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M. Balamuralikrishna

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

M. Balamuralikrishna · Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna was an Indian singer of Carnatic music, the classical music of southern India. He was born in 1930 in Sankaraguptam in what is now the state of Andhra Pradesh. His father was a well-known musician and his mother played the veena. He learned Carnatic music from Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu, gave his first full concert at the age of eight and was given the nickname Bala, child, by a storyteller. By the age of fifteen he had mastered all seventy-two melakarta ragas and had composed pieces in each of them.

Music and breakthrough

In his life he gave more than twenty-five thousand concerts, in countries such as the United States, France and Russia. He combined classical vocal technique and rhythmic patterns with an audience that wanted to be entertained. He also played the kanjira, mridangam, violin and viola, and introduced the viola into classical Indian music. He sang duets with North Indian musicians such as Bhimsen Joshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia, composed in several languages and ventured into jazz fusion. He also created new ragas, such as Ganapathi and Mahati. Albums such as Raagaanga Ravali from 2006 and Swara Raga Sudha from 2002 let you hear this work.

Influence

His awards included the Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1978 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1991. He died in 2016. For those who follow world music, he is an example of a classical tradition that is open to renewal.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a recording of Balamuralikrishna and notice how he opens a raga slowly and then ornaments it ever faster and more richly. Can you hear the difference between the free opening and the section with a fixed rhythmic cycle?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists