Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
meena
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Post by meena »

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Last edited by meena on 06 May 2008, 04:04, edited 1 time in total.

vs_manjunath
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Post by vs_manjunath »

Thanks Meena.

vijayagopal
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Post by vijayagopal »

Prayaga ranga Daasu was the maternal grand father or Uncle to Sri BMK. if I am right.

rAma rAma yanarAdA raghupati rakshakudani vinalEda?
kAmajanakuni katha vinu vAriki kaivalyambe kada?
*
*
*
vasudhanu gudimellankanu velasina varagOpaludu kAdA?
pasivAdagu srI rangadasuni paripalinchaga lEda?

I thought I remember the song. I will listen to the recording and bring you the complete text.

vijayagopal
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007, 13:53

Post by vijayagopal »

Has any one heard the Kambhoji item BMK sang on a Ugadi day in Hyderabad?

telugu velugu kiranalu manku mana dEsaniki
navaratnAbharanAlu?

annamunaku andhramu
adaranaku aravamu
kanna talli kannadamu
malayAnilamu malayAlamu
manamanta okataithe manugada prasAntamu


Did this radio concert find it's way to any site?
I have the recording.
May be I can upload it.

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

The song "tuNai nIye ..." by BMK is a wonderful composition on Lord Murugan.

I have a nagging doubt regarding the appropriateness of the terminal line in the caraNam. It goes as tunbam agaRRiDum muraLi gAnattil tannai maRandE ennai maRandAyO.

If we take "muraLi gAnam" as flute music there is a problem there since Lord Murugan is not known to be fond of flute music (at least not in the sense as we know it in the case of Krishna).

If we take "muraLi" as the mudra of BMK, then I have a more serious problem. tunbam agaRRiDum muraLi gAnam
implies that BMK's music will eradicate all misery. Hold on, my problem is not that. The whole line means " did you forget me while you lost yourself in listening to my music which relieves all misery?". The adjective "tunbam agaRRiDum" is inappropriate when it is addressed to the Lord. He does not have any misery. When addressing the Lord it must be a humble offering and not touting its quality. The line presents the superiority of the composer's music over the devotional appeal to the Lord. Besides, the Lord does not enjoy the devotee's music for His pleasure (or relief of pain!) to the detriment of the devotee (as implied by the words ennai maRandAyO?)

Any thoughts?
Last edited by mahakavi on 10 Apr 2007, 04:59, edited 1 time in total.

MaheshS
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Post by MaheshS »

Sub -

I have even more of a fundamental[?] question. The use of tannai and ennai. Jumps from third person to first person in the same line, is this permitted? If it's not then wouldn't unnai be the word to use?

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

MaheshS:

Valid question. The ideal word, as you point out, should be "unnai" instead of tannai. But I surmise it is permitted where "tannai" implies "self" i.e., oneself.
Also the two "maRandE"/"maRandAyO" sound crowded together. I am willing to ignore that here in view of BMK's mother tongue not being Thamizh.

MaheshS
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Post by MaheshS »

Again this sounds very crude ...

Can't Murali be generalised and taken in the context of "God" instead of the mudra or pertaining to Lord Krishna? Even then the line makes minimum sense with

God forgetting himself in God's music and forgetting the singer ...

Hmm I don't know. Any others?

meena
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Post by meena »

mahakavi

u can discuss this under BMK thread http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=310

Ok if i move this topic for u ?

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

Sure!

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

What is going on? Where are the scholars--cmlover, arasi, ninja, vk, ksrimech......?

