A 1980 Sri Rama Navami Concert of Bangalore - Dr. M Balamuralikrishna - T G Thyagarajan - T Upendran

🔸Today's offering is a grand Ramotsava concert from the summer of 42 years ago. A concert that brings to memory a number of aspects of Dr Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (BMK) and his muraLi gAnam.

🔹A concert, like many of his other concerts that were Tyagaraja centered, that reminded us rasikas at Seshadripuram, Bangalore on that evening of his concerts of the 1960s and the 70s.

🔸I had the privilege of speaking to him for over an hour just two days prior to the concert when he touched on the aspects of rAgas, RTPs and some kritis. While I remember not asking him for anything in particular for the next concert, I distinctly remember his telling me that the Seshadripuram concert would be different and a trifle more enjoyable than always. After the concert I realised the meaning of his seeming assurance a couple of days earlier. It was, and certainly is even more enjoyable even today.

🔹Balamuralikrishna's penchant for renewed creativity, or is it his never ending quest for excellence, to polish some more an already shining diamond to shine and shimmer a little more, was most evident that evening. If it started with kharaharapriya, pressed on with chArukEshi, elaborated with rItigauLa, it touched the climax with rEvati RTP.

🔸This concert of BMK that evening in Bangalore is one among the many that we have listened to over the years and stands out like all others for the fine memories of great music and melodies muraLi gAnam is known for.

🔹Remembering the words of HH Dalai Lama, a great memory was created on April 21, 1980 and after four decades we can recall and still savour it all as intensely as on that day.

🔸Fasten your headphones, or air pods, breathe easy, and listen intently to this finely recrafted, that is remastered, a better quality audio recording of yet another memorable BMK concert.
🔹Here are the details of the concert.
BMK is accompanied by Sri. T G Thyagarajan (violin) and Sri. Tanjore Upendran (mridangam)

00:00 - endarO mahAnubhavulu- shrI- Adi- Tyagaraja
00:12:20 - manasA shrI rAma- EshamanOhari- Adi- Tyagaraja
00:16:00 - shrI rAmam sadA bhajEham - tAnarUpi - Adi- BMK
00:22:54 - prakkala nilabaDi - tripuTa - Tyagaraja
01:09:39 - ADamODigaladA - chArukEshi - Adi - Tyagaraja
01:30:18 - sadguru swAmini- reetigauLa - Adi - Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar
01:43:30 - varaleelagAna lOla - shankarAbharaNam - trishra laghu - Tyagaraja
01:45:33 - rAgam tAnam & pallavi (RTP) in rEvati - Adi - BMK
02:25:08 - satyavantarigidu - bhairavi - jhampE - Purandaradasa
02:31:06 - EmisEtura lingA - Traditional
02:35:12 - palukEbangAra- Anandabhairavi- Adi-Bhadrachala Ramadas
02:39:13 - Tillana - rAga-THAya-mAlika- Adi- BMK
02:44:45 - mangaLam - kurinji - Adi - Bhadrachala Ramadas

💐 Acknowledgement: My sincere thanks and appreciation to my distingushed friend Sri. T K Ramkumar for his narration.