Carnatic music maestro Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna, all of 79 years of age, pays his respects to Hindustani great Gangubai Hanagal, all of 96, in Hubli on Friday. Balamurali Krishna was in town to be honoured with the Mallikarjun Mansur Samman.
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Sadanand Kanavalli recounts a lovely anecdote involving Balamurali Krishna in The Hindu today:
Balamurali, like Bhimsen Joshi, hardly had any schooling. When his father took him to a school, the headmaster asked him to sing a song. That paved the way for singing the prayers before lessons started everyday. One song followed another and it turned into a mini concert. This went on for three months until quarterly exams arrived.
The answer paper went back the way it came, not a word on it. The maths teacher awarded him a big zero. The teacher asked him to get his father’s signature on the marks card. The father, in his school days, was also a zero in maths.
When Balamurali returned the marks card duly signed by his father, the teacher was surprised. “Aren’t you ashamed of earning a zero? No sir. Really, I tried to draw a big, beautiful zero as you have done. But I couldn’t. Indeed sir, you are a great artist.”
The teacher was not amused.
In the end the teacher told Balamurali’s father: “Your son is a born artiste, let him not waste his time here. General education can be had any time it is felt necessary.”
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
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churumuri 
Beautiful picture! It made my morning. Thanks, Churmuri.
Reporter Kanavalli’s anecdote reminds me of the accounts of Albert Einstein’s schooling. The great physicist earned mediocre grades in subjects that did not interest him — which meant just about all subjects expect mathematics and physics. He was intelligent enough; just not interested enough. One exasperated teacher of Munich’s Luitpold grammar school had said little Albert would never amount to anything!
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Truly, one of the quixotic music greats of our times……. with a generous prodigal touch. May god bestow him enough and more years to satiate the wishes of Carnatic Music lovers for a lot more years to come.
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Two stalwarts… Great picture Churumuri.
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What are we supposed to discuss here?
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At the age of 79, if he can bend and touch another elder’s feet, he is really great. May God bless him good health and may he continue to worship Thayi Sharade. Thanks Churumuri.
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Dr. Balamurali is a true genious and altime great in musical talent. He is vaggeyakara of this centuryfollowed by the Divine music trinity of carnatic music. The way how He gives respect to his contemporaries was may be unique. (As seen in this pic). In a concert (jugalbandhi with Pandit Joshi, when rendering Mayamalavagowla, he spontaniously sung “Meru Samaana Bheema” giving regards to Pandit Joshi. The serviece he has done for the Indian clasical music is unmatched.
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