Rise of the Female Carnatic Musician For most women of the early 20th century, music never went beyond a hobby/pastime. Too often, one hears of how the wives of that generation, although encouraged to sing at home to their husbands or to guests, were never allowed to ‘perform’. It was a nice addition to the skills of a good housewife. However, giving concerts was a male pursuit and career path. With this segment, we illustrate the lives, struggles and conquests of some of the brave women who were instrumental in breaking this very gender bias. Nagarathnamma Nagarathnamma, the devadasi from Bangalore, funded and built the famous Thyagaraja Sannidhi in Tiruvayar in 1925, a place that comes to life every year with the grand Thyagaraja Aradhana. Losing all of her legendary wealth towards building this temple, she never regretted investing in the project. However, she soon discovered she along with other women weren’t allowed to participate in the Aradhana. An equality battle ensued thereafter, and it wasn’t until 1940 that this barrier was broken. Meanwhile, musicians such as MS Subbalakshmi, ML Vasanthakumari, DK Pattamal, and T Brinda were making a mark in this seemingly male dominated field.
M.S Subbulakshmi M.S Subbulakshmi, a name that is synonymous with the world of Carnatic music was a flawless singer whose voice had a divine power. She was the first singer in India to be presented with the Bharat Ratna, the highest award given to any civilian. Born on 16th, September 1916 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu this
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singer came from a musical background. Shanmukhavadivu, her mother was an excellent vainika who was highly respected among fellow musicians. At a young age, MS was introduced to Carnatic music. Upon seeing her gift for music, her mother made it a point to have her sing in public, in front of senior vidwans of that day. She gave her first public performance at Kumbakonam during Mahamaham festival and that was the start of what would be a glorious career. A versatile artist, she acted in memorable films such as Bhakta Meera (1945). The versatile singer sang all famous Meera bhajans in her melodious voice and was an instant hit with music rasikas and film critics alike. She eventually quit films and continued to give public performances and concerts. In the year 1936, she met her husband, Sadasivam, who was a freedom fighter. They got married after four years in 1940. Sadasivam became a pillar of support for the artist and her career.