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{{Short description|Tamil Musical artist}}{{Indian patronymic|'"Subbaiah"', '"Lenin Subbaiah"' or '"Dalit Subbaiah"'|'''Karuppan'''}}

'''Karuppan Pichai''' (24 October 1952– 14 February 2022), popularly known as '''Lenin Subbaiah''' or '''Dalit Subbaiah''', was an Indian singer, writer, lyricist, and poet known for his contributions to social awareness music and [[Dalit]] music. He gained prominence for his advocacy for the rights and empowerment of Dalits through his songs.

{{Infobox musical artist
| background = solo_singer
| name = Dalit Subbaiah
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Pichai
| alias = Lenin Subbaiah
| birth_date = 24 October 1952
| birth_place = Muniyandipatti,<br/>[[Madurai District]], [[Madras State]] (now [[Tamil Nadu]]), India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|2|16|1952|10|24|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Puducherry (city)|Puducherry]], [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry UT]], India
| genre = [[Dalit music]]
| occupation = Singer, writer, lyricist, poet
| instrument = Vocals
| past_member_of = [[Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church]] (TELC)
| spouse = Suppulechmie
| labels =
}}

== Early life ==
Subbaiah was born on 24 October 1952 in Muniyandipatti, a village near [[Melur]] in present-day [[Madurai district|Madurai District]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=WebDesk |title=தலித் கலை இலக்கிய முன்னோடி புரட்சிப் பாடகர் தலித் சுப்பையா மரணம் |url=https://tamil.indianexpress.com/literature/dalit-singer-dalit-subbaiah-passed-away-412133/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=tamil.indianexpress.com |language=ta}}</ref> His father, Karuppan, was a [[Siddha medicine|Siddha]] physician, while his mother was deaf-mute. His parents named him Pichai (the alms given to beggars), but his elementary school teacher changed his name to Subbaiah to make it more dignified.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ஜெ.முருகன்,அ.குரூஸ்தனம் |date=2022-02-19 |title="அடங்கி வாழ்வது அடிமைத்தனம்!"– தனித்துவமிக்க பாடகர் தலித் சுப்பையா கடந்து வந்த பாதை |url=https://www.vikatan.com/literature/arts/revolutionary-singer-dalit-subbaiah-demise-article |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=www.vikatan.com/ |language=ta}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ICM |first=Team |date=2022-02-17 |title=A Majestic Voice of the Dalit Tamil Music Passes Away |url=https://www.indiancatholicmatters.org/a-majestic-voice-of-the-dalit-tamil-music-passes-away/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Indian Catholic Matters |language=en-US}}</ref> The instructor who broke this caste taboo was punished because of this - a thug from the dominant caste raped his eldest daughter.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-02-23 |title=Death Of Two Organic Intellectuals Of Tamil Nadu{{!}} Countercurrents |url=https://countercurrents.org/2022/02/death-of-two-organic-intellectuals-of-tamil-nadu/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=countercurrents.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==
Subbaiah made contacts with left-wing activists at Madurai Thiyagarajar College, which helped his career as a musician and activist take off. He also did Masters from [[American College, Madurai]] and Law from Bangalore.<ref name=":0" />

Dalit Subbiah's musical journey gained momentum during the [[Dalit Art Nights]] organized by the [[Dalit Resource Center]] in Madurai in the 1980s.<ref name=":0" /> Subbaiah has worked with a number of groups, such as the [[Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church]] (TELC), which published his songbooks under the title Isaipor (War of Music). There are 82 songs in this volume, and then there are 66 songs in his second volume.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ICM |first=Team |date=2022-02-17 |title=A Majestic Voice of the Dalit Tamil Music Passes Away |url=https://www.indiancatholicmatters.org/a-majestic-voice-of-the-dalit-tamil-music-passes-away/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Indian Catholic Matters |language=en-US}}</ref> He authored eight books and also owned and operated [[Spartacus Publishing]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-16 |title=மக்களிசை பாடகர் தலித் சுப்பையா காலமானார். - News7 Tamil |url=https://news7tamil.live/pop-singer-dalit-subbaiah-has-passed-away.html |access-date=2024-02-10 |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Notable Songs ===

* ''Vella Mudiyathavar Ambedkar'' ([[B. R. Ambedkar|Ambedkar]] is unconquerable)
* ''Thamizhakathin Azhakiya mukam- Athu Periyar'' (The beautiful face of Tamil Nadu –that is [[Periyar]])

=== Notable Books ===
Source:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuppusamy |first=Karthik Raja |date=2022-03-01 |title=அண்ணலின் ஆன்மா: தலித் சுப்பையா - கார்த்திக் ராஜா கருப்புசாமி |url=https://theneelam.com/a-tribute-note-to-folk-singer-dalit-subbaiah/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=The Neelam |language=en-US}}</ref>

* யுத்தம் துவங்கட்டும் (War Begins)
* பாவம் இந்த பாரத பெண்கள் (The Sufferings of Indian Women)
* இசைப் போர் (War of Music) - தீர்க்கப்படாத கணக்குகள் (Unsolved Equations)
* எளிய மாந்தர்களின் அரிய செய்தி (Noble Deeds of Ordinary People)
* யோக்கியர்கள் வருகின்றார்கள் (The Yogis Are Coming)
* காலத்தை வென்ற களத்துப் பாடல்கள் (Songs that Conquered Time)

== Personal life ==
After landing a job at a government high school, he wed Suppulechmie, a [[Tamil Malaysians|Tamil Malaysian.]] Their first son was named ''Spartacus'' after [[Spartacus]] (one of [[Karl Marx]]'s favourite heroes), and the second son was named ''Gorky'' after [[Maxim Gorky]] (from whom Subbaiah drew inspiration for his cultural activities).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* [[Dalit music]]
* [[Dalit literature]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Subbaiah, Dalit}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Madurai district]]
[[Category:Dalit activists]]
[[Category:Singers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil singers]]
[[Category:Indian singers]]

Dalit Subbaiah - Revision history

ZPWClaudio: Created a bio!