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Brown in America

Dr. Balamuralikrishna receives Congressional recognition.

By: Karthik :+: Under: Brown in America, Culture, Music
On: ⋅ October 12, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Dr. Balamuralikrisha performing.
Image from balaji shankar.

Shame on all our readers and shame on us for having missed this piece of news.

For the noobs, Dr. Balamuralikrishna is one of most accomplished Carnatic Music vocalist and composer. He started out as a violinist, moved on to play the Kanjira, Mridangam and the Viola. With approximately 400 compositions under his belt he has a whole slew of Ragas and at least one tala to his credit. Regarded as one of the best, it is amazing news to see him being honored.

I come from a family where kids won academic scholarships for their Carnatic Music talent and I have an aunt who teaches it in college. My only surviving grandmother in her late 70’s is taking Carnatic music classes, because she always wanted to sing. I know, I know, I am the black sheep. Back to the subject on hand.

The proclamation, successfully piloted by Texas Congressman Nick Lampson, was presented to the music maestro at a function held here last weekend.

New Jersey State Assembly’s resolution paying a tribute to Balamuralikrishna was also read out on the occasion. A concert by the maestro followed the function.

The event commemorated Balamuralikrishna’s career spanning 70 years as well his 77th birthday. It was organised by Shri Vari Foundation, formed in New York to promote Indian music and dance in the US.

If I miss something about India, it is this. Listening to my aunt sing, my uncle playing the Mridangam and having an instant jam session.

The acclaimed vocalist’s duets with North Indian vocalists and instrumentalists such as Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar and Hariprasad Chaurasia have forged national integration through music. He is also an accomplished instrumentalist, playing the violin, veena, ganjira, viola and the mridangam with equal ease.

The MBK Trust founded by him in Chennai is carrying out research on music therapy. Balamuralikrishna’s contribution to Indian music has won him laurels at home and abroad.

Dr. Balamuralikrishna has won a few other international honors.

France has bestowed on him the title of Chevalier des Arts et Letters (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris honoured him with the Gandhi Memorial Medal.

And here is a home video of the maestro singing Sujana Jeevana

And here is another home video of him, in a funny mood, giving a list of stations between Vijayawada and Madras. He also talks about traveling between the two cities.

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