Having a six-decade plus concert singing experience, Nookala has weathered many phases in his musical career and has over a dozen valuable books on music to his credit, besides hundreds of concerts, both in India and abroad. Nookala presented a vocal recital for Nada Sudha Swaranjali at Kapali Sabha Griha in Bagh Amberpet recently.
The concert was inspiring and also enlightening for the way he interspersed his recital with relevant talk on music and compositions.
Young accompanists – violinist Mangalampalli Surya Deepti and mridangam player Varanasi Kali Prasad, both graded artistes of AIR lent congenial support.
Nookala was at ease from start till the end and the whole concert was a relaxed presentation, full of classicism. The concert was also marked by his enlightening talk about his former gurus, his own mother to start with, then Mangalampalli Pattabhiramaiah (Balamurali’s father), Dwaram Narasingarao Naidu and Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu of Vizianagaram where Nookala studied violin in the Maharajah College of Music and finally, Sripada Pinakapani - all of whom were noted for their spontaneity and creativity.
Nookala opened with Begada Varnam which he did in two speeds in detail with well balanced gamakam, a sensible method he picked up from his guruPinakapani.
He then went on to sing Bilahari and explored the raga.
He explained the evolution of the raga and opined that raga ‘Bilahari’ might have been named by coining of two words - ‘Bilam’ (cave) and ‘Hari’ (Vishnu). Lord Narasimha, one of the avataras (incarnations) of Hari was said to have lived in caves and hence most temples for Narasimha are built in caves or within artificial cave formations.
Different compositions
Thyagaraja and other composers wrote compositions on Narasimha in this raga Bilahari. Narasimha Nanu Brovave of Thyagaraja is one example.
However, Nookala chose to render on this occasion, Dikshitar’s Ekadantam Bhajeham in response to a listener’s request, as the event was timed with the Ganapati Utsavas.
Nookala then went on to elaborate Nasikabhooshani, a complex raga with a ‘vivadi swara’, Shatshruti Rishabham. Nookala made sure that the ‘vivadi’ effect was never felt either during the raga elaboration or in his swara for the chosen song Maravairi Ramani – Manju Bhashini of Thyagaraja on Goddess Parvathi.
There was a Narayana Theertha’s Tarangam - Parama Karunaya Mam Palaya in Behag. He essayed the raga briefly and concluded his show with his own composition, Bhavaye Pavamana Nandanam in Yamunakalyani, with a well set Sahitya.
This was eulogy on Lord Anjaneya.
