Tuesday dealt a tragic blow to Carnatic music lovers. The legendary Carnatic vocalist and prolific composer Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna passed away at his residence at Kanakasri Nagar near the famed Music Academy on Cathedral Road in Chennai. He was among the leading lights featured in the familiar national integration song: Mile Sur Mera Tumhara...

He was 86. This influential vocalist and composer known for “optimism and clarity of his three-octave vocals,” displayed a mastery of classical musical traditions of India, composing over 400 thillanas, kritis and varnams.

This veteran Carnatic musician M. Balamuralikrishna, a native of Sankaraguptam, East Godavari district, gave his first performance at the tender age of 8 in Vijayawada.

Upon witnessing his performance, Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, gave the prefix ‘Bala’ and hence he became Balamuralikrishna. And he went on to sing for over 75years!