bharati University. In 1967,
she received the title of Sangeeta Kalanidhi from the
Music Academy, Madras, in 1968, title of Isai
Perarignar from Tamil Isai Sangam, in 1970, Doctor
of Letters from Sri Venkateswara University, and in
1971 D.Litt. from Delhi University.
In 1974 she became the first Indian musician to
be given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for public
service. She was also the first musician to get the
Padma Bhushan in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan
in 1975 and received the Indira Gandhi Award for
National Integration in Oct 1990.
She commands the same degree of popularity
in the North, East and West as she does in the South.
Her golden voice has mesmerized audiences every-
where by the virtuosity in singing and the depth of
feeling which comes through.
M. S. Subbulakshmi has acted in tour films
"Seva Sadanam
",
"Sakunthalai", "Savitri"
and
"Meera”. "Sakunthalai"
and
"Meera"
are hailed as
classics of Indian cinema.
MIRACLE INDIAN MUSIC (this is
how
the
San Fransisco Chronicle
titled the report of its
critic): “Mrs. Subbulakshmi brought her ensemble
to the San Francisco Museum of Art to present a
series of miracles. Elaborate vqcal filigree, some-
times sung in unison of octaves with her daughter
Radha Viswanatha were unbelievable in their poised
ease and constancy of flow. Indian music relies on
poetry (words) and reiteration. She sings with a
reedy yet dark voice and the most extraordinary
flexibility. Like sleight of hand, she throws out
embellishments almost too fast to hear. Some of
these approach electronic music velocity."
“Vocal flexibility offers many things tuned
instruments cannot. So one heard some very un-
usual individual notes along the way. The scale of
the
Varali raga
for example contains a true double
E flat. On our instruments this would just be
another fancy name for D. But singing the real
thing, Mrs. Subbulakshmi got a pitch down in the
crack between D and E flat on the piano. Contrasted
with the more normal pitch levels, it made for a
wonderful tense sound that enlivened the entire
work.”
Eminent Vocalists
:AriyakudiRamanuja Iyengar,Semmangudi R. Srinivasa
Iyer (L), Mysore K. Vasudevacharya, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, Musiri
Subramania Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Gudalur N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Mudikondan C. Venkatarama Iyer, D.K.Pattammal
(L), B. Devendrappa,Chittoor S. Subramanyam, T.Brinda(L),M.R. Srirengam
Iyengar,C. Venkata Rao, Alathur S. Srinivasa Iyer, Dandapani Desigar, M.L.
Vasanthakumari,
N.Channakeshaviah, T.
Mukta (L),B.S. RajaIyengar,
M.D.Ramanathan, M. Balamurali Krishna (L),
K.V.
Naray
Sripada Pinakapani(L),Madurai S. Somasundaram, SeerkhazahiS. Govindarajan, Radhaand Jayalakshmi (L), T.M. Thiagarajan (L), D.K. Jayaraman,
Maharajapuram V. Santhanam, Voleti Venkateswarlu,
Puthukode Krishnamurti, B. Rajam Iyer (L.), Nedunuri Krishna
Murthy (L.), Madurai N. Krishnan (L.), Mani Krishnaswami (L.),
Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana (L.), Titte Krishna Iyen-
gar (L.), T.V. Sankaranaryanan (L.), S. Rajam (L.),
K.R.Kumaraswamy Iyer (L.), Trichy Swaminatha Iyer (L.)
* (L) Living
Thyagaraja Aradhana - Thiruvaiyur
(Right to Left)
1. Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer 2. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar 3. Palghat
Mani Iyer - Mridangam 4. Palladam Sanjeeva Rao - Flute 5. H. Ramachandra Shastri - Flute
R.K. Srikantan
Carnatic Music vocalist