Sangīta Kalānidhi Sangamam - Sudha Raghunathan, M Balamuralikrishna & Ravikiran - Rāga Kalyāñi

Sangīta Kalānidhi Sangamam – Sudha Raghunathan, M Balamuralikrishna and N Ravikiran -- Kalyāni (2010)

This concert by the trio in 2010 with the maestro Sangita Kalanidhi (SK) Dr M Balamuralikrishna (BMK) in the centre flanked on the right by SK Sudha Raghunathan and on the left by the 2017 SK awardee Chitravina N Ravikiran is memorable for many reasons. It showcases the best of the three prime artists and portrays the finest of the maestro.

The first, that is evident from the beginning till the end, is the liveliness on the stage, thanks to BMK, at 80 then, and still infectious as it always was. Then, his come down to accommodate the two younger artists is a most graceful one, while also inspiring both of them to reach higher during the performance, is also an equally graceful one.

While any Carnatic music concert is a collaborative one, not all collaborations need be successful. More so, if the members are accomplished high profile musicians -- two vocalists and an instrumentalist. Additionally, there was no rehearsal before the concert. This has been put very well by Ravikiran in his opening remarks as, “Even with 1000 rehearsals you cannot match him on the stage,” to which there was instant assent by Sudha Raghunathan. Yet with all these the collaboration was a successful one probably because of the absolute spontaneity that BMK was always best with, and which the other two younger artists willingly took upon themselves as a privilege and a blessing. This concert is a showpiece for a joyful concert when BMK was around.

BMK lauds his two music compatriots on the stage and then refers to the other accompanists, comparing them to the different gods. Playfully drawing a parallel to a divine gathering on the stage, the audience is compared to an all knowing one. He then assures them that the gathering on the stage will assuredly make music—nArada gAnam (referring to the Sabha), with the highest awareness (referring to the name of the hall). That was a spontaneous and subtle way of dispelling any doubt, in the minds of anyone in the hall on that day, if they could make any music without a rehearsal.
The kalyAnI rAgam AlApana is like three sculptors fashioning out a masterpiece working on the same stone. The restraint that each artist exercises to present only so much without overdoing it matches the liberty that each artist takes to portray much more so that melody always stands out. The maestro enters on and off with a measured élan to enliven the collaboration. He even performs a neat but brief graha bedham to show a glimpse of tODi.
The starting of the krti with the line, “mandagamana” of Tyagaraja’s ‘sundarI nI divya rUpamu’ by BMK is arrestingly dramatic. In the krti presentation too he leads the way but the other two join in their own manner. Together they give us a great rendition, a melodious sAhitya vinyAsam, and a stirring svaraprastAram. After a brief violin follow through there is finally laya-vinyAsam. Fittingly after the laya-vinyAsam , BMK ends the presentation with the rightly chosen words “saphala mAyenamma,” meaning that their effort ended successfully.

Before the beginning of the presentation Sudha Raghunathan has alluded to her experience of performing with BMK on the stage on that day as truly unbelievable.

Ravikiran on his part refers to BMK as the single most versatile Carnatic musician and the pride of all us. BMK responds saying the Chitravina sings when Ravikiran performs on it. It is apt to recall here Ravikiran’s tribute to the maestro. In it Ravikiran has recounted how BMK gave away a silver medal, that BMK had received when he was young, to Ravikiran when the latter performed his first full fledged concert at the Madras Music Academy.

To those among us who may have felt that Balamuralikrishna left us this day last year, it is only reassuring that he lives on in muraLI gAnam which will live forever for posterity sake.

Acknowledgments :

1. Sincerely thank and appreciate Sri. T K Ramkumar for selecting the video for the occasion and to passionately write the narration presented here.

2. Grateful thanks to Sri. Ravi Joshi for his admirable efforts in sourcing the video.

Видео Sangīta Kalānidhi Sangamam - Sudha Raghunathan, M Balamuralikrishna & Ravikiran - Rāga Kalyāñi канала Sreenivasa Murthy