MSS; one and only
Chitravina N Ravikiran
There is not a tinge of doubt that
M S Subbulakshmi was one of
the most beautiful artistes
to ever adorn the world
music scene. Beautiful in
all senses of the term…
It is often said that
beauty is in the eyes of the
beholder but she was an
artiste whose beauty
transcended relativity.
Because it was a beauty that
she was not merely born
with, nor was it solely
dependant on resplendent
jewellery or attire.
This was beauty she
enhanced every day, every
hour and minute that she
lived, through her thoughts,
words and deeds.
And of course, through
her music – impeccable and
inimitable.
One can analyse and
micro-analyse her music and
career for years but still
not find all the reasons for
her stupendous success that
others can only dream of.
She certainly was endowed
with a voice that had most
qualities required for
weighty, classical Carnatic
music. It was also a voice
that could do her bidding
when it came to light
classical, devotional and
film music. Her voice also
possessed what I term as the
‘ring of auspiciousness’, a
bell like quality that could
make even a Kshetragna padam
seem like Suprabhatam… But
it was not merely this.
She was meticulous beyond
measure to ensure that her
music was not just
attractive but also
acceptable from any
standpoint – be it the
grammar of the raga,
accuracy of tala,
pronunciation and more
importantly, the correct
accent as dictated by the
language. But again, this
does not complete the
picture.
She was a model of
assiduousness when it came
to concert planning. A lot
of us plan but never execute
because we dream of the
results without ever putting
in the necessary effort.
Today’s busy professionals
often end up with a glow
about their scrupulous
preparation if they have
glanced at completely new
song in an unfamiliar and
odd tala a few hours before
rendering it in a concert or
recording! MSS never worried
about the results but put in
days of practise after
learning a song, which is
what made her sing
absolutely unfamiliar songs
with such silken sheen that
one could be forgiven for
believing that these songs
were part of the Carnatic
repertoire for ages and had
been polished by numerous
maestros in the past. But
again, this is not all.
People talk about the
bhakti element in her
singing and it was
unquestionably a major
factor in influencing
millions of listeners. Not
only did she possess true
devotion but she could make
her listeners experience
what true bhakti was. Her
bhakti was born from an
outlook where simple faith
ruled as opposed to
intellectual cynicism.
Ever the perfectionist,
she was not even conscious
of stardom, let alone covet
it. She possessed one of the
greatest qualities required
for growth – the attitude of
a perpetual seeker. Even at
her zenith, she constantly
learned from maestros such
as Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
and Brinda-Mukta to make
sure that her repertoire had
the stamp of authenticity.
In terms of consistency,
she was almost Bradmansque.
One would hardly hear of
about a concert by MSS that
was less than excellent.
In terms of stage
presence, few could match
her. Off stage too, she was
just as beautiful.
However great each of
these attributes are, they
still create a whole greater
than the sum of its parts…
The truth is there was
some invisible magic in her
persona which has made her
invincible. That is God’s
grace – not just given but
earned…
This, in my opinion, is
the biggest thing we can all
learn from her. Without eve
spelling it out, she has
shown that if one possesses
the other qualities she had,
God’s grace will naturally
follow.
On a personal note, I
have had a privileged
relationship with her even
before my ‘conscious’ years.
My parents have always
remembered with fondness the
incredible reception for me
that she hosted at her house
soon after my debut as a
two-year old, in 1969.
My first memory is when I
gave a vocal concert at a
wedding in Trichy when I was
5 or 6. MS amma was to sing
the following day at the
same wedding but she made it
a point to come a day ahead
and sat through the whole
concert - even though I
distinctly remember that I
sang well below my standards
and incurred the wrath of my
father at the end of the
day!
My mother – to whom MSS
was like a goddess – told me
how fondly she had talked
about my grandfather
Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar
and how she was convinced
that I was his
re-incarnation. A true
blessing indeed. However, I
was too young to be aware of
the significance of all
this.
I had several
interactions subsequently
with her that I cherish very
much. I will only share one
here.
I had a disagreement with
All India Radio and
Doordarshan (about the name
change of my instrument from
gotuvadyam to chitravina)
and had stopped performing
for them for a couple of
years. During this time,
when I once went to MS
amma’s house, she gently
chided me saying, “Yours was
one of the few concerts I
have always looked forward
to on the Radio as I rarely
venture out. If you stop
this, where is the tonic for
people like me in my old
age?” Needless to say, I
felt extremely humbled and
resolved that I would resume
playing for AIR again (who
coincidentally agreed to my
stipulation around the same
time).
When I received an SMS
from a friend about her
demise around 4.30 am, I
rushed to her house right
away. There was absolutely
no one there at that time
except her family and I did
indeed feel as much a part
of the family as one could
ever be. For, it is
absolutely true that to me
that this loss amounted to a
shrinking of my own family…
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