A moving tribute to MSS

Here's an article penned by my colleague LSK, on the demise of Mrs. MS Subbalakshmi. Brings back evergreen memories of the legend!

Her Majesty's Voice - A tribute
13/Dec/2004 - Monday Chennai

Namaskar / vaNakkam

Some people are born, only to leave everlasting impressions, for generations to come, after they are long gone from this world. Some do it with their melodious voice. Some do it with their charity work. Some do it by their humility. Some do it by teaching a lesson or two about devotion. Some are remembered for their physical beauty and their charming face. Some also do it by the color of the saris they wear, when they sing. Only a rare selected few are born who do all these in their lifetime. They themselves become a symbol in what they distinguished in their life time.

Sunday, 12-Dec-2004 will be a day to remember for millions and millions of music lovers all over the world for generations to come. That golden voice that awakened the Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi in the mornings, as it did in millions of households the globe over, became silent, but not silenced.

It is indeed a privilege bestowed upon a few to hear her voice in live concerts. For the others, it remains an elusive dream that remains etched in their memories and in their blogs.

It is also a rare privilege to even live in a century and to see her alive, even if it meant no live concerts. To read rave reviews about her meticulous precision, her immense depth of music knowledge, the humility that is revealed in her famous smile, is by itself, a gift of life. Never before a woman, who still can charm Lord Krishna with her bhajans as she could a layman into music, has generated this respect and love and affection, in the recent times, with her melodious voice.

To shed tears upon her demise, could be understandable, for the emotional ones. But then she is not really gone. How could she ever leave this world? Who would wake up Lord Narayana every morning ? She will always live on as long as one can hear her music. Her majesty's voice singing 'kuRai onRum illai kaNNA', alone is enough to inspire the mind and cheer up the spirits, during adversity.

Her own immortal rendering of the profoundly meaningful line "... punarapi maranam punarapi jananam ... ", would even wake up the souls in the heavens who might get to hear her voice again.

'kARRinilE varum gItham' varum .. varum .. vandhu kondE irukkum. ( meaning, the music that comes via the air will come, will come and will always be coming. = This song was another gem of hers. )

Request you to please pray for the soul of Smt. M.S.SubbuLakshmi to rest in peace.

One cannot help but question the wisdom of some, who chose to NOT to honor her with the Bharat Ratna when her husband was alive. A photograph of Smt. MS with her kumkum, the madichar folds, the bangles, the string of flowers in her hair that created an aura like effect and in her trademark blue color with the Bharat Ratna award, could well have become one of the most memorable photographs and moments to cherish for millions of music lovers.

One must commend AIR Chennai for playing snippets of her songs on that morning, which almost made one to refuse to believe the reality of her death. As the musical homage ended with her voice rendering "vandhE mAtharam" , it is suffice to say, it evoked memories of a bygone era, who laid down everything for our nation, as our soldiers continue to do even now.

Dhanyavaad / nanRi
LSK

Contact : LSKpop3@GMail.com