“P arvaledu, kallu moosukuni paadeddam ”, (no problem, we’ll sing with eyes closed) — maestro Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna quipped finding the technicians struggling hard to get the halogen lamps dimmed as its sharp glare inconveniently streamed over his eyes. Finally the lamps got dimmed but the ambiance remained richly illuminated through the brilliance of maestro’s redoubtable performance.
Wrapped in cool sea breeze under cloud-cast skies the sprawling Viswapriya Function Hall at RK beach Visakhapatnam stood soaked in seeping melody as Krishna Lahari majestically meandered as MBK gana lahari across the landscape of melody letting a blooming dale of musical notes blossom in its entire splendour. The session was short on duration but was long on lasting appeal. Hosted by local wing of Hare Krishna Movement as part of Janmashtami celebrations, it looked an ode to Krishna Tatwam.
In nut shell it was session of classicism in full bloom. The maestro opened the concert with his own composition Sree Sakala Ganadhipa Palayamam in raga Aarabhi. It needs no reiteration that his octogenarian baritone defies his age and does traverse in the trajectory of three octaves with fluid ease. Burgeoned with subtle and succinct gamakas, his epigrammatic raga essay of Sunaadavinodini for Devadi deva Srivasudeva of Mysore Vasudevacharya was classy in its own right. Tagged with posy swarakalpana, it turned out to be the toast of the session. His crystal clear articulation of lyrics and spontaneous ingenuity laces his presentation with an inimitable charm and every piece in the concert amply evidenced it all through.
His inimitable rendition of Srikrishna yanu nama mantra ruchi of Amar Nareyana was exceptionally rich in its emotive element of devotional passion. The sprightly Krishnam Kalaya Sakhi Sundaram of sage Narayana Theertha in Mohana, Narayanate of Annamayya in Behag, Gandhamupuyaruga of Thyagaraj in Punnagavarali and Gayathi vanamali of Sadasiva Brahmmendra sparkled in his lilting expression. He capped the session on a vibrant note with his tillana in Kadanakutuhalam.
K Sivaprasad whistle, Mavuduri Satyanarayana Sarma on violin, VV Ramanamurthyon mridangam, , KSrinivas on morsing lent skilful support. Earlier, whistle concert of K Sivaprasad delighted the gathering and Suhasini Aanand ably compered the event.
