M. S. Subbulakshmi becomes the first musician awarded the Bharat Ratna
· Madurai
Madurai-born Carnatic singer M. S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to be given the Bharat Ratna, the country's top civilian award.
Born in Madurai in 1916, Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi ranked among the twentieth century's most acclaimed Carnatic vocalists. The Bharat Ratna came to her in 1998, and no musician had received it before. Earlier firsts included the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1974, which no Indian musician had won until then, and a 1966 performance at the United Nations General Assembly, the first by any Indian.
.jpg){kind=link}