Dr M Balamuralikrishna: Quintessential genius

Dr M. Balamuralikrishna is no more. For the rest of the world, this is an oxymoron. Dr BMK, as he was affectionately addressed was ageless, whose twinkle in the eye and spring in the step just never jaded with time. He was like that eternal little Krishna who was never supposed to even wrinkle, let alone go.

Like many of my generation, I have known BMK literally from the day I was born.  As a child, I witnessed his intense interactions with my grandfather, T. V. Rajagopalan, who was the secretary of the Madras Music Academy at the time. BMK was in the thick of a raging controversy regarding a raga he claimed to have “invented”, and named after his daughter, Mahati.

It was one of those points of inflexion in his life, when he was faced with a system that simply hadn't understood his level of creativity. The genius in him seemed to just simply know that he was right, and that his creation was legitimate. And time has established his truth, as Mahati has come to be a Raga to stay and be performed by successive generations. But the creator of the raga had developed irreverence for the system forever.  An irreverence that only Dr BMK could maintain and still be loved and respected for his sheer creative stature.

Dr BMK was a quintessential genius whose accomplishments as a singer, performer, composer and multi-instrumentalist seemed to come too easy to him. It was almost as if he were searching for that elusive muse that would challenge his genius in some unique way.  His search had a symbiotic relationship with a spectrum of people from his students to the many women in his life, and finally, to his own sense of aloneness.

As I grew up, I saw a BMK who became a personality of complexity. He was as detached from the system as he was anguished with it; he was as much in control of his life as he was bemused by it. He was as alone as he was worldly.

Dr BMK’s musical search left no stone unturned. He sang, composed, played instruments, explored a range of musical applications from abstract musical equations to music therapy. And Dr BMK challenged the status quo of the musical world with his quintessential wicked smile that won a zillion hearts.

The world of music will not merely miss him, but will be left wondering how this seemingly immortal being left us albeit with his music to relish him by.

(The writer is a film director and cineaste)

His favourite food was rasam rice: Veena E. Gayathri

Veena E. Gayathri

The magnitude of Dr Balamuralikrishna’s musicianship made him a natural showman. His music mesmerised audiences irrespective of their caste/creed or even nationality. He had an overwhelming stage presence that lent an aura to his dynamic performances.

It seemed as though his music was a bait that hooked the listeners from the word go. His extraordinary voice gushed forth music which was formidable for its intellectual and aesthetic content. His ever smiling face and the constant twinkle in his eyes lent delightful colours to his powerhouse performances. People could not have enough in his concerts and always wanted more.

I have known him since my childhood as he was a good friend of my father, late Sri G. Aswathama, film music director. Right from my childhood it became a habit for me to turn to him for any guidance or advice. When I was a teenager I had this sudden whim and fancy to create a new raga. It was a janya of Gowrimanohari.

Dr Balamuralikrishna coined the name “Priyabandhavi” for my raga-creation and also presided over the concert in which I presented my raga. I received many awards from him. I had performed along with him on many memorable occasions (where he had sung or played his viola).

Being from my native state he would always talk to me in chaste Telugu and his favourite food is “Chaarannam” (Rasam rice). Once when he had lunch at my place I made sure to cook chaaru. He said the Chaaru I made was as good as my veena!

My favourites are his Bhadrachala Ramadasu krithis and his Tatvaalu. His music direction is as stupendous as his spontaneous music! He has left a great void in the field of Carnatic Music that can never be filled.   May the legend’s soul rest in peace!!

(The writer is a veena exponent and VC of Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University)

We were made for each other: Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman

Dr Balamuralikrishna is one of the greatest sons India produced to further the cause and growth of music. My association with Balamuralikrishna spans over six decades. I have accompanied him  in thousands of concerts. He was distinguished in all genres of music and a torchbearer of Thyagaraja parampara. He used to tell me and others that we were made for each other.  A towering personality, he will remain unequalled in world of music.