 Sangeetha Kalanidhi Padma Vibhushan
Dr M Balamuralikrishna is a multi-faceted personality in the music world who is hailed as a genius and also a controversial personality. His approach and methodology in respect of raga renditions has exasperated many. It has been recorded that he has broken many traditions and conventions and injunctions, deemed as sacrilege by fellow–musicians of a high order.
He has broken the rule that a raga should have a minimum of five svaras by ’founding ’a raga with just three. ‘If I am exasperating to many, then so are they, to me’ - seems to be his view. He goes on with his own brand of raga exploration, till date.
He has now helped bring out, under the aegis of ‘UTSAV MUSIC,’ a cassette in homage to the ‘Mother’. This is titled as ‘To Beloved
Mother'.
There are in this cassette six compositions, created by well-known writer
Anuradha Ramanan. The music score credit goes to young, talented flautist Balasai. The cassette runs for about 45 minutes. Balamuralikrishna has chosen ragas Charukesi, Telang, Suddhasarang, Desh, Durga and a mellow Ragamalika to expound these compositions with heart-melting mellifluousness, full of reverence for the ‘Mother’. The renditions are characteristic for their originality. ‘We will sing fervently, and pay our respectful homage to the Mother’s golden feet. We will please her with floral and oral offerings. Her benign grace is as soothing as the soft, blissful rays of the Moon. What do we seek at her divine feet except her divine grace’- the songs stress this worshipful mode uniformly. The ‘Kanada’ lines in the Ragamalika bring before your mind’s eye the Holy ’Aravinda Mother’ (title for the
song) of Pondicherry in pleasing harmony.
It is unwise to sing in praise of Balamuralikrishna’s heritage genius. One can only admire with an understandable sense of natural helplessness at his creative ability and innovative originality in the delineation of raga svarupa inherent in these compositions. He is, undeniably, a rare genius - no disputes on that score. The cassette acquires a new dimension because of his inimitable association with it. That is about all.
Dr Saraswati deserves wholesome appreciation for the concept. Dancer Radhika Surjeet claims full marks for co-ordination. So does journalist Churchill Pandian for production and artist Manian Selvan for the cassette jacket featuring sketches of the Dear Mother and her son Dr Balamuralikrishna. The cassette is priced as Rs 50.
R Srinivasan
18-A, 4th,Main Road,
R.A.Puram,
Chennai -28
Phone - 24355576
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Homage to 'Mother'
