M.S. Subbulakshmi melodious voice continues to rule the hearts of people. So powerful was her singing that many listening to her bhajans claimed to have felt close to divinity. Such was the pull of her voice that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru once remarked, “Who am I a mere Prime Minister before a queen of song.”
As we celebrate her 100th birth anniversary, Roli Books has come out with a new centenary edition of Lakshmi Vishwanathan’s “Kunjamma – Ode to a Nightingale”. An accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, who knew the singer for many years —Subbulakshmi had referred to her as a daughter — Vishwanathan retraces the life of the legend, her divine and human angularities with love and insight. Vishwanathan agreed immediately when asked to pen the book. “I considered it as an honour to write about her,” she says. The slim volume has many vintage photographers highlighting Subbulakshmi’s photogenic features.
Edited excerpts :
On MS epitomising divinity in singing
I think being the first Carnatic musician to record albums of pure Sanskrit slokas like the Suprabatham put her music on a different level from all other singers. She recorded many more with total involvement that soon the tone of her music generally became more divine. Devotion, that is bhakti came naturally to her. That is why her music had soul. All of Carnatic music compositions have bhakti as the core principle. She understood the lyrics, sang as the poets themselves would have sung, with deep involvement and with passion. Her gestures, acknowledging Tyagaraja the composer, when his name came up in the lyrics, with a namaskar, was always poignant. Even the simple modern lyric penned by Rajaji in praise of Balaji became an unparalleled hit because of the way she sang it.
On what made her a successful singer
I think the success of any artist is a combination of talent, hard work and luck. If you look at MS’s career, her talent and her voice are obvious from a young age. But she worked hard all her life. She was learning new compositions even when she was in her seventies. Luck is something unpredictable. She was lucky in many ways, but she also made use of opportunities with a full commitment.
On transcending geographical boundaries
It was with her husband Sadasivam's guidance that MS broke new ground. She sang in many languages, and for each she sought the help of experts. They would willingly teach her, whether it was Dilipkumar Roy teaching her bhajans or Bengali songs, or Siddheswari Devi staying with her to teach her some classic Hindustani compositions. Her language skills were impeccable — Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Sanskrit — she would strive to make the composition authentic and her own.
On her humility and charm
She had inborn charm, and natural humility. Whether on stage or off it, she showed respect for savants, dignitaries, holy men, and leaders of society. Shy by nature, she would speak in measured tones but displayed an extraordinary warmth with her smile. Many awards were bestowed on her, but every time she would dedicate the award to the Almighty, acknowledge her gurus, the great composers, and her husband who was her friend, guide and philosopher.
She showed her appreciation for all forms of music, by listening to great Ustads and Pandits like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ravi Shankar and many others who were welcomed with warmth in her home.
On her limited number of films
Although she acted in four films at a very young age, she was not keen to pursue that as a career. She knew that her music was more important. It was also closer to her heart. In fact her acting in the films was secondary to the songs she sang as Shakuntala, or Meera in the films.
On not having any disciples
In the olden days it was not part of the tradition for women to be gurus. It was the domain of the male vidwans. MS perhaps followed that tradition. Later when women musicians took on disciples they did not actually conduct classes. A few chosen ones were asked to accompany them, and they learnt only by observation and close association.
On Subbulakshmi’s charity work
Her work with charity began as early as the ‘40s. It was the time when the freedom movement inspired people to work for social causes. Over time it became a habit with her until she made it a point to sing only for charity. Her husband was instrumental in identifying the good causes, and she readily agreed to contribute her might to any good cause.
On her association with the great singer
My mother Alamelu Viswanathan knew MS from her early days in Madras. A sisterly bond, I must say. We grew up listening to her music, were in awe of her status, and became ardent fans. What was very nice for me is that she treated me with such affection and concern. She readily attended my dance programme and complimented me. On one of my birthdays I invited her and Mama(Sadasivam) along with my family members for lunch. She surprised me by presenting me with a beautiful silver bowl filled with sugar crystals (kalkandu). Whenever I visited her she would speak to me about music and dance and often recall things of a bygone era. When I was writing the book, she insisted I should come and have lunch with her...a simple South Indian lunch in great company indeed! When I admired her sari once, she decided to gift it to me! She had a sense of humour and enjoyed Mama’s jokes along with us visitors.
