Murugarathnaakaram

Bala hails from Thiruvayyaru in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu, India. After taking his masters degree in Journalism and Economics, he worked as a professional broadcaster, a performing artist and an executive in the All India Radio in Madras and Delhi. He migrated to the USA in 1960 to join the India Unit of the American Radio and Television. Being a very early student of Ganakaladhara Madurai Mani Iyer, he pursued his passion for Carnatic music. He has been actively involved in promoting it for nearly five decades in the United States. Besides performing extensively in the USA, Bala has trained many music groups in the Tri State area. He has also conducted several music workshops, seminars and Lec-dems. He has distinguished himself by his presentation of musical masterpieces such as Dikshitar’s Kamalambal Navavarna Kritis, rare Abhayambal Navavarna Kritis, navagraha Kritis, Thyagaraja’s Pancharathna Kritis, etc. He is a vocalist and percussionist. He has composed some 250 songs. These compositions have been rendered by eminent artists like Maharajapuram Santhanam, Sudha Ragunathan, Trichur Ramachandran, D.K. Jayaraman, Neyveli Santhanagopalan and many more. He is well known among the Indian community through his Indian radio programme “India Magazine”, and a bi-monthly TV programme entitled “Image India”. Bala has received many awards. He is recognized for his outstanding service to Carnatic Music. Now in his late seventies, he lives in Havertown, a suburb of Philadelphia. He still teaches music to interested children and adults.