Veteran Carnatic music singer M Balamuralikrishna, 86, passed away on Tuesday in Chennai.
A native of Sankaraguptam, East Godavari District, Balamuralikrishna was a 5th generation descendant of the saint-composer Tyagaraja in the guru-shishya tradition. Known and celebrated as one of India’s greatest vocalists, Balamuralikrishna was well-versed in playing the violin, the mridangam and the kanjira.
Although born into a family of musicians — his mother was a veena player and his father was skilled in the flute, the violin and the veena as well — Balamuralikrishna never had any formal education. He performed his first concert at seven and first radio concert when he was nine.
The Hindu report also mentions that he was credited to “innovating the tala system with Thri Mukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptha Mukhi and Nava Mukhi”.
He is also credited with creating several ragams such as Ganapathi, Sarvashri, Mahati, Lavangi. Balamuralikrishna made his acting debut in the 1967 film Bhakta Prahlada.
Christened Muralikrishna, the singer got the prefix “Bala” to his name when he was eight years old and was performing a concert in Vijayawada.
“This prefix Bala (child) is good. It is a constant reminder that I shouldn’t stop learning. I was barely eight when I got an opportunity to perform a full-fledged concert at a Thyagaraja Aradhana in Vijayawada. This then became a part of my name for listeners.”
Balamuralikrishna was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and made Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2005.
(Agencies)
