Balamuralikrishna

Carnatic Musicians
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RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by RaviSri »

Pandanallur Thata taught many students in the 1930s and 40s. Among them were Mrinalini Sarabhai, Ramgopal, the Bangalore couple U.S.Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi. These students started dancing in the 1940s itself. Similarly with the Vazhuvoor school. Apart from Kamala, Ramiah Pillai taught Vyjayantimala, Radha (Viswanathan) and Anandi (Ramachandran) and many others. They also started dancing in the 1940s. Kamala had her debut in 1939 and after that, inspird by her dance, thousands (yes, truly thousands) of parents wanted their daughters to learn dance. Many parents named their new born daughters as Kamala. And as Baby and Kumari she danced into the hearts of the rasikas. And these rsikas were created by Kamala. Most people belonging to the orthodox families would never have dreamt even watching dance, let alone send their daughters to learn the art. If any one person has to be credited with the revival of Bharatanatyam it has to be Kamala.

E.Krishna Iyer, a secretary of the Music Academy in the 1930s and 1940s was instrumental in arranging dance programmes at the Music Academy. Kumbhakonam Bhanumati, Varalakshmi, Balasaraswati and a few others performed for the Academy at its Annual Conferences in the 1930s itself much before Rukmni Devi even started learning dance. Now, if Bharatanatyam was a vulgar art not worthy of being seen by rasikas, would the Academy have arranged such programmes as early ass the 1930s. If the Devadasi community were dancing in a vulgar manner as alleged by Rukmini Devi and her cohorts, would respectable people of society have attended the programmes at the Academy which they did in large numbers? The Academy would not have been allowed to even stage such programmes. Also, Bharatnatyam was the name given in the programme book of the Academy even in the first year that it arranged such programmes. Purandaradasa hsa a song in which he used the word "bharatnAtyagaLu". So much for Rukmini Devi's and Kalakshetra's claim that they "cleansed" Bharatanatyam of all vulgarity, "brought respectability" to the art and that Rukmini it was who named the art as 'Bharatanatyam'. Empty claims these were. And these claims are still being perpetrated and the naive believe these blatant lies.

Rukmini Devi, as I said before changed the costumes, made them beautiful and produced beautiful dance dramas. This was her contribution. She also threw out 'sringArA', the most important of all rasas in dance, any Indian dance for that matter. Kalakshetra dancers, as a result, miss out on the most vital aspect of dance.

All said and done many can be credited with the revival of Bharatanatyam. First of all Kamala, then the various gurus of Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Pandanallur, the Music Academy and Rukmini Devi too.

What was prevalent before the Tanjore Quartette codified and refined Bharatanatyam were prabhandas, padas and other such items. The Quartette it were who introduced the alarippu, jatiswaram, shabdam, varnam, padam, javali and thillana format. They were the true revolutionaries. And in this Muthuswami Dikshitar's role as their guru and mentor was not a small one. Dikshitar, in recognition of their seminal work in dance gave the Quartette the title "Bharata sreShTTargaL"
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In the film Hamsa Geete we get to see the modern Bharatanatyam and not the old style that existed before the Quartette. As for your other question RSachi, I think we can allow a sensitive film maker like G.V.Iyer a little liberty in the matter of using the Shyama Sastri song in the film. This is my personal opinion, of course. Light though the singing of Balamurali is, he did not spoil the song I think.

shankarank
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Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by shankarank »

That was not the only pejorative we invented. tIrtam, agni hotram also not only changed meanings - but became pejoratives!! Who is vulgar? Good job!!

Pundit, mantra are already management buzzwords and freely used in the media!

Old Tamil movies featuring dialogues from Mudaliar households freely used the term with no implication of vulgarity or pejoration.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Rsachi »

RaviSri,
Thank you.
1. Thanks for mapping the course of popularisation of Bharatanatyam before and independent of "Atthai".
2. I have also heard that great as the role of Rukmini Devi was in creating the Kalakshetra phenomenon, Kamala and Balasaraswati have also made great contributions. Especially KVN has told me that Jayammal and Bala were the greatest singers he had heard! Kamala's career graph is well documented I think.
3.Yes, I respect G V Iyer and I like Hamsageete very much. Balamurali was also hailed for his singing in this movie, I do believe his Bhairavi finale could have been better. But who am I to judge a Balamurali!?!
4. I do think the success of Kalakshetra was based on three BIG factors :A. Rukmini created a well trained team dancing to her special and elegant version of Bharatanatyam B. The dance drama which harnessed mythology and story-telling grippingly, with great sahitya C. The wonderful music that Sivan, Vasudevachar and others created for her. In a "sanskritised" way, Rukmini was the equivalent of Cecil de Mille or a director of Bolshoi.

