M.S. Subbulakshmi

Biography
by Ken Hunt
M.S. Subbulakshmi is widely regarded as the premier female classical vocalist of her generation. Born around 1916, she is also a highly enjoyable and stylish singer whom Nehru is said to have called the Queen of Music. She was one of the people selected to illustrate the wealth of Indian classical music in Alain Daniélou's important Anthologie Musique Classique de l'Inde (Ducretet-Thomson 320 C 096/7/8). There she performed a composition by Syama Sastri with violin and mridangam accompaniment. A further indication of the esteem in which she was held during the 1960s was the fact that she joined a small core of important Carnatic music maestros on Richard Bock's World Pacific label. EMI India has a growing body of her work in catalogue on CD. In India her status is unassailable and any future contender for her crown will have to be special indeed.