Stamp, concerts, awards for Subbulakshmi birth centenary

Mumbai, Sep 9: The Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha (SSFASS), Mumbai, and Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, will jointly kickstart the birth centenary celebrations of legendary Carnatic singer M.S. Subbulakshmi from Monday, an official said on Friday.

The week-long celebrations at the Shanmukhananda Hall shall be inaugurated by Central Sangeet Natak Akademy Chairman Shekar Sen, SSFASS President V. Shankar said.

"We are the first cultural institution to celebrate the centenary of the legend on such a grand scale over a week. Subbulakshmi was a regular visitor here during her lifetime," Shankar told mediapersons.

To mark the occasion, stalwart artistes like Kishori Amonkar, Girija Devi, Vyjayantimala Bali, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Teejanbai, Aruna Sairam and Vishaka Hari shall be conferred with the prestigious M.S. Subbulakshmi Centenary Award, he added. 

Each award comprises Rs 100,000 cash prize, a bronze lamp, a citation and trophy.

Grammy awardee and percussionist Vikku Vinayakaram will receive the MS Sangeetha Pracharya Award.

A special musical programme, 'Future First' shall be held with performances by A. Soorya Gayathri, 11, G. Abilash, 17, from Chennai, and Devulapallai Lakshmi Pachotan, 17, from Andhra Pradesh.

A 'Viswa Shanti Havan' shall be held on September 16 with the chanting of the four Vedas by 100 vedic scholars and students. 

Another notable function would be a dance ballet performed by 100 dancers of Vani Ganapathi's Sri Raja Rajeswari Bharat Natya Kala Mandir, led by Guru Kalyana Sundaram Pillai with a 10-language dance presentation of songs sung and popularized by Subbulakshmi.

On September 17, A. Kanyakumari will lead a concert performance of a 100-member violin and other instruments group to pay tributes to Subbulakshmi.

A Rs 3 postage stamp on Subbulakshmi under the Makers of India Definitive Series shall be unveiled next week as part of the centenary.

In one function, 50 young and promising artistes from across India shall be awarded the Sri Shanmukhananda Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music, each for three years with an annual grant of Rs 100,000.

A portrait of M.S. Subbulakshmi will be unveiled at the Shraddhanand Mahilashram, a girls orphanage in Matunga.

Other events include a musical tribute by a 30-member MBS Madras Youth Choir Group, a Carnatic music concert by Bharat Sundar, a Hindustani music concert by Begum Parveen Sultana, a photo and stamp exhibition, unveiling a life-size statue and release of her best songs collections.