Balamurali Krishna Felicitated for Lifetime Contribution to Carnatic Music
Chicago IL: Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (BMK), who began singing at the age of six, was conferred a lifetime achievement award at the ripe age of 82 by the Sri Annamacharya Project of North America (SAPNA) at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Ill., on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Having inaugurated SAPNA’s first year, he was here now to celebrate its 25th anniversary. His full-house concert was the culmination of the Fifth annual three-day Veena festival, and was also the occasion for SAPNA to honor several media personalities. Consul General of India Mukta Dutta Tomar joined in personally conferring the awards. Tomar and BMK joined SAPNA founders Sriram Sonty and Saradapurna Sonty in lighting the auspicious lamp before the veena-wielding goddess of music, Saraswathi. Balamurali, who typically signs off his own compositions with the name of the “flute-playing child” (bala-murali) Krishna, received honors worthy of a god. Not only was the stage scattered with petals to soften his tread, he received full-length prostrations while seated regally listening to the Sanskrit panegyric composed in his honor and recited at the podium by Prof. Vedala Srinivasacharyulu. Music is divine, and Balamurali had become one with his music! […]
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