<i>MS Subbulakshmi: The Nightingale of India</i>

Sarojini Naidu, child prodigy, freedom fighter and poet, described her as the 'Nightingale of India', while Lata Mangeshkar labeled her 'Tapaswini' (The Renunciate), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan termed her 'Suswaralakshmi’ (the goddess of musical notes) and Kishori Amonkar called her the 'ultimate eighth note' or 'Aathuvaan Sur', which is above the seven notes basic to all music. These well-deserved plaudits go to Carnatic vocalist MS Subbulakshmi (September 16, 1916-December 11, 2004).
The singer's many famous renditions of bhajans include the chanting of Bhaja Govindam, Vishnu sahasranama (1000 names of Vishnu) and the Venkateswara Suprabhatam (musical hymns to awaken Lord Balaji early in the morning).
Many honours and awards came her way. Some of them included Padma Bhushan in 1954, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1956 and Sangeet Kalanidhi in 1968 (literally, Treasure Chest of Music, and she was the first female recipient of the title), Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974, the Padma Vibhushan in 1975, the Kalidas Samman in 1988, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1990 and the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 1998 (the first musician to receive the award). She was also honoured as the court-singer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Subbulakshmi's music gave expression to her deeply spiritual personality and immensely moved her listeners. She sang in eight languages and even today many households begin their day with Suprabhtam, her Meera bhajans. What's more is that though several prestigious awards bestowed her with huge amounts of prize money, she donated most of it to charity.
Subbulakshmi earned fame as a film actress also. Her most memorable role was Bhaktha Meera in Meera (1945). For this film she sang Meera bhajans with Dilipkumar Roy as the music director. These renditions have lost none of their appeal even today. Despite the success of the films, she quit filmdom and devoted herself to music. All together in the course of a decade she acted in films including Sevasadanam, Savitri, Meera (Tamil) and Bhakti Meera (Hindi).
The superb singer's talent took her all over the world: as India's cultural ambassador she journeyed to London, New York, Canada and the Far East, among other places. Among the major landmarks in her career were concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966 (while U Thant was secretary general); the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982; and at the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987. Much praise came her way: one first-time foreign listener said, “MS does not sing. She makes divinity manifest.”
Her fans also included the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru who were greatly impressed by Subbulakshmi's role in the film Meera both as an actor and a singer. Apparently Gandhi was so enthralled by her Meera Bhajans that he requested Subbulakshmi to sing the song Hari tum haro jan ki bheer (Lord, please dispel the fear in mankind). The artiste answered that she had not practiced the song. Gandhi replied that he would rather hear her speak the words than hear someone else sing it. Feeling obliged, Subbulaksmi recorded the song and had the record delivered to Gandhi on his 78th birthday. After announcing the death of Gandhi, radio stations played Subbulakshmi's recording of Hari tum haro repeatedly.
India's first Prime Minister Nehru who was in the audience in the late 1950s when Subbulakshmi sang at the Ramakrishna Ashram in Delhi. “What am I, a mere prime minister before a queen of music,” he asserted -- a statement he would repeat in every speech praising her.
Following the death of her freedom fighter husband Sadasivam in 1997, 'the Nightingale' called a halt to her public performances. She passed away on December 11, 2004.
Compiled by Cultural Correspondent