September 16, 1916 September 16, 1916 –– Dec 11, 2004Dec 11, 2004
Running her hands over her singing throat, the blind and deaf Helen Keller exclaimed "You sing
like an angel!"
In her concerts, M.S. In her concerts, M.S.
opened with a Guru opened with a Guru
Vandana in Sanskrit in Vandana in Sanskrit in
praise of Dakshinamurthypraise of Dakshinamurthy
Over seven decades, three generations of listeners have known the same exaltation in M.S. Subbulakshmi
M.S. with Helen Keller
Born on September 16, 1916Birth Star - BharaniLagnam - ThulamRasi - Mesha
MotherVeennai Shanmukha Vadivu
FatherSubramania Iyer
She grew up surrounded by classical music. Her grandmother Akkammal played the violin and her mother was a Veena artist.
Where she was born
• Born on Sep 16, 1916 on West Hanumantharayan Street, Madurai
• At age 10, cuts a 78 rpm under the name Kokila Gana M.S Subbulakshmi.
• “Marakata Vadivu” was the first song she recorded
• In 1932, at the age of 16, performs at Madras Music Academy
• At age 17, 1933, Performs at the Mahamakam on banks of River Kaveri – Receives Gold Medal from Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
• In 1937, enters the Cine World
• In 1940, marries T. Sadasivam at age 24
• In 1941, meets Gandhiji, sings “Hari Tuma”
• Awards and recognition started pouring in – Padma Bhooshan, Padma Vibhushan, Sangeeta Kalanidhi
• 1960, 1970 – Popularized Carnatic music
• 1998 – Bharat Ratna
•1968 – First woman to receive “Sangeetha kalanidhi”
1937 - Sevasadan Cast - M.S & Natesa Iyer
Music – Papanasam Sivan
Direction - Ellis Dungan
1942 - Savithri Cast - M.S , Shanta Apte
Role – As Narada
1943 - Shakunthalai Cast - M.S , GNB, NSK
1945 – Meera - Tamil Cast - M.S , V. Nagiah , NSK
MGR – Minor Role
Direction - Ellis Dungan
Dialog - Kalki
1946 – Meera - Hindi Remake of Tamil
Shakunthalai
MEERA
• M.S. style of singing is not based on identifiable techniques of execution but on the communication of a mood, an ecstasy of emotion - 'rasadhwani/ ultimate bliss’
• In the mind of a good person, Bhakti is an instinctive growth. God himself makes his home in such a mind
• Ragas and Bhajans have been composed for the purpose of directing the minds of the listeners towards God and his manifestations
• The raagaswaroopa must be established at once. Don't keep the listener in suspense whether it is 'Poorvikalyaani' or 'Panthuvaraali'. The difference should come first before you start dwelling on the dissimilar notes
• Traverse the three octaves with felicity, curbing the tendency to branch into falsetto," make the Veena their teacher and adhere to tradition, at the same time mastering pronunciation, proper intonation and knowledge of the libretto
•Students who study music should at least apprentice themselves under an experienced musician for a few years and thereafter attempt to learn the finer points of the art which that musician only will be in a position to teach
More than 200 benefit performances and raised well over Rs. 30 million. The Magasaysay award was in recognition of her charitable work
Kasturba Memorial Fund in 1944
Gandhi Memorial Fund
100th Anniversary of St. Thyagaraja
Sevoor T.B. Sanitorium
Kamala Nehru Hospital
S I E S, MumbaiIndraprastha College for Women
Shankara Netralaya, Chennai
Ramakrishna Mission
Hindu Temple, New York
Kanchi Maha Periavar Mani Mantapam
S A M U D R I
The List Goes on…………
TTDSubramania Bharathi Memorial
Nanak Foundation
The Music Academy
Cancer Institute
Voluntary Health Services
Samudri, a project launched by the Sruti Foundation in honour of Carnatic music legend M.S. Subbulakshmi and T.S. Sadasivam, seeks to promote and sustain all art forms, especially music and dance.
SAMUDRI 'Subbulakshmi - Sadasivam Music & Dance Resources Institute'
The organization has the twin objectives of preserving and promoting India's precious cultural heritage
Manimantapam - M. S. Subbulakshmi and her late husband Sadasivam, devotees of Periyaval, have played a major role in initiating and sustaining the project through substantial contributions from concert and cassette proceeds and evincing keen interest in its progress
Her father called her "Rajathippa“. Mother called her Kunjamma
M.S. was also a trained Bharatanatyam artist
Being a Vainika, she once played Veena for Semmangudi
Learnt Mridangam from her brother and was a competent Mridangist!
Lost her voice in the 1930’s but Dr. P.V. Cherian, the leading ENT refused to put a knife on her throat
The great Sangita Kalanidhi Chembai had accompanied her on the Violin
M.S. was a great lover of Chukku Coffee, Jasmine Flower, French Perfume
Never used texts while singing but she kept elaborate notes
Her house was named Sivam-Subham
Sankarabharanam was her favorite raga, Blue her favorite color
Never ate ice-cream, avoided cold drinks to protect her voice
MS stopped singing after her husband's death (1997).
MS may well have attained immortality by these two religious verses alone – Sri Venkatesa Subrabatham and Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam played for nearly half a century and more and are a household treasure in most Hindu and even other homes
December 11, 2004
MS departed from this mortal world
Thithi - Amavasya
The Last Journey
The voice that wakes up a billion has now merged with the celestial sound that keeps the universe in harmony
The soul of the “Nightingale of Carnatic Music” has left her mortal remains and has flown into Eternity, into a timeless cosmic zone of perpetual sound of music