A rare concert was held in Birmingham to mark the birth centenary of Dr MS Subbulakshmi, one of India’s pioneering vocalists, also known as the Queen of Carnatic music.
Carnatic music is a system of classical music associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent.
Dr MS Subbulakshmi was the first musician of Indian origin ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, by its government. India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, had said of Dr Subbulakshmi: “Who am I, a mere Prime Minister before a Queen, a Queen of Music.”
The event was organised by Shruthi UK, the Midland-based South Asian arts and culture organisation, in partnership with East End Foods, the Asian foods giant. Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan FRSA, founder and artistic director of Shruthi UK, said she felt “humbled and privileged to have organised this unique celebration.”
Attended by around 100 representatives from public and private sector organisations, the event featured speeches, including from our senior news editor Dhiren Katwa, thematic presentations, a stage performance and light refreshments. Welcoming guests, host Dr Tony Deep Wouhra MBE DL, Chairman of East End Foods PLC, said: “It gives us great pleasure in supporting such events that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of our ancestral roots. India has a firm place on the world map for many reasons, arts and culture, of course, being one of these.
A special souvenir to mark the occasion was also officially unveiled at this event. Among goodwill messages, one from MP Virendra Sharma read: “Shruthi UK have done a fantastic job in organising such an important and entertaining event. The Nightingale of India would be proud of the work and effort that has been put into this celebration of her work.”
The guests of honour were Dr S Rajah and Dr Jega Rajah from the Shri Venkateswara Balaji Temple, the largest temple of its kind in Europe. They were joined by the High Sheriff of West Midlands Dr Keith Bradshaw, DL and former Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands Paul Sabapathy MBE and Tarang Shelat, President, Hindu Council of Birmingham.
Dr Subbulakshmi’s singing career spanned 70 years. She began singing at the age of 11. Apart from singing on stage, she also appeared in a few Tamil films in her earlier years. An interesting aspect of her life is the MS Blue, the colour shade of her sari which she wore, named after her. Dr Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, the same native place as Pichai Sundarajan, CEO of Google Inc.
The second annual concert of the British Carnatic Choir will take place in Birmingham on Saturday, 26th November 2016. Tickets for this popular event are available from www.britishcarnaticchoir.com
