Carnatic guru T.R. Balamani, who moulded the lives of hundreds of vocalists for over 50 years, died at her daughter’s home in the city on Thursday morning. She was 79 and had moved from Mumbai to Chennai in December.
“She loved to teach and had been wanting to start classes here too. The end was very sudden and unexpected. She had been sick only for the past few days but was recovering,” said her granddaughter Sruthi Chander.
Born in Kerala in December 1936, she could sing complex krithis at the age of six by just listening to them on the radio. Her father T. Ramanathan found her a guru, Narayana Bhagavathar, who would walk in into their home just to listen to her sing. Later, she studied at the Central College of Carnatic Music here, where she trained under greats including Musiri Subramania Iyer and T. Brinda.
“She gave up singing in concerts saying she wanted to become a full-fledged teacher,” said her daughter Ranjani Chander, also a musician.
Bombay Jayashri Ramnath said, “Today, if I am singing, it is because of her. Her music will remain with her students,” she said.
