1. Rain Tree, an imprint of Rupa Publications
cordially invites you to the launch of
Voice of the Veena
S Balachander
A Biography
by
Vikram Sampath
The book will be released by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar
Guests of Honour:
Smt Prathibha Prahlad
Mr Jawhar Sircar
on
Wednesday, 8th February 2012, at 18:30 hrs
at
India International Centre, Seminar Hall 2 and 3,
40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi - 110003
RSVP: Kanika Kalra: 08800998773
Voice of the Veena
S BalachanderA Biography
Vikram Sampath
Of all the stars in the Carnatic music firmament from
the 1930s through the 1980s, there was one star that
glimmered a bit more, that outshone the brilliance of the
rest. the irrepressible genius, S Balachander, stormed into
the prim madras music scene with a panache, eccentricity,
charisma and verve that no contemporary of his could match.
the vainika began his music career at a time when stalwart
vocalists ruled the roost and instrumentalists played second
fiddle to them. But being an independent-minded and self-
taught artiste, Balachander carved a unique niche for himself
as a veena soloist, breaking free from the conventional
stranglehold of past masters.he boldly changed the grammar
of instrumental music, contemporized the veena and created
a legacy known as the Balachander bani, or style.
the multi-talented veena vidwan was also an acclaimed chess
prodigy, and versatile in the kanjira, tabla, harmonium and
sitar.
perhaps little known to most is the colossal contribution he
made to tamil cinema. he produced, directed, acted, sang
and composed music for films, ushering in a technologically
savvy era for the fledgling industry.
however, it was the dizzying heights to which Goddess
Saraswati’s instrument took him that earned him the epithet,
‘Veena Balachander’. he took the veenaWestwards and tried
to break the hindustani-Carnatic divide within india. he
also holds the distinction for the maximum number of Lp
records by a Carnatic artiste.
But for all his accomplishments, Balachander’s iconoclastic
and brash ways earned him the ire of the Carnatic music
fraternity. he was quick to pick quarrels with fellow
musicians, however prominent the name, in his lifelong
quest for perfection and truth. Sadly, his overzealous didactic
ways overshadowed his path-breaking achievements in what
was otherwise a glorious music career.
So was Balachander a beloved genius or a much-maligned
maverick? the book attempts to recreate the towering
personality that he was – a lot of this researched from his
elaborate personal diaries, extensive interviews with his
surviving contemporaries and family members.
While his death in 1990 created a void in the Carnatic
realm, Balachander’s memory lives on in the minds of music
connoisseurs.
asthemaestrowouldhavesmuglysaid:‘VeenaisBalachander,
Balachander isVeena.’
The enclosed CD contains two of the maestro’s live recordings.
ography