M Balamuralikrishna

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Biography

Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna () (born July 6, 1930) is a Carnatic Music|Carnatic vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and a playback singer. He is also acclaimed as a poet, composer and respected by all Indian classical musicians for his knowledge of Carnatic Music.

Early life

Balamuralikrishna was born in Sankaraguptam , East Godavari District , Andhra Pradesh state. His father was a well known musician and could play the flute , violin and the veena and his mother was an excellent veena player. He lost his mother when he was just a baby and since then, he was taken care by his father. Observing his inner penchant towards music, his father put him under the tutelage of Sri Parupalli Ramakrishna Pantulu. Sri Pantulu was a direct descendant of the sisya parampara of Tyagaraja|Saint Thyagaraja . Under his guidance, the young Balamuralikrishna learnt Carnatic Music . At the age of eight, Balamuralikrishna gave his first full fledged concert at a Thyagaraja Aradhana, Vijayawada. Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, saw the musical talent in the child and gave the prefix 'Bala' (child) to the young Muralikrishna. This title has stuck ever since and Balamuralikrishna has been known so.

Balamuralikrishna thus began his musical career at a very young age. By the age of fifteen he had mastered all the 72 melakartha ragas and had composed krithis in the same. The Janaka Raga Manjari was published in 1952 and recorded as Raagaanga Ravali in a nine-volume series by the Sangeeta Recording Company.

Balamuralikrishna soon became very famous as a singer. The number of concerts for this young musician began to increase and hence he had to discontinue his school.

Not merely content with his fame as a carnatic vocalist, very soon Balamurali proved his immense versatility by playing the kanjira , mridangam , viola and violin. He also accompanied various musicians in violin and is also noted to give solo viola concerts.

Performing career

Balamuralikrishna started his career at a very young age. Till date, he has given over 25000 concerts worldwide!

His immense versatility in all the fields of music, his mesmerizing voice, his unique way of rendering the compositions helped him to carve out a niche in the Music era. He collaborated with the top musicians in the Hindustani circle and is known to be the first to start the jugulbandi type of concerts. The first of such kind was in Mumbai, where he accompanied Pandit Bhimsen Joshi . He also gave jugalbandi concerts with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Kishori Amonkar , among others. These concerts made him popular throughout the country and also helped in national integration through music.

Poet composer and musicologist, Balamuralikrishna has restored the trinity's composition to their original whole. He represents a new era in Carnatic music. Like the galaxy of giants preceding him, he has helped in the preservation of the musical heritage in his own way. He is also known for popularising the Compositions of Bhadrachala Ramadas|Sri Bhadrachala Ramadasu and Annamacharya|Sri Annamacharya .

Concerts

Balamuralikrishna's concerts combine sophisticated vocal skills and rhythmic patterns of classical music with the popular demand for entertainment value.

Balamurali Krishna has been invited to give concerts in many countries, including US, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Middle East and many more.

While his native tongue is Telugu language|Telugu , he sings not only in Telugu but also in many languages including Kannada language|Kannada , Sanskrit , Tamil language|Tamil , Malayalam language|Malayalam , Hindi language|Hindi , Bengali language|Bengali , Punjabi language|Punjabi .

He also acted in the Telugu movie " Bhakta Prahlada (1967 film)|Bhakta Prahlada " (1967) under the banner of AVM Productions as Narada wherein, he sang his own songs. He also acted in a few more movies as well.

He appeared as featured soloist with an award-winning British choir, performing the " Gitanjali Suite " with words from Rabindranath Tagore 's Nobel Prize -winning poetry and music by Dr. Joel , the noted UK-based Goan composer. His clear diction in several languages prompted an invitation to record Tagore's entire Rabindra Sangeet compositions in Bengali language|Bengali , preserving them for posterity. He has sung in French, and even ventured into jazz fusion , collaborating with the top Carnatic music|Carnatic percussion teacher, Sri T.H. Subash Chandran , in a concert for Malaysian royalty.

He has recently become increasingly interested in music therapy , and now performs only occasionally. He gave its authorization to S. Ram Bharati to found "Academy of Performing Arts and Research" in Switzerland and is also working on music therapy. He established the 'MBK Trust' with the objective of developing art and culture and for carrying out extensive research into Music Therapy. A dance and music school, 'Vipanchee' is a part of this Trust and is run by his managing trustee Kalaimamani Saraswati.

Poet and Composer

Dr Balamuralikrishna has composed over 400 compositions in various languages like Telugu language|Telugu , Sanskrit and Tamil language|Tamil . His compositions ranges from Devotional to Varnams, Krithis, Javalis and Thillans. His greatest achievement are the compositions in all the fundamental 72 melakartha ragas.

Innovations

Characteristic of Balamuralikrishna's musical journey has been his non-conformism, spirit of experimentation and boundless creativity.

Dr Balamuralikrishna has innovated the whole Carnatic Music System by keeping its rich tradition untouched. The ragas like Ganapathi, Sarvashri, Mahati, Lavangi etc. are credited to him. The ragas which he invented represent his quest for new frontiers.

Ragas like Lavangi are set to three or four notes in ascending and descending scale. Ragaas created by him, like Mahathi, Lavangi, Sidhdhi, Sumukham have only Four Notes; While Ragaas created by him, like Sarva Sri, Omkaari, Ganapathy have only Three Notes .

He also innovated the tala system. He has incorporated "Gathi Bedam" in the "Sa Sabdha Kriya" ( Actions in Talas, which can produce sound/Sabdha are called Sa Sabdha Kriya )part of the existing Tala chain, thus throwing open a new chain of Tala System. Saint Arunagirinaadhar used to inject such systems in his famous Thirupugazh, but only as Sandham, while Balamuralikrishna is known to be the pioneer in bringing such Sandhams into a logical rhythm, with Angam & Definition. Thri Mukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptha Mukhi & Nava Mukhi are the Basic Classifications, he has named for his New Tala System.
When coming to his compositions, his Thillanas speaks of the glory. Balamuralikrishna is supposed to be the pioneer in injecting Sangathis in Thillanas too as well.
His emotional interpretation to the Thyagaraja Krithi Nagumomu has won him accolades and is popular even today.

Criticisms and Acceptance

Balamuralikrishna was criticized for his invention of new ragas. They were once regarded an act of sacrilege by the orthodox. But then, any serious appraisal of a contemporary work of art must be historically informed. Innovation of new ragas was the defining characteristic of the Thyagaraja legacy. According to physicists M.V. Ramana and V.N. Muthukumar, the more than 700 Thyagaraja compositions available today are set in 212 ragas. Of them, 121 had but one composition and Thyagaraja was the first to compose kritis in 66 ragas. Significantly, the ragas Vivardhani and Navarasa Kannada - which are innovations by Thyagaraja - have just four notes on the ascent. They were the first of their kind in the 19th century. Arguably, Balamuralikrishna's own ragas merely take Thyagaraja's endeavour to its culmination. Ranjani, another Thyagaraja creation, boasts of over a hundred kritis today, including Balamuralikrishna's Vande Maataram, andee maa taram .

Honours

The musical genius Balamuralikrishna has won many awards and accolades to his credit. A few of them are : -

Sangeetha Kalanidhi , Gaana kousthuba , Gaanakalabhooshana , Gaana gandharva , Gaayaka Sikamani , Gaayana Chakravarthy , Gaana Padmam , Nadajyothi , Sangeetha Kala Saraswathi Nada Maharishi , Gandharva Gana Samrat , Jnanasagara , The Musician of the Century, to name a few. For the cause of National Integration, the Governor of Maharashtra honored him for services rendered.

He has been awarded the All India Radio 's "Top Grade" for seven different performance areas.

Balamuralikrishna has received the National awards such as Padmashree , Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan . He is also the only Carnatic musician to have won Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government., The Hindu , May 03, 2005

He was awarded the Lifetime achievement Global Indian Music Academy Award for 2011., september, 2011

Apart from all these, he has received many honorary doctorates from various prestigious Universities.

National Film Awards

National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer - 1976

National Film Award for Best Music Direction - 1987

Discography

Select compositions

Composition !! Raga m!!Type!! Remarks
Omkaara Pranava
Amma Anandha dayini
Ye Naadhamu
Chalamu Chaesina
Aapaala Gopaalamu
Ninu Nera Nammithi
Sri Sakala Ganadhipa Palayamam
Mahadevasutham
Gam Gam Ganapathim
Ganaadhipam
Pirai Aniyum Perumaan
Uma Sutham Namaami
Mahaneeya Namasulivae
Omkara karini
Sidhdhi Naayakena
Sidhdhim Dhehi Mae
Heera Ganapathiki
Mahaneeya Madhura Moorthae
Guruni Smarimpumo
Varuha Varuha
Thunai Neeyae
Nee Dhaya Raadha
Gathi Neeve
Siva Ganga
Maa Maanini
Amma Ninukori
Gaana Maalinchi
Sadhaa Thava Paadha
Bruhadheeswara
Thripura Tharpa
Kamala Dhalaayatha
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Thillana
Maamava Gaana Lola
Gaana Lola
Sangeethamae
Nee Saati Neevae
Sankarabharana Sayanuda
Vegamae
Hanuma
Vandhe Maatharam
Gaana Sudha Rasa
Sama Gana
Maragatha Simhasana
Simha Rupa Dheva
Raja Raja
Chintayami satatam Sri Muttuswami Dikshitam
Ambamamava
Bangaaru Murali Sringaara Ravali
Sadaatava Paada
Bhaavame Mahaa Bhaagyamura

Film songs

Balamuralikrishna acted in few films and gave his voice to some selected songs in Indian cinema .

Year !! Film !! Language !! Credits
1957
1959
1963
1963
1965
1965
1966
1967
1973
1974
1975
1975
1977
1977
1979
1979
1982
1983
1983
1986
1987
1990
1991
1993
1994
1997
2009

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