The music series at 8th Cross, VV Mohalla brought another grand vocal concert by well-known musician Vid. Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna from Chennai on Sept. 16. He was accompanied by Vidu. Akkarai Shubhalakshmi on violin, Vid. Shree Sundarkumar on mridanga and Vid. Guruprasanna on kanjira.

Balamuralikrishna is a renowned vocalist and mridanga artiste. Groomed by the legendary teacher P.S. Narayanaswamy, Balamuralikrishna has evolved into a talented young vocal artiste popular with rasikas and sabha organisers. A robust voice, hard work, peer pressure have ensured that Balamuralikrishna is among the leading musicians of today.

Balamuralikrishna had planned the concert well. He opened the concert with the Natakuranji pada varna ‘Chalamela jese’ by Mulaivittu Rangasami NAttuvanar set to Adi Tala. It was rare and good to hear the sahitya of the ettugade swaras, normally not sung by most musicians in concerts.

Raising to the occasion, he next chose ‘Kari Kalabha mukham’ by Muthuswami Dikshitar on Lord Ganapati in Saveri in an usual Trishra Eka tala in two kalai. The line ‘neelagreeva kumAram neerada ShObhAkaram,’ describing Ganapati as the son of the blue-necked (Lord Shiva) and full of grace, was apt.

Ranjani was welcome as no previous artiste had presented it during this season. The raga was developed with versatile imagination, with impressive ‘m’karas, masterly brigas and tristhayi sancharas ranging from mandra shadja of mandra sthayi to Tara Shadja of Tara sthayi and Subbulakshmi’s version of the raga was equally graceful. Sri Tyagaraja’s ‘DurmArga charAdhamulau’ was a good presentation with very clear diction and elaborate swaras. Hameer kalyani with ‘ToomaNi mAyattu’ too was a pleasant surprise.

After a quick filler ‘Sarasa SAmadana bhEda’ by Sri Tyagaraja in Kapi Narayani, Bhairavi, the toast of the evening was presented. The ragalapana was excellent, adorned with powerful gamakas and steeped in classicism. Another number of Sri Tyagaraja ‘Koluvai yunnAde’ was decorated with gripping kalpanaswaras.

Balamuralikrishna’s layagnana as also a mridanga player (he is a disciple of Karaikudi Mani),  added luster to the presentation.

Sundarkumar was ably supported by Guruprasanna’s kanjira. Their taniyavartanam in Adi tAla (two kalai) was characterised by interesting laya manipulations.

The concert concluded with a shloka on Krishna ‘YadgOpi vadanEndu’ followed by a jayadeva ashtapadi ‘Nindati chandanam’ of TNS fame in Darbari Kanada and a tillana in Kamas by Muthiah Bhagavatar.

There seemed to be some consistent disturbance of the microphone synchronisation perhaps due to the vocalist’s personal microphone, which the vocalist was unaware of, that came in the way of rasanubhava in the concert.

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan