Rich as platinum
SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN
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At 75, Balamuralikrishna's voice is amazingly vibrant.
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ARTISTE NONPAREIL: Balamuralikrishna
The musical crusade of Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna that began at the tender age of eight has spanned a period of more than six decades, bearing ample testimony to the maestro's indomitable perseverance, will power and tenacity to keep marching ahead with glorious strides.
Born in Sankaraguptam in Andhra Pradesh to Pattabhiramayya and Suryakanthamma on July 6, 1930, Balamuralikrishna is a fifth generation descendant in the guru-Sishya lineage of the Saint poet of Tiruvaiyaru, Sri Tyagaraja. His revered guru was Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu.
The oft-repeated maxim, `age does not wither nor customs stale,' gains special relevance when one speaks of Balamuralikrishna. In spite of advancing years, he stands at the zenith strong and firm, proving that age is a mere number that has nothing to do with his artistic quality getting diluted.
Endearing diction
His emotional, bhava-saturated raga delineations, his caressing, endearing diction of the lyrics in many languages, his permutations and combinations of sarvalagu kalpanaswaras that leave one stunned, pallavi renderings in masterly fashion and then the crowning glory of light classical songs and Thillanas, do indeed transport the audience to an ethereal plane.
His achievements as a performing vocal musician and also on a number of instruments such as the viola and the mridangam, as a remarkable tunesmith, composer, music director, actor, administrator, guru and so on, have singled him out as one among a multitude. He has started working on music therapy and has formed a Trust for its development.
As a composer Balamurali's brilliant imaginative prowess has a free, fluent flow. His varnams, kritis and thillanas are very much in favour with vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers.
He sets great store on the importance of sruti alignment and correct diction. He is a widely travelled musician whose art has received global recognition. He has been showered with innumerable titles and awards, including the Central Sangeeth Natak Akademi award, Sangita Kalanidhi from the Music Academy in Chennai, Padma Vibhushan and recently, the Chevalier award from the French Government.
The dictum that an artiste is not born, but is ordained, is absolutely justified in the case of M. Balamuralikrishna. The entire musical fraternity, press, cultural organisations and rasikas rise as one man to wish Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna many happy returns of the day, and many more years of valuable contribution to Indian art and culture.
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