Heramb Hemanth have developed a unique, refined fingering and blowing technique, which enables them to switch between wide range of flutes, including the difficult bass and double-bass flutes. They started learning carnatic flute at the age of 6 under the renowned flautist, Sri Mysore AV Prakash and are currently under the tutelage of well-known carnatic vocalist, Kalaimamani Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan. Heramb Hemanth, the twin brothers, affectionately called as the Flute Brothers, are two of the most sought after flautists and the only twin flute duo in the carnatic music scenario today. MSS was one of the first women musicians (along with DK Pattammal and ML Vasanthakumari) in the Carnatic music field to perform with male accompanists, something that society frowned upon until then. She played the role of “Narada”, a male, in her next movie “Savitri” and handed over the movie remuneration to help launch “Kalki”, a nationalist magazine co-founded by her husband Sadasivam. Many songs from the movie, sung by MSS and now a part of mainstream Carnatic music repertoire, spoke of restitution of women and their emancipation. The movie advocated women’s rights by calling out such archaic, misogynistic practices and therefore ruffled “conservative” feathers. “Sevasadanam”, her first movie, in which she played the protagonist, dealt with the cruel practice of young girls being married off to old men, a social norm in those days. While calling her a feminist would be boxing her life and choices under a socio-political label that isn’t huge enough to contain all that she represents, her actions on many occasions have countered the prevalent patriarchy head-on. MSS, with her unfailing poise and dignity, overcame all of these and more, to gain immense popularity amongst the audience. Performing female musicians have almost always been subject to unfair scrutiny, bias and misogyny, even when they have been extremely successful. A scholar sums up her music pithily: “There is no place for a critic in the music of MS”. Hailed by laymen and scholars alike, the adulation that MSS received has remained unrivalled even to this day. Her brief but illustrious stint in movies catapulted her to national fame. The bhajan “Hari tum haro” particularly was Gandhiji’s favorite and it was on his insistence that she learnt and recorded it for his last birthday. “Vishnu Sahasranama”, “Bhaja Govindam”, keertanas of Annamacharya, “Madhuraashtakam”, ”Jagadhodharana”, “Kurai Ondrum Illai”, “Vaishnava janato”, “Maithreem bhajata”, “Hari tum haro” and many other compositions were immortalized by her. From commoners, who would travel from far-off cities or walk miles to listen to her, to politicians and National leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, the Mountbattens and C Rajagopalachari, all were ardent fans of her music. Her open-throated singing, laden with emotion and bhakthi, conquered hearts like none other in Indian history.
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