Nation Bids Adieu to the Queen of Music

[Guest guest]

CHENNAI, India (December 13, 2004): The musicians wept, the

politicians saluted, celebrities bowed their heads and commoners

strained for one last glimpse of a noble soul who stuck a melodious

chord in this world and mesmerised it with her sweetness of voice

and simplicity in life.

 

The body of Bharat Ratna Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi,

affectionately MS - the 'Queen of Music' - was consigned to flames

on Sunday evening at the Besant Nagar electric crematorium, with

full police honours. As a mark of respect music concerts - the

season is on - at various sabhas have been cancelled.

 

"She was born for music, lived for music and served for music," said

President APJ Abdul Kalam after he laid a wreath on the 88-year-old

Carnatic music exponent's body, wrapped in a red shawl and at

eternal rest in a freezer box.

 

It was a brief visit to the city that the eminent scientist and a

lover of music made as an admirer of the Indian classical diva. "It

is a great loss to the nation and her services to music world was

unparalleled. She was a born genius," said Kalam.

 

Popular vocalist Dr M Balamurali Krishna stood quietly beside her in

silent tears and told the media, "Wherever there is good music, she

will live on." He said MS was the first woman artiste in Carnatic

music to introduce melody and modulation. "She understood very well

the importance of these two aspects of music. Through this, she

popularised the south Indian classical music all over the world. She

lives on in our hearts."

 

As MS's body was kept at her Kotturpuram residence for the public to

pay their last respects, exponents of Carnatic music, political

leaders and other celebrities filed pass. Ghatam vidwan Vikku

Vinayakaram, a Grammy award winner, said: "It was MS who popularised

ghatam (mud-pot) as an instrument for accompaniment in kutcheries

(concerts). She took ghatam exponents along with her to all her

concerts."

 

Popular playback singers P Suseela and S Janaki described MS as

their inspiration. "She is a 'maha pativratha' and always followed

the path shown by her husband," they added. DMK president M

Karunanidhi visited MS' house in the morning along with his wife and

sons, Dayalu Ammal and MK Stalin, and paid poetic tribute to

her: "With her death, the music rain has stopped. She enthralled the

earth with her melodious numbers. Her songs will remain, voice

immortal. The music comes from the air. Even if the air stops, the

music will continue to keep ringing."

 

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa came to pay homage later in the day.

In a long statement, she announced a funeral with full police

honours. "She has left behind a void that can never be filled," she

said, adding that "there has never been anyone like her before and

there will never be one like her ever again."

 

Source: The Times of India

URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-

956763,curpg-2.cms