Sundaram Balachander

Born on January 18, 1927, in Madras, Dr. S. Balachander emerged as a central presence in Carnatic classical music. While his vina performances stood out for their refinement, he also attained varying command over tabla, harmonium, mridangam, shehnai, dilruba and sitar. He began, in common with many instrumentalists, as a vocalist and reached the concert platform by age six. From twelve to sixteen he presented recitals on sitar, an instrument rooted in Hindustani tradition. In the 1960s Richard Bock’s World Pacific label introduced his music to wider audiences through Magic Music of India (World Pacific 1426) and Sounds of the Veena (WPS 21436), the latter recorded with flautist N. Ramani, followed by The Music of India (Nonesuch Explorer H-72003); these releases established him among the foremost Carnatic instrumentalists in the U.S.A. Additional recordings appeared on Bharat Records, EMI India, Oriental and Polydor. His passing in Bhilai on April 15, 1990, deprived Carnatic music of a major contributor. Frequently controversial and at times confrontational, he nonetheless expanded the tradition in lasting ways.