The magic that is carnatic sangeetham


Chevalier de Arts Dr. Mangalmpalli Balamurali

Doctor Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna has contributed more than 400 compositions in the filed of Carnatic music. He is also credited with the conception of several new musical scales. Mahati, sumukham, trisakthi, sarvashri, omkari, janasamodini, manorama, rohini, vallabhi, lavangi, pratimadhyamavathi and sushama are some of the ragas created by him
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The above desciption is of a man who is regarded as a colcossus in the world of carnatic music.
There is one memorable composition that i remember, it was for a movie soundtrack and it was a jugalbandi with yesudas (another maestro). If ever one needed a piece of music to symbolise the movement of tides under a full moon that song and its undulating notes would have been the best choice. I am no expert but for a layman who always had a longing for this most purest of music forms, every composition seems to bring me closer to nature in a way thats hard to describe in words. every composition seems to have a connection with the elements of nature around us. Some compositions take the form of a young mountain stream bounding over the icy slopes on the way to becoming a mighty river, picking up tributaries on the way before emptying itself in to the ocean .
Then there are some symbolise the movement of rain swollen monsoon clouds, harbringers of good news to farmers and plants and animals alike. Perspectives may differ, depending on your range of exposure to this ancient art form. I usually picture the world around me in abstract images and it is no different with music.
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this link here takes you to the maestros renditions of the pancharathna krithis:
and this one here leads to the maestros renditions of dikshitar krithis http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/carnatic_vocal/s/album.7621/artist.1408/

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