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

By the way, just now I got confirmation (via email) of the intent of "muraLi gAnam" from a "horse's" mouth (an ardent disciple of BMK). It certainly means BMK's music. Now my agony is multiplied.....

ksrimech
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Post by ksrimech »

mahakavi wrote:What is going on? Where are the scholars--cmlover, arasi, ninja, vk, ksrimech......?
I do not know much of a relationship between muruga and KrSNa's music. The only story I can remember of is the bANAsura story and now kRSNa has muruga's vEl now (remember tiruppAvai 23 'nin kaiyil vEl pORRi'). Thats why I'm keeping my mouth shut. We have a periyAzhvAr referencing how the cows and the calves listen to the music without shaking their ears. But murugA and kRSNa's music nothing comes up in my mind.

cmlover
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Post by cmlover »

Why do you want 'tunbam agaRRiDum' as the adjective for the Lord. It can simply mean (maKKaLin) tunbam agaRRiDum i.e., BMK's song removes the misery of the listening folks and as a spectaor you (Lord) lost yourself!

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

Even if you want to ascribe the "tunbam agaRRiDum" to people's misery, it does not fit since music will NOT remove the misery of people. agaRRu = remove. It will only enable you to sidestep and forget it during the transient period when you are listening to music. Music puts misery "on hold". It treats the symptoms but does not provide a cure. When the music stops the misery returns (sometimes with double duty).

In the scenario that assumes the removal of misery, the Lord's duty is made dispensable since music takes care of it--right? BMK does not need the Lord's attention either since his own music is a panacea for his miseries too! Here is a case where music supercedes even the Lord.

cmlover
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Post by cmlover »

As a biologist you are quite familiar with the theory of endorphins! 'Misery' is of two kinds; physical and mental! The human mind is capable of controlling (even eradicating) both! Music has the power to control both. 'soul music' controls physical and mental agony as is even practised in hospitals. Even the holocast victims marched into the firepits to Wagner's music!

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

So, no need for a God---listen to music and attain bliss. But then we should get the devotion out of music since there is no need for God.

By the way endorphins let you bear the pain (like narcotics) and that too when the enkephalins are released from them. They inhibit the pain receptors. When they get degraded, the pain returns and so does misery.

cmlover
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Post by cmlover »

Sub
The 'music' medication must be taken lifelong! And of course like any other narcotic it is addictive!
Keats might as well have written
'"Music is God, God Music," - that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

"Life is music, music is life, therefore ye wandering souls forget everything else and listen to music!". Won't it be nice if it is true?

To paraphrase Ching-Chow, pain and pleasure are twins. One does not get rid of pain by any means. It has to play out. Drugs only camouflage it. So does music. It is the natural law. It is foolhardy to think otherwise.

Somebody said once "people hate work because they have to do it to make a living. If you make it optional then people will do it willingly", When music is made synonymous with life it loses much of its charm. It has got to be enjoyed in little doses and and not quite frequently unless one has lived out their life and is waiting for the inevitable. Then the thoughts are elsewhere.

To come back to the topic at hand, it is my contention that God does not forget His duty getting intoxicated by music produced by humans. It is the fallibility of the human mind that makes one think that God feels happy when you praise Him. That is again another topic for another day.
Last edited by mahakavi on 06 Apr 2007, 02:29, edited 1 time in total.

vs_manjunath
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Joined: 29 Sep 2006, 19:37

Post by vs_manjunath »

Nice Article.

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

Here is a site where you can view several video clips of Rama Varma's performance including the "endarO..." at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. I liked his delivery of "ninnaiyE rati enRu.." by Bharathi, and "tuNai nIyE.." of BMK which is the subject of discussion under the BMK vaggeyakara thread.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?u ... box&page=1
Last edited by mahakavi on 07 Apr 2007, 19:13, edited 1 time in total.

arasi
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Post by arasi »

Not knowing that all this was going on here, I wondered about what Bombay Jayshri said--as quoted in the Hindu aticle--that she prefers music to God. What do I know, when you scientists and medicine men thrash it out..
All that I can say (naively) is that music can be God, and God music--a la truth beauty and beauty truth. That God can inspire music and music God. Before I start wondering about what I am saying, someone else take over...

arasi
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Post by arasi »

By the way, I was not thinking about BMK or DMK when I wrote the above :)

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

Here is the complete text of the lyrics for the song "tuNai nIyE.." by BMK

Lakshman:
You may want to add this to your list. You can listen to this song in the Youtube video for which I gave a URL at the Prince Rama Varma thread under General Discussions topic.

