SPOTLIGHT ON UNAMPLIFIED BHAJANS

FOR many, MS Subbulakshmi’s music is a cultural memory, not only in south India but her voice has echoed across the North and around the world.

- RAKSHITHA PRIYA G

Her songs have been a rite of passage for generations of Carnatic singers. Yet her artistic identity was never confined to Carnatic music alone; Subbulakshmi was equally celebrated for her bhajans, which became a defining part of her repertoire and legacy.The most iconic bhajan associated with her, however, was not one she grew up knowing. She learned Hari Tum Haro overnight, tuned hurriedly with composer R Vaidyanathan, for Mahatma Gandhi at his personal request. As Gandhi famously told her, “[He] would rather hear her speak the words than hear someone else sing it.” Almost eighty years later, in commemoration of Subbulakshmi’s death anniversary, 'Soulfest 2025 - Hari Tum Haro' revives the historic bhajans of the MS Subbulakshmi-R Vaidyanathan duo live on stage.