Profiles

While discussing the talent of Balamurali, we have to speak in the context of his contemporaries. The examination of the value of something (or someone) is always carried out with regards to the ecosystem of which it is a part. Value examination cannot take place in a vacuum. And even then, all such evaluations are subjective. Thus it would be foolish on our part to compare Balamuralikrishna with poets like Kalidasa or Kumaravyasa. We can compare him with people like Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastry, Svati Tirunal, etc.

About a week ago, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna passed away.

When we think about his talent and scholarship, cogitate about his achievements and personality, we feel that a legendary saga has passed by. Beyond the specialties and eccentricities of his personality, what attracted the world by the force of its brilliance was his art.

ಈಚೆಗಷ್ಟೇ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನಗಲಿದ ಬಾಲಮುರಳೀಕೃಷ್ಣ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾಂಡಿತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ನೆನೆದಾಗ, ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಸಾಧನೆ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಊಹಿಸಲಾಗದ ಒಂದು ದಂತಕಥೆಯೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದೆ ಸರಿದುಹೋದಂತೆ ಭಾಸವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ಎಷ್ಟು ವಿಲಕ್ಷಣವೋ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟವೋ ಆಕರ್ಷಕವೋ ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ತುಂಬ ಮಿಗಿಲಾದದ್ದು, ಲೋಕಾಕರ್ಷಕವಾದದ್ದು ಮತ್ತು ಚಿಂತನೆಗೆ ಅರ್ಹವಾದಂಥದ್ದು ಅವರ ಕಲೆ. ಒಂದು ಮಾತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ಸಂಗೀತವನ್ನು ಸರ್ವಜನಪ್ರಿಯವಾಗಿ, ಸರ್ವಜನಮನೋಭಿರಾಮವಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದವರು ಬಾಲಮುರಳಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಅತಿಶಯವಲ್ಲ. ಮತ್ತೂ ಮುಂದುವರೆದು ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕಸಂಗೀತಕ್ಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಕಿವಿಯೊಗ್ಗಿ ಆನಂದಿಸುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಕೆಲವೇ ಮಹನೀಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಹೆಸರು ಪ್ರಥಮಪಂಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವುದೆಂಬುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವ ಸಂದೇಹವೂ ಇಲ್ಲ.

It is usually thought in the world of classical arts, especially in the Carnatic circles in India that a prodigy is born in a family which is rich with a music tradition, and in most cases, belonging to the lineage of one of the stalwarts. It is rather rare to find a genius being born in an unconnected atmosphere. When the eight-holed bamboo flute was still trying to figure out its place in main stream Carnatic music as a solo and an accompanying instrument and when the playing techniques developed by Mali (TR Mahalingam) were awaiting to be housed in a creative musician, Bangalore N.