Today is 106th Birth Anniversary of MS Subbulakshmi.

Born on 16th September 1916 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, she was named Kunjamma at birth. Her mother Shanmukhavadivu, albeit an accomplished musician, hailed from the Devdasi (that is now defunct) community. Akkammal, her grandmother, was a noted violinist. By virtue of the family she was born into, she was nurtured on a rich diet of Carnatic music.

She started Singing in Concerts at a very young age and by age of 17 she had gained fame.

Seeing her extremely talented daughter grow up and metamorphose into a beautiful woman, Shanmukhavadivu wanted to get her settled. However as members of society could not contemplate matrimony with a Devdasi’s daughter, the mother tried her utmost get her fixed with wealthy landlords and members of the prosperous Chettiar (businessman) community who patronized the devdasis.

MS was however keen on carving a musical career for herself. Finding her mother unyielding, the young girl hatched a plan. One day, in the dead of the night while her mother was fast asleep, the young girl took off all her jewellery, left home, and boarded a Madras-bound train. Once there, she looked up the only two persons she had met during her umpteen performances in Madras. Ultimately, she landed up at the private residence of a noted journalist K. Sadasivan. The year was 1936.

Sadasivan was married but took MS in and was key to her subsequent glory.

In 1945, Her movie ‘Meera’ and her renditions of the Bhajans catapulted her to National stage.

She got every conceivable awards and of course Bharat Ratna. She was among the first India to be invited to UN General Assembly for the concert.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once said about her, “Who am I, a mere Prime Minister before a Queen – a Queen of Music.” Mahatma Gandhi famously remarked, “I would gladly hear Subbulakshmi speak it than hear it sung by others.” The legendary Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan hailed her as Suswaralakshmi (the Goddess of the perfect note).