The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Another treat from the Carnatic music maestro

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Another treat from the Carnatic music maestro

Swetha and Asha

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

effortless eASE: M. Balamuralikrishna spoke on the role of music in his life, at a press conference in Bangalore on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: Carnatic music legend M. Balamuralikrishna will be performing at the city’s most popular concert series, organised by the Sree Ramaseva Mandali, on May 14.

Dr. Balamuralikrishna, renowned as much for his resonant voice as for his felicity in playing a number of instruments such as the veena, violin, viola, ganjira and the mridangam, believes that Carnatic music is the base for all other forms of music. In his 60-year career, he has had 400 compositions to his credit, including varnams, krithis, javalis, devotional songs and thillanas. Dr. Balamuralikrishna has also done a comparative study of ragas in film and classical music. His latest ragas include “Ananda” and “Chinmaya.” He has given a phenomenal 22,000 performances, including studio recordings, and composed songs in all the 72 Melkartha ragas.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he spoke on the role of music in his life. “Music knows me; I do not know music. As long as it wants me, I will sing.”

According to this fifth-generation descendant in the Guru Shishya Parampara of saint composer Thyagaraja, this type of learning is the best way to learn any art, a tradition that sadly does not exist any more.

Dr. Balamuralikrishna recalled how he was invited to award a prize of Rs. 42 lakh to a young singer who won a reality show. He said he wished he got such encouragement when he was struggling. He will perform at 6:30 p.m. at at the Government Junior College, Fort High School Grounds, Chamarajpet.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka