Chennai: Tuesday dealt a tragic blow to Carnatic music lovers. The legendary Carnatic vocalist and prolific composer Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna is no more. He passed away in his residence at Kanakasri Nagar near the famed Music Academy on Cathedral Road. He was among the leading lights featured in the familiar national integration song: Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.”
Balamuralikrishna was 86. This influential vocalist and composer known for “optimism and clarity of his three-octave vocals,” displayed a mastery of classical musical traditions of India, composing over 400 thillanas, kritis and varnams. Immediately after the news of his demise broke, his fans and those from the film fraternity went to his house to pay respects to the giant.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was the first to respond with a tribute, tweeting: “Saddened to learn about the demise of Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, a famous Carnatic singer whose contribution to the field has been immense.”
This veteran Carnatic musician M. Balamuralikrishna, a native of Sankaraguptam, East Godavari district, gave his first performance at the tender age of 8 in Vijayawada. Upon witnessing his performance, Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, gave the prefix ‘Bala’ and hence he became Balamuralikrishna. And he went on to sing for over 75years!
Balamuralikrishna had innovated the tala system with Thri Mukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptha Mukhi and Nava Mukhi. Apart from being a vocalist, Balamuralikrishna also played the viola, violin, mridangam, and kanjira and was well versed in Hindustani vocal music too.
