M. L. Vasanthakumari
Madras Lalithangi Vasanthakumari (3 July 1928 – 31 October 1990), known as M. L. Vasanthakumari and commonly referred to as MLV, was an Indian Carnatic musician and a playback singer in films across several South Asian languages.
Vasanthakumari and her contemporaries, D. K. Pattammal and M. S. Subbulakshmi, are often referred to as the female trinity of Carnatic music. A disciple of G. N. Balasubramaniam, she was the youngest of the established musicians of that era and the youngest female to receive the Sangita Kalanidhi award. In 1967, the government of India honoured her with the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award.
Vasanthakumari's notable career as a playback singer for films popularized lesser-known ragas, and her Ragam Thanam Pallavis were regarded as cerebral. Additionally, she popularized the compositions of the Haridasas. Her disciples include her daughter Srividya, Sudha Raghunathan, Charumathi Ramachandran, and A. Kanyakumari.
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