This is a good discussion. Thank you

About sringara, I have written elsewhere in rasikas. I find the way Odissi dancers present Ashtapadis so much better than the way Sringara comes across from the most famous of current Bharatanatyam stars. The mime and abhinaya of the angry or erotic nayika, combined with our steps and music, has an effect to my mind of lowering the subtlety and aesthetics of Sringara. It is just my opinion.


PS: And perhaps these most recent posts really have nothing to do with the one and only great Dr. Balamuralikrishna.
So my apologies to anyone upset by this digression. However I must again thank you RaviSri for stating some historical facts.

PPS: By the way I learnt that Rukmini's father was the famous historian Nilakanta Sastri!

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by rshankar »

Yes, Sachi, her father was indeed the scholar and theosophist, Sri Nilakanta Sastry.

I agree that SRngAra presented in oDissi is indeed beautiful, but I believe that the late Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan (Ganesan), our MKR's cousin, and her cadre of disciples (not merely students), chief among whom is Smt. Priyadarshini Govind, present some of the most stylized abhinaya in bharatanATyam. I've had the pleasure of attending and reviewing Smt. Priya's performances elsewhere. In addition, I love the elegant elan of Smt. Alarmelvalli's abhinaya too.

IIRC (Cienu can correct me if I'm wrong), his mother and Smt. Anandi were students of VazhuvUrAr before Smt. Kamala.

Talking about bharatanāTyam costumes, I think that it was the Sris. Sadasivam and Krishnamurthy families' decision to use the stitched 5-piece costume designed and debuted by Smt. RDA (in 1935 or so) for the arangETRam of their daughters followed by its adoption by Smt. Kamala, that ensured its popularity. Smt. RDA worked with an Italian seamstress on the Theosophical Society's campus to give shape to her designs.

I think it was Dr. Padma who came up with the concept of the 'sAri costume'.

In addition to the costumes, Smt. RDA also introduced the elegant 'temple' jewelry associated with bharatanATyam these days.

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by rshankar »

Sri Krishna Iyer that RaviSri mentions was more than just a patron of bharatanATyam who introduced it to the MMA - he learned the dance form and presented it in strI vEsham (attired in female garb) on the stage. IIRC, the MMA came out with a beautiful souvenir with his biography.
He may in fact be the person who first called this dance form bharatanATyam.

IMO, the plural 'bharata nATyagaLu' of Sri Purandaradasaru refers to all of India's classical dance forms that evolved from the single pan-Indian dance form described in bharata's nATya SAstra.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Rsachi »

Ravi, which kriti of Purandara Dasa has this reference, please? I need to study the entire composition.
Thanks!

RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by RaviSri »

Rsachi and rshankar, Rukmini Devi's father was not the historian K.A.Neelakanta Sastry who belonged to Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli district and who taught history at Banaras Hindu University, Presidency College and at the Madras University. Rukmini's father was also Neelakanta Sastri, but he was an employee of the PWD department and a theosophist. Incidentally Rukmini Devi's father belonged to Tiruvisainallur near Kumbhakonam, and mother Seshammal belonged to Tiruvaiyyaru.

RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by RaviSri »

Sorry, I cant remember which song of Purandaradasa now. I'll try to find out

vasanthakokilam
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Found this through a google search.

From: http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/oppilia ... 00004.html

