Dr.S. BALACHANDER - Profile

Dr.S. BALACHANDER - A MAGNIFICIENT CLASSICIST.............(January 18, 1927-April 13, 1990) Veena Balachander was the most colourful personality among Classical Carnatic artistes, an enlightened interpreter of Indian music and a multi-dimensional personality of vast parts, deep penetration and quick conception with few peers. He was Percussionist, string artiste, mock dancer, singer, poet, man of letters, humourist, album collector, cine actor, playback singer, music composer, director, photographer, chess player, art addict and above all a firm believer in the sacredness of music.

Balachander himself had recorded: 'MUSIC IS A SACRAMENT TO ME AND MY MUSIC IS TOTALLY DEDICATED TO GOD.'

He evolved his own style of playing veena which was close to vocal rendition described as gayaki style. He strode like colossus among musicians, music-lovers and others and he was an agnostic to criticism. An expert publicist, he never stopped to gain personal ends. That marks him out of the rest. He consciously placed himself on an elevated pedestal. That never prevented him from appreciating the good in others. Masculine assertiveness was part of his innate self and he departed at the pinnacle of his artistic expression, musical wisdom and technical wizardry.
He was a master of manipulation of the veena in vicranti or breath-taking speed with intensive and unusual gamakas of absolute virtuosity. His varied life is a leson to apprentices in dedication to and mastery in art. Whatever he touched was gold absolute. He dwarfed others by the unique personality and image he acquired. Veena was a humble instrument at his hands and his will prevailed always or was executed.

Grandson of Rao Saheb Vaidyanatha Ayyar, author of popular works on Audit, Accounts and Book-keeping and son of V.Sundaram Ayyar and Parvati alias Chellammal, Balachander was born at Madras in a home which pulsated, buzzed and buzzled with music and musicians. Father, an advocate who forsook law, was a connoisseur and patron of music. Brother S.Rajam (b.1919) is a brilliant exponent of classical music. Two sisters - Jayalakshmi and Saraswati were good singers. Instead of litigants, musicians thronged his house and in this congenial environment of melody, young Balachander grew thirting for acquisition of musicianship and advent He wrote:

"Not having had a 'Guru' and (by the bountiful grace of God) being entirely self-taught, I wish to acknowledge that the music of certain sangeetha vidwans had tremendously inspired and influenced me..."

His musical personality grew like the wild 'Tulasi' plant (sacred basil) in the classical music garden of cultured Mylapore with its magnificient temple, attractive tank, broad Madda streets and cultured habitation with his 'Nadu street' at the centre. The temple tower beckoned him to rise up to its height and the tank laid bare the depths of knowledge he could make his own. The broad streets drew his mind to the message of Tyagaraja in 'Chakkani Rajamarga'. Musical precocity was evident when he began playing on kanjira providing accompaniment to top artistes of the day. Started playing on harmonium, bulbul tara, tarshenai, dilruba, mridangam and tabla.

S.Rajam (18) and Balachander (10) gave duet concerts all over India and Sri Lanka under the name 'Prabhat Prodigy Stars' and 'South Indian Prodigies'. Like Lav & Kush, the two fair beautiful and talented boys were the rage of the day and cynosure of all eyes. When Santaram, the eminent film director, presented him with a tabla, Balachander was a percussionist already. But when Krishna Bai presented him with an old sitar on January 16, 1938 at Karachi, it acted as a catalyser taking him to a different mould from percussion to string, rhythm to melody and accompanist to soloist. At eighteen, he switched over to veena and there ensued a durable, spiritual association. He was a yogi who had scaled the magnificient heights of sadhana on veena. He had great respect for Karaikudi Sambasiva Ayyar. Quite soon, he evolved and reached the zenith of his own - the Balachander style. He could not stoop to play for the gallery. it looked as if he was a divine messenger deputed to lay down norms for play and concerts and a code of conduct for artistes. His was pure classical play bringing out the exhilarating panorama and depth of raga swaroopas on veena. Like Ekalavya and Sarabha Sastri, he assimilated the best and built his own musical edifices thereon. Environment, observation and assimilation (without regular tuitions) probably qualified him for unique experimentation and adventure in quest of the unexplored frontiers of melody and classical virtuosity. He averred:

"I have no 'guru' but God and my music-making is an act of piety."

There have been precocious children but many a budding flower tends to fade out disappear. But perennial, fresh and fresher showers descended on this intellectual. Whatever he touched was grand, bold and unique.

He made his debut at the 'Model Hall', Mylapre as a vainika with Tiruvalangadu Sundaresa Ayyar and Ramnad Easwaran on violin and mridangam respectively. There was no occassion for the glittering artiste to look back till the Lord beckoned him at Bhilai. His concert orientation was to provide the audience what he thought they needed or should be given. His approach was that of a father, teacher, doctor and law-giver - all in one and one can easily trace the inspiration for the dictum expounded by him and extracted below to his staunch belief that 'music was a sacrement to him and his music was totally dedicated to God. Titles & Honours: Quite a large number like -

Kala Sikhamani - Raga Brahman
Veena Yogi - Nada Brahman
Nada Yogi - Veena Praveena
Veena - Vainika Kalanidhi
Varaprasadi - Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1977
Abhinava Narada - D.Lit by World Academy of Arts & Culture
Vainika Swayambu - Tirupati