“One of my earliest memories is that of seeing a violin at home. I learnt that it was gifted to my father in Trichy by an Australian gentleman. One fine day, I was sent to a violin class simply because my parents decided I had to use it,” recalls one-time Bangalorean and acclaimed violinist Balu Raghuraman. Today, Raghuraman teaches the violin at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), London, and co-ordinates the Indian music degree program offered by the Bhavan in the UK.
“Though neither of my parents grew up with an interest in music, both of them developed a taste for music eventually and continue to be avid listeners,” says Raghuraman during one of his frequent trips to Bangalore, the city in which he grew up. Picking up a violin left behind at home by a visiting Aussie, Balu gave his first performance as a 10-year-old, taking the initiative to play at a nearby temple on a festival day.
From then on, there was no looking back. Not only did he train under eminent gurus both in Bangalore and Chennai, he toured with the legendary vocalist Maharajapuram Santhanam for three years. He sought musicians visiting Bangalore and met them.
Being in their company earned him valuable tips on performance and about the dos and don’ts in the field. But most importantly it also established a rapport between him and the artistes, something which has stood him in good stead.
However, unlike most aspiring professional musicians, Balu didn’t move to Chennai, the epicentre of Carnatic music, but headed West in response to a new opportunity. This move, in his early twenties, typified his attitude towards life and music — back himself, enter unchartered waters and make things work for him.
“When I was 24, this opportunity at the Bhavan came by. I saw it as a good break, thinking I would do it perhaps for 3 years and then return to India. But that was 13 years ago,” says the musician.
Initial challenges in London included not only adjusting to institutionalised teaching but reaching out to a student body that was almost alien to the cultural context of Carnatic music. “We have students from various nations. Things taken for granted have to be revisited. Like, you need to explain to non-Asian students why we sit like the way we do with the violin,” says Raghuraman. The Indian music degree program that he helped set up and continues to co-ordinate is a one-of-its-kind course; it is offered in association with the Trinity College of Music and the Westminster University.
Raghuraman also performs regularly, often in harmony with Western classical musicians. He also accompanies leading artistes visiting from India, including legends like Dr M Balamuralikrishna and Dr N Ramani. Balu also plays for top Bharatanatyam artistes and represents Carnatic music in world music ensembles.
Ask him if he regrets being away from a musically happening place like Chennai and he asks back with a twinkle in his eye if his life could get more happening than now.
Mangala Karthik is a professional RJ and classical music aficionado. She met Balu Raghuraman on one of his visits to Bangalore.