>In this song, sri purandara dAsa has described the way
>shri krishNa dances on the hood of kALinga sarpa once
>in his childhood.
>
>ADidanO ranga adhbutadindali
>kALingana phaNiyali |p|
>
>Meaning :
>
>ranga played on the hood of the kALinga
>incredibly (since He was a child then).
>
>pADidavarige bEDida varagaLa
>nIDutali dayamADutali nali
>dADutali beNNebEDutali krishNa |a|
>
>Meaning :
>
>krishNa, was dancing on kALinga giving
>all the people their wants who prayed Him,
>asking for butter.
>
>amburuhOdbava akhiLasuraru kUDi
>ambaradali nintu avar stustise
>rambe Urvashi ramaNiyarellaru
>candadim bharata nAtyava naTise
>jhaM taTa taka dhiM tadhi niNi tOM endu
>jhampe tALadi tumburannoppise |1|
>
>Meaning :
>
>In the skies, all the devatAs together started
>praying Him, apsarAs like rambe Urvashi started
>dancing bharatanATya playing jham taTa...
>
>suraru pushpavavrusTiya kareyalu
>sudatiyarellaru pADalu
>nAgakannikeyaru nAthana bEDalu
>nAnAvidadi stutimADalu
>rakkasarellaru kakkasavane kaNDu
>dikki dikkige ODalu |2|
>
>Meaning :
>
>DevatAs showered flowers on Him, all the
>gOpIs sang in praise of the Lord, nAgakannikAs
>begged for mercy in various forms, asurAs
>seeing the scene fled in all directions.
>
>cikkavanivanalla purandara viTala
>venkaTaramaNa bEga yashOde
>binkadoLetti muddADe shri krishNa |3|
>
>Meaning :
>
>If this is done by (child) krishNa, He cannot
>be a (mere) small kid, He is purandara viTala,
>so, O yashOde, please come fast and caress Him.
>
>


RaviSri
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Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by RaviSri »

candadim bharata nAtyava naTise
Yes, this is the song. Thanks vk. T.S.Parthasarathy, in the 1980s, had quoted this as bharatnATyagaLu naTise, at a Music Academy morning session once.

Sreeni Rajarao
Posts: 1283
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Sreeni Rajarao »

Varsha avare,

What a serendipity this discussion has turned into!

A recording of one of my favorite songs (so many reasons! one of the navaratna songs of Purandara dAsaru, tuned in Arabhi by my Father Veena Rajarao, a song that takes me back to my childhood days, ) and that too a recording of Vid Kurudi Venkannachar ( I wonder how many people even know this name these days)........ I am thrilled!

Thank You!

For a long time, I have been meaning to initiate a thread for this song under Sahitya section and upload some recordings. I will do that soon, and I want to include this beautiful recording also.

Thanks again!

Sreeni

Rsachi
Posts: 5039
Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Rsachi »

Thanks folks!
Yes, ADidanO Ranga is a song I have heard many times, for many decades. It has a brilliant sahitya, details of which I had forgotten.
The song says the apsaras in devaloka danced Bharata Natyagalu, and pleased Tumburu! I have seen images of Tumburu playing percussion. He is also said to be a music and dance preceptor to Rambha, Urvashi etc.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by rshankar »

According to the myth, Siva is supposed to have taught the details of dancing to the Apsaras. This reinforces my opinion that the phrase 'bharata nATyagaLu' refers to the dance form in the nATya Sastra - a precursor to all the other 'classical' dance forms of India - or as Dr. Padma S would have it, 'bharata nATuagaLu' refers to the dEsi form of the dance (that she's reviving as bharatanRtyam) and all the other (neo)-classical dance forms are mArgi evolutions of the one dEsi form.





sweetsong
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Joined: 29 Nov 2009, 16:48

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by sweetsong »

From one lion to another! One of the best tributes ever.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Dr. Balamuralikrishna - A Contrarian View

Post by Rsachi »

Dr Balamuralikrishna – A Contrarian View

Image

After the passing of the legendary musician, Dr.BMK, almost everyone, which includes laymen, media persons, musicians and rasikas, have all poured out their adoration in words, songs, and memoirs, almost non-stop.

A rasika touching 90 years, about 75 of which have been in active listening to Carnatic music, remarked yesterday to me, “How come, when Palghat Raghu or KV Narayanaswamy passed away, not even one hundredth of media space was devoted to tributes and memoirs, compared to BMK?”

This question itself says a lot.

I am about to do something here that will make me unpopular and discordant amidst this monsoon of eulogies. I want to state here what I think is the quintessential “dislikable” element in Dr.BMK and his music.

The fundamental element in music is aesthetic, or rasa. But it is not for nothing that we always mention goodness along with beauty (and truth). The triumvirate is called Satyam Shivam Sundaram. The element of goodness comes from a fundamental value of giving and loving. In both, there is an inviolable principle of subordinating oneself to the other.

The absolutely fabulous Long Play album of Dr BMK of Jayadeva Ashtapadis contains a song, “Tava virahe, Vanamaali, Sakhi seedati Raadhe” meaning: “Oh Radha, Krishna, wearing a garland of wild flowers, is charring away, pining away, in separation”. You can listen to Dr.BMK singing this song in his inimitable way on You Tube: https://youtu.be/yTKnpz_kkbg

That longing, that feeling that “I am nothing, without you”, is at the core of love. This love has to speak through every note and moment in our music, for the music to stir the soul and melt the heart.