P: tuNai nIyE, enRum tuNai nIyE kumarA, en vinai tIrttaruLvAyE, murugA---
A: pArtanil tuyarangaL nIkkiDavE pala pala vindaiyum purindanaiyE
kArmugil vaNNan marugOnE kandanE karuNaik kaDalE
C: kannit tamizh kanDa ANDavanE taNigaiyil maNakkOlam koNDavanE
tunbamagaRRiDum muraLi gAnattil tannai maRandE ennai maRandAyO?

I'd dare to change pala pala to paRpala. if I were to write it.
Last edited by mahakavi on 08 Apr 2007, 21:11, edited 1 time in total.

arasi
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Post by arasi »

pala pala is fine by me, sub. However, can marugOn also mean marugan?
I am not commenting on the way the mudrA is used and the imagery that goes with it...

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

well, I think "vindaiyum" should become "vindaigaL" since "pala pala" denote many (plural) while "vindai" denotes one (singular).

Refer to OVK's 'tAyE yashOdA" : vindaigaL palavum seydu viLaiyADinAn....
Last edited by mahakavi on 09 Apr 2007, 08:49, edited 1 time in total.

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

arasi wrote:pala pala is fine by me, sub. However, can marugOn also mean marugan?
.
Yes, arunagirinatar uses the term mAyOn marugOnE to describe murugan in the song #021 (angai menkuzhal AyvArpolE...)
Last edited by mahakavi on 14 Apr 2007, 02:45, edited 1 time in total.

meena
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Post by meena »

Deleted
Last edited by meena on 07 May 2008, 01:40, edited 1 time in total.

arasi
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Post by arasi »

This thillAnA is great, Meena!

kmrasika
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Post by kmrasika »

Who or what is the subject expounded in "kannula panduga raShShiyA" in kEdAram?(Sounded like the country - he does have a composition or two in praise of kEraLa).

vk
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Post by vk »

raSHSHiya = Russia, HE sang this when he toured russia.

srkris
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Post by srkris »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu6IJwAN_Ac

I like this mangalam a lot. It conveys a lot and its set in beautiful language by the maestro.

srilasya
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Post by srilasya »

Since we are discussing about Dr.Balamurali krishna, who is a gem, Can anyone tell me in his composition Amma ananda dayini - Varnam, what does Akara , ukara and Makara exactly mean? I know it represents AUM, or OM, A-akara, U-ukara and M-makara. But what form of Devi is Akara,Ukara and Makara?

srkris
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Post by srkris »

I think there is no particular form as such, but since aum (om) is the bijaksharam, it could have been equated to the primordial goddess.

vgvindan
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Post by vgvindan »

When an individual alphabet is to be pronounced, 'kAra' is added. - please see Dictionary Meaning below - Accordingly, IMHO it would be 'akAra', 'ukAra' and 'makAra'

kAra 1 mf(%{I})n. (1. %{kR} Pa1n2. 3-2 , 23) , making , doing , working , a maker , doer (ifc. see %{kumbha-k-} , %{yajJa@k-} , %{suvarNa-k-}) ; an author (e.g. %{vArttika-k-}) ; m. (ifc.) an act , action (see %{kAma-k-} , %{puruSa-k-}) ; the term used in designating a letter or sound or indeclinable word (e.g. %{a-k-} , %{ka-k-} , qq. vv. ; %{eva-k-} , the word %{eva} ; %{phUt-k-} q.v.) Pra1t. Mn. &c. ; effort , exertion L. ; determination L. ; religious austerity L. ; a husband , master , lord L. ; (%{as} or %{A}) m. or f. act of worship , song of praise Divya1v. ; (%{I}) f. N. of a plant (= %{kArikA} , %{kAryA} &c.) L.
Last edited by vgvindan on 26 Oct 2007, 09:02, edited 1 time in total.

santhugot2b
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Post by santhugot2b »

Sivaraman wrote:Here is a write-up on the great BMK as a music legend and his contribution as a composer to Carnatic Music.It is also revealing that he is the fifth descendant in the guru-sishya parampara of Saint-Composer Thyagaraja.



