Come Ramanavami, Sri Ramabhyudhaya Sabha, Srirampet, Mysuru, offers a musical feast to music-lovers every year. This year too, the Sabha has organised a ten-day music series by well-known artistes from Bengaluru and Chennai.

 On the first day of the series (Apr. 17), Vid. Kunna Kudi M. Balamuralikrishna gave a vocal concert accompanied by Vidu. Akkarai Subhalakshmi on violin, Vid. Delhi Sai Ram on mridanga and Vid. Guru Prasanna on kanjira. The concert was marked for the vocalist’s technical brilliance and his deep understanding of the music.Blessed with a rich, robust voice that switches to any octave with absolute ease, Balamuralikrishna has put in tremendous hard work which shows in his music.

The concert began with Tyagaraja’s ‘kanukontini Sri RAmuninEdu’ in Bilahari, which was a rich opening. Swaras to the pallavi displayed the vocalist’s special strength in laya. Another composition of Tyagaraja ‘Evarikai’ in Deva Manohari followed, which Balamuralikrishna chose to start with the Anupallavi ‘Avaniki rammani pilicina’. ‘Karuna elagante’, the third Tyagaraja kriti at a stretch, was a touching presentation, wherein a grand neraval was developed for the lyrics ‘Paramatmudu Jeevatmudu.

Vidu. Akkarai Subhalakshmi made her presence impactful especially in the neraval and swaras sections. Anandabhairavi raga was very appealing and the composition that followed ‘Srinivasa neene pAlisO’ by Purandaradasaru was more than welcome. ‘SarasasAmadAna bheda danda’ by Tyagaraja brought many a smile from the audience. Surprisingly, whoever sings this composition, it invariably carries a trace of Madhurai Mani Iyer’s version somewhere in the composition.

The trump of the evening was Hamsanada. Vid. Balamuralikrishna delved deep into the raga unfolding a world of vivid hues. ‘KalyANa RAma RaghurAma rAma’ by Oottukkadu Venkatasubbaiyer was decorated with a pretty kalpana swara sequence for the pallavi with the rhythmic grandeur of Vid. Delhi Sai Ram and Vid. Guru Prasanna who elevated the rhythmic appeal in the kalpana swara segment and also in the taniyavartanam that followed. Vid. Balamuralikrishna’s learning of mridanga under the legenday Kariakkudi Mani Iyer was evident in his reaction to the taniyavartanam as also in the complex kalpana swaras that he developed in all nadias.

The rendition of ‘He dayALu vaa’ he krpALu va’ Swami Raghava’ had an emotional appeal. A Sanskrit shloka on Lord RAma ‘Vaidehi Sahitam Suradrumatale’ describing Rama seated in the royal chair surrounded by his dear brothers brought the picture to the listeners with ragamalika in Nadanamakriya and Yaman Kalyani leading onto the composition ‘Ratna ghatita simhasana’.

— Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan