Bhaktgayak | MS Subhalakshmi
Real name - Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi
Other Names - Subbulakshmi, Kunjamma
Aradhya - Lord Venkateswara
Birth date - 16 September 1916
Birth Place - Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Died: 11 December 2004, Chennai
Language: Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi.
Father - Subramania Iyer
Mother - Shanmukavadiver Ammal
Husband - Kalki Sadasivam
Children - Radha Viswanathan
Awards & Recognition - Bharat Ratna (1998), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1974), Padma Bhushan (1954) and Padma Vibhushan (1975), Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1968)
M. S. Subbulakshmi was one of the greatest Indian Carnatic vocalists, often hailed as the “Queen of Music” and the first lady of Carnatic music. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian award) in 1998.
She born into a musical family. Her mother, Shanmukhavadivu, was a veena player, which influenced Subbulakshmi from a very young age. She trained in Carnatic music, also learned Hindustani music under Pandit Narayanrao Vyas, which gave her a wide range of expression.
Subbulakshmi also acted in a few Tamil films in the 1930s and 1940s, the most famous being “Meera” (1945), where she played the role of the saint-poet
Meerabai . Her soulful rendering of bhajans in the film made her widely popular.
She known for her humility, devotional singing, and crystal-clear voice. Famous for rendering devotional songs, bhajans, kritis, and verses from scriptures like
Vishnu Sahasranam , Bhajagovindam, and compositions of saints like Tyagaraja, Meera, Annamacharya, Purandaradasa. Even today, M. S. Subbulakshmi remains a symbol of purity in music and devotion, revered across India and beyond.