Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.[2] She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, often considered Asia’s Nobel Prize,[3] in 1974 . She was the First Indian who performed in United Nations General Assembly in 1966
Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai, Madras Presidency, India to veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer.

She started learning Carnatic music at an early age and trained in Carnatic music under the tutelage of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and subsequently in Hindustani music under Pandit Narayanrao Vyas.

Her mother, from the devadasi community, was a music exponent and a regular stage performer, and Subbulakshmi grew up in an environment very conducive to musical learning. Her musical interests were also shaped by regular interactions with Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar.[6]

Subbulakshmi gave her first public performance, at the age of eleven, in the year 1927, in the 100 pillar hall inside the Rockfort Temple, Tiruchirappalli; with Mysore Chowdiah on the violin and Dakshinamurthy Pillai on the mridangam.
In 1936 Subbulakshmi moved to Madras She also made her film debut in Sevasadan in 1938.[9] Her debut to the world of cinema was again opposite F. G. Natesa Iyer.
M.S. Subbulakshmi began her Carnatic classical music training under her mother Shanmukhavadivu; and later in Hindustani classical training under Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas. Subbulakshmi first recording was released when she was 10 years old.

Subbulakshmi gave her first performance at the prestigious Madras Music Academy in 1929, when she was 13 years old . The performance consisted of singing bhajans (Hindu hymns).[Soon after her debut performances, Subbulakshmi became one of the leading Carnatic vocalists. She travelled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India’s cultural ambassador. Her concerts at

Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama in 1963
Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966
Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982
Festival of India in Moscow in 1987
were significant landmarks in her career
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had this to say about M.S. Subbulakshmi- “Who am I, a mere Prime Minister before a Queen, a Queen of Music”.