Dr M Balamuralikrishna
From being a child prodigy to becoming a legend in his life,
Dr M Balamuralikrishna is regarded as one of the most gifted exponents of Karnatak classical music for over six decades now. His powerful three-octave voice is known for its vibrant and magnetic quality. Born to musician parents Suryakanthamma and Pattabiramiah of Andhra Pradesh, Balamuralikrishna became a popular and prolific singer-composer at a young age of 15.

A fifth descendant in the guru-shishya parampara of saint-composer Thyagaraja, Dr Balamuralikrishna is not only a vocalist of repute but an accomplished instrumentalist as well. He plays the violin, viola, veena, kanjira and the mridangam with equal ease. He has 400 compositions to his credit, including varnams, kritis, javali, devotional songs and tillanas. He sings in Tamil, Oriya, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, French and Hindi and is the state musician of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Asthana Vidwan of Sringeri Peetam and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, he is also member of the expert advisory committee, Music Academy and Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai. His invaluable contribution to Indian music includes resurrecting ragas like Nartaki and creating new ones such as Lavangi, Mahathi, Murali, Omkari, Sarvashri, to name just a few. Some of most eminent vocalists and instrumentalists of North Indian classical music have performed jugalbandi with him.

Dr Balamuralikrishna has done a comparative study of ragas in film and classical music and presented it on Doordarshan. As the first producer of AIR, he is known for pioneering early morning broadcasting called Bhakti Ranjani. Chased by honours and titles, the 74-year-old singer-composer has been declared a National Citizen and was given the Padma Vibhushan in 1991.

And here is what the renowned website Carnatica.net has to say about DR.BMK as a Composer of merit:


Galaxy of Composers

LIVING COMPOSERS

M BALAMURALIKRISHNA

Musical Background: One of the greatest singers in the Carnatic music arena, Balamuralikrishna was born on 6th July 1930. He learnt music for brief spell of six months from Parupalli Ramakrishna Pantulu. Acclaimed as a child prodigy, his expertise is the fruit of native wisdom and hard work. He is also an accomplished viola player, who can also handle other instruments like the khanjira.

Region: Sankaraguptam, a small hamlet situated in Rajolu Taluk, in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.




Contribution: A highly original musician, Balamuralikrishna is an outstanding composer with about 300 kritis, varnams, tillanas, etc, to his credit, who started composing right from his fourteenth year. Several of his pieces are popular both in the music and dance arena. They are a lovely blend of the intellectual, with highly complex rhythmic and lyrical patterns, but at the same time, instantly appealing. On the inspiration of Swami Vimalananda of Kuttalam Mutt, he composed and later perfected seventy-two songs in the 72-melakarta ragas. One of his publications was 'Janaka Raga Kriti Manjari', a music text. He also has the distinction of having discovered many ragas and composing in them.

Languages used: Sanskrit and Telugu.

Signature: One finds mudras like Muraligana, Balamurali etc in his compositions.

Popular compositions: Varnams in ragas like Shanmukhapriya and Tillanas in Kuntalavarali etc.
hi m santhosh.. keen to have the audio by mbk ,devi brov a in his own raaga.. pls help me..

tambura216
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Joined: 08 Apr 2009, 08:07

Post by tambura216 »

Could someone please help me with lyrics of some of Dr.BMK's songs:

1. Mahadeva sutam-arabhi
2. Sada tava- shanmukapriya
3.Mahaneeya- mahati

Thanks

nsailaja
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Joined: 07 Oct 2009, 03:30

Post by nsailaja »

HI,

Could you please send the songs of Bala murali krishna garu .

1. Telugu velugu kiranalu
2. simha roopa nade
3. yele palimpa

All are in kambhoji ragam , but i could find them in the internet. Can u pls help me in listening to those songs.

