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