Kalpa Media House | Special Article |
The legend musician of the century Padmasri, Padma Vibhushana, Sangitha Kalanidhi, Dr.M. Balamurali Krishna, is categorically described thus, by a wonderful writer Sri Narranaditya Komaragiri. “if wealth is measured in terms of the songs rendered, unique master-pieces composed, ragas created, tala system developed, musical instruments mastered, concerts of acclaim performed, memorable jugalbandis given then Dr. Balamurali Krishna is the richest person in the world.”
This great Carnatic musical genius who lived from 1930 to 2016 belongs to the lineage of Saint Thyagaraja’s shishyaparampara. His Guru Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu learnt under Susarla Dakshina murthy Shastri, student of Sri Valajapet Venkataramana Bhagavathar, who was one of the chief disciples of Sri Thyagaraja.
Balamurali’s gifted voice would traverse three and a half octaves at ease. He gave his first public concert at the age of eight. By fifteen years of age he had composed krithis in all the 72 melakarthas. Unlike common belief that a minimum of five notes are necessary to have a raga, he demonstrated that ragas can have just four or even three notes. He has created ragas Mahathi, Lavangi, Siddhi, Sumukham, Lalit, Bharti, Omkara, Jyoti, Sushma with just four notes.
He created unique system of Tala called ‘Mukhitalas’. He is also a pioneer in fusion of Classical and contemporary styles. He brought Classical music to Cinema. He performed internationally, mentored several musicians and artists. He was a prolific composer with over 400 compositions including Varnams, Krithis, javalis, Thillanas, devotional songs. His Thillanas have extraordinary variety and intricacies.
For instance, one of them, known as “Taya Ragamalika “has each charanam in a different raga, obtained through grahabheda or tonic shift of the starting or base raga which happens to be Kalyani.
First Charanam is in Shankarabharanam, obtained by tonic shift at P, second Charanam in Mohanam (at Ri), third charanam in Hindolam (at Ma) and the last in Darbarikanada (at Ga). Mastering this Thillana is a challenge for musicians. He was a spontaneous composer (AshuKavi). There were many occasions where he composed spontaneously on stage as per choice of audience too! Personally I was a witness to one such lecture demonstrations he gave at Bangalore Gayana Samaja during 1980s.
On the occasion, he defined MUSIC as M for Morality, U for Universality, S for Sprituality, I for Individuality and C for Creativity. He composed spontaneously fora scale given to him by Veena Virtuoso, Dr. Doraiswamy Iyengar. The scale goes thus : SGPMDS.
S N D P M G R S (janya of 28th Mela, Harikamboji). Dr. Balamurali named it as ‘Dorai’ raga. He instantly composed a song in ‘Trimukhi’ tala which is his own creation. He composed both in telugu and kannada simultaneously. The first stanzaof the song
ĺManakuvacchenuswatantramu
manchidavanigaakaponi. Manakutochinareetinadathunu
(bantu swatantryanaadigeolitokedukotiliyademagetochidolunadedihevumanasige )
His life was full of several divine experiences. One such incident occurred during one of his concerts at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
It is said by the master himself during an interview for a Telugu newspaper, ‘Sakshi’ that during a concert at Thiruvanathapuram, he sang Raga kalyani which incidentally is his favorite raga. He took audience to a spritual ecstasy with his remarkable alapana. After his stunning rendering of raga Kalyani, a gorgeous young lady appears suddenly near him on the dias.
Taken aback, spontaneously he composes a Krithi in the raga Kalyani, in praise of her with lyrics beginning ‘sogasu nee sommukalyanaraaginivagaluvirajimmunaa bhava jaalammulo’. After listening to him quietly, the young lady got up and slowly walked down from the dias, went little ahead and disappeared. Balamurali Krishna said “After I finished my rendering of that Krithi, that lady quietly walked away from me as silently as she emerged beside me on the dais.. The audience who attended my concert that evening are witness to this incidence..
Surprisingly, they are all clueless as none of them know her nor had seen her anytime before that.. Ever since, I strongly believe that my favourite RaagKalyani had come in the form of an Angel that evening just to bless me”..
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