Google celebrates MS Subbulakshmi's birth anniversary

Subbulakshmi was a renowned Carnatic vocalist, and the the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. Her first recording was released when she was 10 years old, and she gave her first public performance at the age of 11.

Google is celebrating MS Subbulakshmi's 97th birth anniversary with a doodle on Monday. She was a renowned Carnatic vocalist, and the the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.


The doodle depicts the musician with a sitar, surrounded by musical instruments and wearing a big red bindi.

Subbulakshmi belonged to a family of musicians from Madurai. Her first recording was released when she was 10 years old, and she gave her first public performance at the age of 11 at a temple in Tiruchirapalli.

Subbulakshmi was also trained in Hindustani classical music and sang devotional songs in many regional languages.

She traveled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India's cultural ambassador. She performed concerts at the Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966; Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982 among other renowned locations.

Apart from the Bharat Ratna, she also received the Padma Bhushan in 1954, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1956, Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1968 -- first woman recipient of the title -- and the Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974.

She died on December 11, 2004.