A Salute to the Music Maestro Cherished are those whose creativity adds melody to the world It were madness to paint the lily, count the stars, sweeten honey or to fathom Balmurali’s colossal genius These words have been dedicated to the musical genius, Palghat Mani Iyer, but today they apprise the multifaceted Carnatic vocalist, composer, and music guru, Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna who passed away in Chennai at the age of 86, leaving an irreplaceable void in the realm of Indian Classical Music. The rich imprint of his magnificently rich voice, verses and innovated ragas & taalas live on. M Balamurali Krishna An insignia of illimitable creativity, Balamurali (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) Krishna kept the Indian classical tradition alive while modernizing the whole Carnatic music system to make it relatable to the common man. He was a disciple of Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu, a “I breathe music, think music, talk direct inheritor of the shishya parampara of Tyagaraja, music and music is my energy and I and performed the first full-fledged concert at a am an instrument of music” Thyagaraja Aradhana in Vijayawada at the age of eight. He also gave his first radio concert at the "I like to sing my own creations. tender age of nine and the astounding performance There is a different level of innovation placed him on the list of A-grade artists at the All that one can do with one's own India Radio (AIR), Chennai. A born experimentalist, he bequeathed a new horizon to the two rivulets of compositions. That's exciting. I'm still Indian classical music—Hindustani and Carnatic— learning and shall remain a student through his jugalbandis with legends like Pt Bhimsen all my life.” Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jasraj and Zakir Hussain. He sang in countless native "I don't sing. My music sings. It just regional languages, including Tamil, Marathi, comes to me and I become an Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi and instrument for it." Odia and his work on Tagore shows his boundless creative flow as an artist. In addition to Carnatic vocals, Balamurali Krishna was expert at playing several instruments, including Kanjira, Mridangam, viola and violin. He extended his creative genius to the world of cinema as an actor, playback singer and music director. Balamurali Krishna was bestowed with two National Film Awards. His music appealed to both the connoisseurs and the laymen alike. A recipient of the national honours: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, he was also awarded the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government, the Mahatma Gandhi Silver Medal from UNESCO, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi, and the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani and numerous other laurels. .