Popular Indian classical singer Subbulakshmi dead

Born in Madurai, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, on September 16, 1916, Subbulakshmi learned classical music from her mother and gave her first public performance reciting bhajans or Hindu hymns at the age of 13.

One of her biggest hits was the Venkateswara Suprabhatam and she had willed the proceeds from its sales to the local Tirupati Balaji temple.

After a brief foray into Tamil films, she returned to Carnatic music and collected many awards including India's highest civilian honour the Bharat Ratna (the Jewel of India) and the Ramon Magsaysay award.

She was also credited with taking Carnatic music to the West at the Edinburgh Festival (1963) and at the United Nations (1966), besides winning standing ovations at concerts in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo.

Her last public performance was during a millennium music festival organised by the Madras Music Academy on New Year's eve in 2000.