A bunch of music lovers from Varkala, a seaside town in Kerala, has been keeping the legacy of MS Subbulakshmi alive. Since her death in 2004, the Sreekrishna Natya Sangeetha Academy, a registered art and cultural institution, has been conducting a Carnatic music contest in the legendary musician’s honour.
By 2007, the academy took the initiative to form the MS Subbulakshmi Foundation, one of the first in Kerala dedicated to one of the most respected Carnatic musicians in the country. The founding members decided to institute a five-day music festival, MS Subbulakshmi Sangeetholsavam, celebrating her genius and vast body of work.