MS Subbulakshmi - A real magician

To all those who do not quite approve the entertainment index of carnatic classical music, log on to youtube and search for Bhavayami by our beloved "Amma". I mean, what is this. You just land up in some other world. Her pronunciation spells magic on me as if she is not singing but chanting those poweful vedic verses. Be it "Raghuvamsha" or my all time favourite "Ra Ra Chinnanna" or "Sriman Narayana" they are all like tears roll out the way she takes me into some other fairy world! As I am writing this article , I am currently with "Madhurastakam" - another wonder. I call them all wonders of the world. There is certainly something that draws me consistently into carnatic music. The "Wow-factor" (typical Software Client Engagement terminology) is so much so that I (the most laziest of all) have infact gone on to create a profile for myself and then add all the "Amma"'s work as my favourite playlist.

May be not many of you know, MS was during her time most beautiful of the celebrities available so much so that she was offered quite a number of roles in tamil. Her best work still stands out to be the role of Mira for which recieved the highest renumeration (during that time). She was the favourite asthana singer at the Gandhiji's ashram and a consistent AIR prime time singer. As we all say, matches are made in heaven, she tied her knot to a man she has all her life maintained as THE MAN BEHIND HER SUCCESS - T Sadisivam - a prominent freedom fighter and a religious follower of Rajaji. He strategised her career great finnesse.

May be great people are destined to be great, not just in their field but everywhere. My father was once narrating me an anecdote of how TTD had to put lot of fight for booking AMMA for that year's Ustavalu. Amma during her peak of fame and busyness had somehow agreed but for a large sum as renumeration. After a bit of tussle, things somehow reached to a logical end as both the parties comprised on a certain amount. Kacheri as planned was organised at the conventional asthana mandapam of Tirupati. Once the kacheri summed up, one of the officials presented her the check with agreed amount and Amma the great went straight to the Maha-Hundi (which is to the left of Lord Venkateshwara's garbha gudi) and placed the cheque into that. Isn't amazing. Hence, I say great people are destined to be great!

cheers!
By the way, I have sailed through Madhurastakam and then Raghuvamsha and now I am at Cheri Yesodaku