Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna - Parampara series

[ram1999]

Heard a short clip in facebook of the latest concert held on 24th June.
It was Varali - ka vav vaa - normally a lilting beautiful piece sung at a nice tempo

.. was ripped apart / badgered out of proportion and there was no varali in it.

Adding to the saga was the mridangam (patri ??) being banged to support the cacophony.

All in all - NOISE POLLUTION !!

Not sure how the whole concert would have been

Thank God Sri Papanasam Sivan is not present today to see this lovely kriti of his being butchered

[bhakthim dehi]

Be happy that you didn't get to see him rendering sapasyat kousalya.

[ram1999]

Be happy that you didn't get to see him rendering sapasyat kousalya.

I unfortunately did
Still wondering what was the need for the such stage mannerisms!

Sad - in the name of vidvat, proficiency, voice range, speed etc, artists resort to acrobatics on stage which kills the sweetness of the music / kriti !!

had to rush to an ENT specialist - as ears started bleeding

[bhakthim dehi]

It's proved again that fate is more powerful!!

[ram1999]

It's proved again that fate is more powerful!!

[kvchellappa]

Here is one opinion (picked up from FB, posted by a knowledgeable rasika):
"How do I describe this raga alapana?
This is burnished gold!
Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna is supremely talented!
For me this video starts only at 55:30 and what mastery and control over the contours of the ragam! I like his completely unhurried, languid style of building it up and at 1:06:12 it reaches sangadhis of the highest class!
His manodharmam is truly top notch!
14m 20s of a magical excursion in Kedaragoula!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEzwsrh ... e=youtu.be

Also, please read Sri RSachi's comments in the above link.
I am also enjoying the concert as a layman.

[newid]

His manodharmam is truly top notch!
14m 20s of a magical excursion in Kedaragoula!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEzwsrh ... e=youtu.be

Also, please read Sri RSachi's comments in the above link.
I am also enjoying the concert as a layman.

I saw this above concert live, was my first exposure to KBMK and have been a fanboy since. As I have described before, for me, the theatrics only make his incredible musicianship more alive. It is an invitation to visit, vicariously, a joy and verve very few get to experience. I like going to live jazz shows and watching videos of old jazz masters for the same thing... the tortured and contortioned search for that something magical, made transparent.

The 'engal kannama' song, which I have heard KBMK perform couple other times, was also new to me. There is a sweeter version by TNS, but I end up humming KBMKs version more often because of how dramatic it is.

[arasi]

An extraordinary talent, but not my cup of chAi? Heard some of it, appreciated passages, but I was looking for some nidAnam. KshINamai in the pathos-filled rAgA lost plenty of bhAvA in such a brisk handling of the kriti. Akkarai's sweet notes had to hurry along in order to keep pace with speedy Gonzales. From early on, Neyveli Narayanan's usually pleasing strokes had to catch up with the hurrying vocalist. It's a strange admixture of a response on my part when I hear this well-endowed young vocalist. I certainly appreciate his skills. I like spirited singing, but not a roller coaster ride. Tranquility is also part of the concert experience which I very much seek and appreciate when I listen to music...

[sankark]

Here is one opinion (picked up from FB, posted by a knowledgeable rasika):
"How do I describe this raga alapana?
This is burnished gold!
Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna is supremely talented!
For me this video starts only at 55:30 and what mastery and control over the contours of the ragam! I like his completely unhurried, languid style of building it up and at 1:06:12 it reaches sangadhis of the highest class!
His manodharmam is truly top notch!
14m 20s of a magical excursion in Kedaragoula!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEzwsrh ... e=youtu.be

Also, please read Sri RSachi's comments in the above link.
I am also enjoying the concert as a layman.

Thanks KVC. Into mukhAri - enjoyable indeed. If the rest is like this, then it would need a stop now and then.

[Sundara Rajan]

Rajee: I liked your comparison to "speedy Gonzales". I wonder how many readers understood it !

[pperumal]

A supremely talented musician but unfortunately squandering it IMHO.

- PP.

[harimau]

Rajee: I liked your comparison to "speedy Gonzales". I wonder how many readers understood it !

"Speedy Gonzalez" has another meaning that I don't think you know about.

Not suitable for a family website such as this!

[SrinathK]

Do share the clip so that we can decide for ourselves how this performance was.

[hnbhagavan]

Link is available in this thread itself.

[kvchellappa]

NO.
The link to the original post is what is called for.

[Sundara Rajan]

Harimau: I only meant the children's cartoon "speedy Gonzales", although now I could guess the other meaning as well !