The classical phoenix

A new generation of classical musicians is coming up,youthful in appearance but serious in its approach to arts.

A new generation of classical musicians is coming up,youthful in appearance but serious in its approach to arts. They are challenging the vanguard,demanding to be noticed. Young Carnatic musician Kunnakkudi Balamuralikrishna is at the forefront of this wave.

Born in 1985,Balamuralikrishna is a new young vocalist. He is under the tutelage of PS Narayanaswami,a Padma Bhushan recipient who has enthralled global audiences. Commenting on a recent performance in the city,he says that while the competition among classical musicians is fierce,he has never felt any pressure. Competition does exist,especially between younger musicians and the older,more established ones,but it is healthy in nature. It makes us strive to perform better. And at the end of the day,every artiste has their own unique style, he says.

Balamuralikrishna owes a lot to his guru,and not just for teaching him music. Narayanaswami has hundreds of students,but ask each one to perform,and they will all have their own unique way of handling a composition. It is incredible how he has trained each one of us in a different manner. Through him,we have not only learnt our art,but even our way of life, the 26-year-old says.

Balamuralikrishna may be young but is very focussed. Music unfortunately leaves him completely engrossed. I naturally listen to a lot of Carnatic music we need to analyse the music of our peers to better understand our own music but that,and the hours of practice that I do,leaves me little time for anything else. I do listen to a bit of Hindustani music,with Bhimsen Joshi and Amir Khan being my favourites,but apart from that,I can only watch movies or hockey in my free time. Novels,I used to love to read but dont have time for them.

How does Balamuralikrishna combine the rebellion associated with youth to the regulation and rigidity of classicial music? Well,there are many people who are willing to break rules but at least as far as classical music is concerned,I stick to them. Many people want to bend them to find that flash of lightning,but I wish to operate in a different way. My aim is to use the existing structure to find that flash,to be able to find something new in the old, he smiles.

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