The trouble with Dr.BMK and his music, for me, is that as I imagine him singing that wonderful line, “Tava virahe, Vanamaali, Sakhi seedati Raadhe”, I can see him with a smirk, an unmistakable arrogance, an underlining shout, “See how well I am singing this line, Raadha, I am sure you couldn’t have expressed it any better”.

Dr.BMK has himself spared no efforts to communicate his unshakable self-image of his musical supremacy, how music was his slave and not his master, as it were.

When one has this smirky insufferability as the core of one’s personality, truly, the whole world is perceived as revolving around oneself. It is as if the whole world is merely a tool to be used for one’s self-glorification.

Have you ever wondered why we never say God uses the world to amuse Himself? We say this whole universe is His eternal leela or play. But we don’t say, except in a nindaa stuti (which is always meant to convey the exact opposite of the words), or in a wild rage, “God, you Smirky ***, how dare you delight in my torment or anguish? Is all this merely a kind of amusement for you? OK, I am done with you. Enough of your self-loving orgy”.

Now I give Dr. BMK too much credit to think that he wasn’t aware of this effect he had on a lay listener like me. How can I not recognise his intelligence, mastery of the Carnatic idiom, his musical expressiveness, and a 80 year-long performing career. But he just stopped short of winning my heart, or stirring my soul, because I felt that I was being used by him for his own musical amusement. You see, for me, a child’s “I love you” greeting card means a whole lot more than a sonnet monogrammed and signed off as “with love from Shakespeare, the world’s greatest litterateur”.

So I say, “Dear Dr. BMK, enough of this self-loving orgy.”

kvchellappa
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Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by kvchellappa »

Lovable piece, expression-wise, candour-wise and as regards that eagerness to uphold music. But, one's self-love and self-importance may not nullify his worth. He had qualities that endeared him to others.
There was a dance programme of Padma Subrahmanyam. She spoke and said if any singer would sing, she would do extempore abhinayam. There was silence. No one came forward. To break the awkward silence, BMK walked up to the stage and there was applause. He took the mike and told Padma that she should not do such things. That picked a hole in the balloon of expectation of the audience and must be Padma too. He understood the mood and said, 'Since you expected me to sing, I will'. He did alapana of Thodi and Padma did abhinayam.
He used to attend the concerts of several youngsters and encourage them. They in turn used to sing the songs composed by him.
It is inevitable that there would be icons. This one was justified perhaps.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Rsachi »

KVC,
I witnessed that Padma demo at MA I think :)
I am myself many times swept off my feet by BMK's music. That ashtapadi is one such!

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by rajeshnat »

Rsachi wrote: A rasika touching 90 years, about 75 of which have been in active listening to Carnatic music, remarked yesterday to me, “How come, when Palghat Raghu or KV Narayanaswamy passed away, not even one hundredth of media space was devoted to tributes and memoirs, compared to BMK?”

This question itself says a lot.
# Fundamentally BMK was media savvy . Palghat Raghu was not for sure or may be had a very slight media expectation.Just to state facts , when Raghu Sir was given SK in the dias you know who was seated , TM Krishna. I felt it was condescending - remember you have to show in media consumption eyes that you are the ** exclusive ahA oHo ** of CM . Awards like SK continue to get maximum media attention and few younger musicians stole the thunder . BMK continued to show , Palghat Raghu did not . Also there is no way a mrudangam artist can have that much media attention

# With Respect to KVN (people like Rsachi can tell more), towards the last few years KVN music was kind of diluted in content , atleast I think he should have not sung that much with his daughter(Male and Female artist joining together is disastrous - even semmangudi-msamma divine is not musically rich as much their individual collection). So the last few years of KVN was a faded KVN and there was not much recollection of the greatness of KVN music in the last few years.

