Doyen of Carnatic music Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna appeared modesty personified when he said, in response to the grand manner in which he was felicitated here on Sunday evening, that “many think I know music, but the truth is that music knows me.” The octogenarian vocalist was felicitated on the premises of Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao Government College of Music and Dance that he nurtured as its principal, at a programme organised by Gayaka Sarvabhowma Sangeetha Parishad in association with Laila group of companies, Agri Gold group and Maa TV. The occasion was the 128 th birth anniversary of Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu, the guru of Mr. Balamuralikrishna. The vocalist mesmerised the packed audience with a variety of compositions during an hour-and-half-long concert that followed the felicitation.
“This felicitation is very special to me because it is here that I grew up as a musician,” Mr. Balamuralikrishna said, going down the memory lane. As a child, he recalled, he was admitted into a school by his father to wean him away from music, but the teacher soon realised that music was in his blood and it was difficult to separate him from it.
Laila group chairman Gokaraju Ganga Raju and Agri Gold chairman V.R. Rao Avvas felicitated Mr. Balamuralikrishna.
