Aspecial musical homage will be paid to Carnatic icon M.S. Subbulakshmi on September 15 at her ancestral home in Madurai — by none other than her great-granddaughter, Bengaluru-based S. Aishwarya.
The event, to be held at Hanumantharayan Koil Street in Madurai, will mark the commencement of MS’ birth centenary celebrations. The legend’s birthday falls on September 16.
“It’s an honour that my daughter Aishwarya is getting to flag off the event. That someone in the family is able to pay a musical homage to the Bharat Ratna is in itself a blessing,” says Aishwarya’s father V. Shrinivasan, son of Radha Vishwanathan (MS’ daughter).
Aishwarya will take part in two concerts at Madurai for the Sadguru Sangeetha Samajam. On September 14, she will sing at the Lakshmi Sundaram Hall (6 p.m.) and on 15 (8 a.m.) at MS’ birthplace with an informal rendering of MS’ popular and favourite pieces,” Mr. Shrinivasan said.
‘A role model’
Nineteen-year-old Aishwarya, a third-year BA student, has learnt nearly 500 kritis from her grandmother Radha Vishwanathan, who accompanied MS for five decades on stage. “Most of the kritis I taught Aishwarya bear the signature MS-stamp and our guru Semmangudi-Paatantaram. I wanted to keep the authentic versions going on in the family. So I have been teaching Aishwarya the MS-baani and telling her that not only in her singing, but in her bhakthi and humility towards life and music, MS-amma is worthy of emulation,” says Ms. Radha.
Aishwarya, performing for eight years now, seems both excited and nervous ahead of her homage concerts.
“At MS’ ancestral home, I thought it befitting to take up her first Tamil hit, Maragatha Vadivum in Chenchurutti ragam, as this was the first song MS had recorded for India as a 10-year-old,” says Aishwarya. This high-pitched song is said to be recorded in 1926 on Vinyl Disc by the Twin Recording Company, accompanied by her mother Madurai Shanmukhavadivu on the veena.
What Aishwarya cannot forget is MS’ emotional response when she as a seven-year-old sang Bhavayami Gopala Balam in front of her in 2002. With tears rolling down her cheeks, MS had said: “This girl will take my name across!” Aishwarya says she will take up this kriti of Annamacharya and a Meera Bhajan, Baso More Naiyan Mein, apart from Maithreem Bhajatha.”