Thanks

ramakriya
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Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 02:05

Post by ramakriya »

nsailaja wrote:HI,

Could you please send the songs of Bala murali krishna garu .

1. Telugu velugu kiranalu
2. simha roopa nade
3. yele palimpa

All are in kambhoji ragam , but i could find them in the internet. Can u pls help me in listening to those songs.

Thanks
Out of the 3, simharUpanAde is a purandara dAsa composition for which Dr BMK has composed a parallel sAhitya starting with the words "simhA rUpa dEvA". Both have the same musical structure.

ramjee
Posts: 21
Joined: 26 Oct 2009, 21:36

Post by ramjee »

Dear Sri Lakshman ,
can you pl post `Hanumaa' sarasangi raag kriti lyrics of sri MBK
Ramjee.
Last edited by ramjee on 14 Nov 2009, 19:20, edited 1 time in total.

Lakshman
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Post by Lakshman »

hanumA anumA. rAgA: sarasAngi. Adi tALA.

P: hanumA anumA O manamA hanuma nAmamE sukhamanumA
A: anumAnamu mAnuma O manamA vinumA mahima garimA manamA
C1: rAmAyanu mAnitamA nava samkSEmA vara mAruti mArutimA
2: muraLI rava mAdhuriveLa ninumA taramA vara maunulamA teliya


venkata makhi
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Joined: 24 Mar 2011, 07:20

Re:

Post by venkata makhi »

Rigapada wrote: 14 vakuLABaraNam (cathusra jAthe threputa) [agne SrE]

kumArune valaenu kAvavAE, gere kumAre sukumAre, nannu |
sumAnasa vAsene suhAsene, sOma bemba vadhanAE, sura na nAE |
SarvANe maheSAsura madha hAreNe, sadhA muraLe gAna suDhA mOdhene |
sadhAnandha hRdhayAE sadha SevAE, vejayapure nelayAE vakuLABaraNAE ||
kumAruni valenu kAvavE ---- It occurs to me that BMK was inspired by Thyagaraja's Madhyamavati kriti 'vinAyakuni valenu brOvavE' and borrowed the idea from there. 'kumAra' can mean son or lord subrahmanya (who is the son of goddess in the context anyway). In either case, it's a beautiful idea, I think.

mannari
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Joined: 04 May 2011, 14:08

Re: Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Post by mannari »

Dear sirs, I just saw post no.9.on Sangeethame Varasukhadayi. I am one of those fortunate and lucky persons to have recorded this kruthi (on video,) in Jugalbandhi,( Raaga kalyani) that too with legendry late Sri Bhimsen Joshi. !!! needless to say it is double delight as only competitors or match to each one is themselves only. I saw a happy BMK when he was honored at Chowdiah Memorial hall few moths ago and as usual he surprised every one again with one of his tetra tonal compositions and flaw less rendering.

kasiv86@gmail.com
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Joined: 28 Jun 2019, 07:45

Re: Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Post by kasiv86@gmail.com »

What language is hanuma anuma? If I get word to word meaning it will be more helpful.

Ananthakrishna
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Joined: 01 Nov 2019, 17:38

Re: Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Post by Ananthakrishna »

kasiv86@gmail.com wrote: 22 Nov 2020, 00:00 What language is hanuma anuma?
Hanuma Anuma is in Telugu.

MaheshS
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Post by MaheshS »

Ananthakrishna wrote: 04 Apr 2021, 20:01
kasiv86@gmail.com wrote: 22 Nov 2020, 00:00 What language is hanuma anuma?
Hanuma Anuma is in Telugu.
An outstanding Sarasangi alapana by BMK and MSG, W.O.W, followed by Hanuma Anuma ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHK2hKFdwOY&t=37m15s

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Dr. M Balamuralikrishna: as a composer (BMK)

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Mods:

There is one more thread on "Balamuralikrishna" -- in "Vidwans & Vidushis" section titled "Balamuralikrishna"
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=126&start=200

which may be merged with this thread.

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