‘Balamuralikrishna raised the stature of music’

My fond memories are when Dr Balamuralikrishna attended my father’s 80th birthday celebration. They shared a very strong relationship and had a great deal of affection for each other – on a personal and artistic level. Some people are godsend and Dr Balamuralikrishna was a rare gem. I think he came into Earth with all the knowledge of music. He was a versatile musician. I have seen him play the viola and kanjira – it was child’s play for him. He was an artist who could make a note sound as vast as the ocean, touching the listener with his perfect diction and divine voice. He had a great sense of laya, which set him apart from others. Dr Balamuralikrishna has raised the stature of music.

As a person, he was child-like and would mingle with anybody. Before the concert, he would come across as a person who had anything but music on his mind. But when he got on stage, his transformation cast a magic spell on the audience.