

Her last performance was in 1997, before her retirement from public concerts. She shared a very cordial relation with Sree Ramaseva Mandali Bengaluru for whom she performed 36 concerts.Īfter the death of her husband Kalki Sadasivam in 1997, she stopped all her public performances. In 1969 she was accompanied by Indian Railways Advisor SN Venkata Rao to Rameswaram, where she sang several songs in front of each idol in the Rameswaram temple. Were significant landmarks in her career.

This was organised by the Tiruchirappalli-based Indian National Congress leader F.

Subbulakshmi gave her first public performance, at the age of eleven, in the year 1927, in the 100 pillar hall inside the Rockfort Temple, Tiruchirappalli with Mysore Chowdiah on the violin and Dakshinamurthy Pillai on the mridangam. Her musical interests were also shaped by regular interactions with Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. Her mother, from the devadasi community, was a music exponent and a regular stage performer, and Subbulakshmi grew up in an environment very conducive to musical learning. She started learning Carnatic music at an early age and trained in Carnatic music under the tutelage of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and subsequently in Hindustani music under Pandit Narayanrao Vyas. Her grandmother Akkammal was a violinist. Subbulakshmi (Kunjamma to her family) was born on 16 September 1916 in Madurai, Madras Presidency, India to veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer.
