Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (also known as M.S.) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, often considered Asia's Nobel Prize, in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the carnatic tradition of South India.

Subbulakshmi  was born on September 16, 1916 in Madurai, Madras Presidency to veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer. 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.

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. Subbulakshmi first recording was released when she was 10 years old. 

Subbulakshmi gave her first performance at the prestigious Madras Music Academy in 1929, when she was 13 years old . The performance consisted of singing bhajans. M.S. also acted in a few Tamil films in her youth.

She travelled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India's cultural ambassador.