He is known as Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna's ardent disciple and to the present generation of up and coming musicians, he is a patron who is ready to provide a platform to showcase their talent. K.S.R. Balakrishna Sastri is synonymous with music festivals of varied nature — right from shepherding interested young musicians to Thyagaraja festival at Tiruvattiyur to holding concerts in memory of veteran Telugu musicians, composers of yesteryear who have given their life for the cause of this great art.
“I love to spend my savings and hardly look for funding, unless it is forthcoming from some of my admirers. I manage in a humble manner within the resources I can muster. My guru, Mangalampalli bestowed a title upon me as ‘Sangeetha pracharaka sevaka ratna'. Should I not live up to it?” he questions sincerely. Right from the printing of pamphlets to conducting the concert, remuneration to the artistes and so on and so forth, not to mention the auditorium costs, everything involves finances and he provides it with a smile. You can never see him flustered over sponsorship or unavailability of artiste at the 11th hour or an unforeseen cancellation. He's calm and collected.
Born into a traditional tarangam family who were into reciting and singing Narayana Teertha's tarangams , Balakrishna Sastri, came under the care of Velatoor Anjaneyulu, a famous tarangam singer of his times.
“ Tarangams being a 15-16th century traditional musical genre had no formatted pattern and had the flexibility to sing in varied styles. Since my guru found me a little more talented than the rest, I guess, he advised that I should also learn Carnatic music. Hemadri Venkateswara Sastri was my first guru. After three years of vigorous training under him in Alankara Sastra— 72 alankaras in five talas, I was qualified along with others to come under Hari Nagabhushanam, a great Vedic vidwan , vaggeyakara , violinist— all in one. For ten years, I learnt under the Gurukula system, no notebook, no jotting down but just listened (sruti), memorised (smriti) and delivered,” he gives a brief on his early years. How did he come into contact with the inimitable Balamuralikrishna. “In 1952, I went for AIR Vijayawada audition. By then Mangalampalli was well-known in the Bhakti Ranjani programme. He happened to hear me once and was taken in by my vocal prowess. With his goodwill I was singing in AIR during the latter half of the 50s,” he sighs and continues, “But destiny works differently. I believe in the saying, ‘if you do not get the job you love, then love the job you get.' I got employed as a secondary grade school teacher at Nagarjuna Sagar and in 1972, I was transferred to Hyderabad.
By then my Guru had shifted and made Madras or today's Chennai his home. I made frequent visits to Chennai and began growing as a musician from 1972 to 1992 under his guidance. I could not afford a tape recorder and would sing the way he taught only by listening with concentration and learning. His unique sangathees got ingrained in me. I won his appreciation though I would never sing along with him, but would do so as a solo. I always believe and advise the younger lot that nothing can be as successful as Sadhana (practice) coupled with devotion to the guru,” he says with deep-rooted sincerity and humility. Balakrishna Sastri launched the ‘Saptaswara' in 1995 to give a definite shape to his purpose in life. He began with ‘Andhra Sangeeta Trimurthula Utsavam' to commemorate Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu's, Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah's and Hari Nagabhushanam's contribution to the world of music among us.
Voleti Venkateswarulu had popularised Deekshitar among our state musicians while Niraghatam Ramakrishna Sastri, a violinist of repute elucidated 700 kritis of Deekshitar. The navavarana and navagraha kritis are supposed to be potent in their mantra shakti. I not only learnt them but also brought out booklets on these kritis with explanations. I've been organising programmes on all such venerated souls like Ponnur Rama Subbaiah whose Kadanakuthuhalam rendition in Jhampa talam in his day became a mystical thing! I am but a drop in this mighty ocean of our classical music. But I go on despite age catching up with me, since I believe every drop contributes its bit to the mighty ocean,” he signs off.
