In love with fusion and classical music

Balakrishna Kamath, a young mridangist from the city, just received the Palani Subramania Pillai Award from the Madras Music Academy

t was Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's first performance with his sons Ayaan and Amaan in the city. For this special occasion he decided to play a Carnatic piece and wanted someone to play the mridangam. The choice fell on young Balakrishna Kamath. It was a big moment for this city musician and quite naturally he was nervous. For the first two pieces he listened intently as the Ustad wove magic on the sarod with the tabla matching him at every turn. Then came his turn with Ayaan and Amaan joining their illustrious father. The raga was Keeravani and Balakrishna Kamath followed the Ustad keeping pace with the tala set by the tabla. The thundering ovation at the end of it said it all. Balakrishna Kamath's career had taken flight.

And this year's Palani Subramania Pillai Award from the Madras Music Academy, was a much-deserved recognition for this talented mridangist. "It was only from last year onwards that I have been performing at the famed Chennai music season. This year I had four programmes, all with Sreevalsan Menon. The award announcement came after we had returned. It surely is encouraging and a huge honour," says this soft-spoken musician.

Balakrishna Kamath began learning to play the mridangam when he was 12 years old. He studied the basics from N. G. Sharma who conducted classes near his home in Mattancherry. He later trained under Palakkad T. R. Rajamani, the son of the legendary Mani Iyer. His progress was steady occasionally accompanying local artistes, winning the second prize at the State School Festival and improving to bag the first prize twice in succession at the Mahatma Gandhi University Youth festival.

"By this time I had decided that music was to be my career. I could not pursue studies beyond pre-degree as I had by then become busy with recordings and concerts. It was T. S. Radhakrishnan who first introduced me to recording. In the beginning it was only for classical and devotional cassettes. Then, with more and more studios coming up in Kochi and a lot of films being made here, new doors were opened."

Fusion music

Balakrishna Kamath did not confine himself only to classical music. He quickly adapted himself to film recordings and even fusion music. "I was part of a musical ensemble called `Laya Lahiri.' It was basically Indian instruments and most of what we played was classical kirtans. Recently, I was part of nine Indian musicians who performed in Reunion island. The group that call themselves `Hamsa,' conducted two stage shows and a couple of radio programmes in the two weeks that we were there. It was a fine fusion of their instruments like the guitar, metallic keyflute, saxophone and our own mridangam, tabla, flute, sitar, edakka etc. My first recording for a film was for `Thiruvithankoor Thirumanas,' following which I must have played the mridangam for numerous films, most of them for Ravindran Master's music."

When Balakrishna Kamath plays the mridangam it turns out into a superb percussive experience. One tends to realise there are so many overtones, `gamakas' and grace that this instrument is able to create. With every stroke he makes the mridangam resonate with pristine clarity. Most importantly he is one of those who realises the importance of the main artiste or instrument and can play with utmost control.

Now, Balakrishna Kamath is a much sought after teacher who has students coming to his house regularly and even has a flow of very keen foreign disciples. "This foreign connection began when two French ladies came to study the mridangam at the Kerala Kathakali Centre in Fort Kochi. They were there only for two classes and then went on learn the other traditional art forms. They happened to be associated with a French organisation called `Bheeshma.' Since then we have been getting regular batches of students who come here for a 15-day course. One person, Romeo, was so dedicated that he stayed back for six months and picked up four talas. He conducted a programme here, even learned to play the thavil and chenda."

Balakrishna Kamath is also thinking seriously about accepting a long-standing invitation to teach in France. "The only time I can go is June and July. This year I hope to go for about a month. Let's see if it will work out."