GNB: A Carnatic vocalist who thought ahead of time

A heartfelt tribute to Carnatic music legend GNB through immersive lecture-demonstration at Narada Gana Sabha.

In a hall resonant with reverence, rare echoes from the bygone era of Carnatic music came alive. At Narada Gana Sabha, in the presence of Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, veteran Carnatic vocalist Trichur V Ramachandran paid a heartfelt tribute to his guru, the inimitable G.N. Balasubramaniam (GNB), on the maestro’s 60th Memorial Day. The event, a lecture-demonstration, became a deeply immersive homage, part historical resurrection, part emotional reminiscence, anchored by archival recordings and personal anecdotes.

Significantly, this was the first time GNB’s rare recordings, painstakingly revived, were presented in a public setting. These were not mere performances; they were windows into the very soul of an artiste who revolutionised Carnatic music.

Trichur V Ramachandran opened the evening with a profound declaration: “To me, GNB was Isai Deivam, a musical deity.”

“The last century had many maha vidwans, but GNB came like lightning,” Ramachandran said. ‘As Semmangudi once remarked, he came like a tsunami’. This dramatic arrival shook the conventions of Carnatic music, not by defying tradition, but by illuminating it with unparalleled clarity, voice, and vision.

His saariram (voice), his swarajñānam (intuitive grasp of notes), fearless manodharma, innovative presentations and innate gayaka lakshanam captivated both the scholar and the common rasika.

One story stood out as a glowing testament to GNB’s genius. After listening to the arohanam and avarohanam of raga Gowda Malhar, composed by Muthiah Bhagavatar, GNB came up with such an evocative raga elaboration that the composer, who happened to listen to it, was moved to tears and gifted GNB a tampura and invited him to teach at Annamalai University.

Such was the transformative quality of GNB’s music. It didn’t just adhere to the shastras; it expanded their expressive potential. “Our music is shastriya sangeetham,” said Ramachandran. “GNB stayed true to its core while enlarging its boundaries.”