# Compare that to BMK , he maintained his voice and his cheerfulness . I donot have that much liking to BMK music . Just as an anecdote about 4 years before i was working for few months in KaulaLumpur , I did not go to BMK concert then . But i was told that it was a commercially ticketed concert and so many went to hear him. I fundamentally feel cinema thiruvilayadal success and sivaji acting all earned the significant brownie points to BMK . About 10 or 13 years before TMS and BMK somewhere were reminiscing about Oru naal pOduma (BMK ) and Paatum Naane Bhavamum naanE (TMS) and the whole TN diaspora was gA gA ing in a big turnout in chennai . I was thinking that song Paatum Naane is useless and Oru naal poduma was partly useless song- infact musically that must have been swapped .Infact I think baliah could not bear the shruthi and flat note singing of TMS :) and that is why he ran , even though all of you in cinema thought Sivaji scared Baliah with his musical acumen :P . Even Chinna kannan azhaikiran of BMK was a poor second when compared to Thalaiyai kuniyum thAmaraiyE (SPB). But with oru naal poduma he earned few million rasikas for life .But I guess BMK connected more and more to uninitiated and partially initiated rasikas and they are the majority.

It does not matter what a 90 year old rasika who is listening to CM for 75 years thinks - what matters is his other 89 friends of this 90 year old who will still go gA gA with Oru nAAL Poduma and refuse to think that CM is beyond Oru naal PodumA.

ALso Palghat Raghu passed away on June (A very dry period), KVN passed away on April (another dry CM period) . Dr BMK gaaru continued to be media savvy even during death (he died in Nov/Dec).Media coverage of musicians is more in Nov/Dec that is a fact. Camouflaging age and continuing with steady state of music is a gift that BMK got it from GOD.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by rajeshnat »

Rsachi wrote:KVC,
I witnessed that Padma demo at MA I think :)
I am myself many times swept off my feet by BMK's music. That ashtapadi is one such!
Which year did this Padma demo happen sachi, by any chance is there any clipping . I appreciate the guts of DR BMK to sing on stage impromptu - what confidence he must have had to sing without accompaniment

I think in 1995 to 1997 , one of my bosses boss used to listen every day in his car- BMK ashtapadi. He almost retired from service than, he felt that number touched his heart . He may be one of those friends of the 90 year old rasika. Looks this bmk ashtapadi is a MEGA hit . For me I did not know then that there is 24 ashtapadis , I graduated from 1 to 24 ashtapadis after i heard this BMK collection.

kvchellappa
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Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by kvchellappa »

It was in MA. Maybe 1974-78 sometime.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Rsachi »

Rajesh, priceless!
Palghat Raghu passed away on June (A very dry period), KVN passed away on April (another dry CM period) . Dr BMK gaaru continued to be media savvy even during death (he died in Nov/Dec).Media coverage of musicians is more in Nov/Dec that is a fact. Camouflaging age and continuing with steady state of music is a gift that BMK got it from GOD.

Aditto
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Joined: 20 May 2008, 20:31

Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by Aditto »

Some points..

If we consider the entire gamut of musicians as a class, then they are the obedient, rule abiding students; people who are both; people who are mischievous. BMK falls into all these aspects in his career spanning over 80 years.

Also, he is into cine music in woods from Kolly to Tolly. Not all those musicians that a 90 year old rasika idolizes are into film music. We all talk about musicians of musicians and how they are not recognized by the music fraternity. This is all together a different question. And also, we are in a generation with so many media channels which are after any news. So, BMK is like a gift to them. We have all seen how media has exponentially grown in the past few years. In addition to the dry and wet music period a musician leaves his/her mortal coil, the time frame is also important.

And coming to the cine songs, Oru Nal Poduma and the reetigowla song composed by Ilayaraja, do we not have people who throng to concerts of the crowd puller musicians when compared to the ones whom we think give chaste music. We cannot say the crowd puller musicians do not give good music. It is their Janaakarshana Sakti.

Yes, I completely agree to RSachi's point where he displays his supremacy but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4l-QFdcvq8

And let me tell you I do like BMK and I do dislike BMK :) He is an enigma.

varsha
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Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by varsha »



shankarank
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Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by shankarank »

Heavenly treatment to melody and time - gAnasuDharasa - gAna is Surti-svara-laya all included.

Mani meets Murali


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZGheNh-yWM - Part 1

The first item gAna Sudha rasa rendition has the sangati that takes rasa to Arudhi and a little beyond! https://youtu.be/uZGheNh-yWM?t=475

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxEKAdi_mQ8 - Part 2

K Nagarajan
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Re: Balamuralikrishna

Post by K Nagarajan »

This is the link for a vintage DD video of a concert of Dr M Balamuralikrishna.
https://youtu.be/jaEb1sA5688
Sri Poornachandar - Violin
Sri Madurai T Srinivasan - mrudangam.
Sri V Nagarajan - Kanjira
Sri Palghat VA Sundaram - Ghatam

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