Balu Raghuraman was my classmate at The Home School, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, from lower nursery till we completed sixth standard. Somewhere during those years, he accompanied me in what I believe was my first stage appearance as a Carnatic music vocalist. I don't remember what I sang. But I do know from a photograph someone took that day, that Balu was still dressed in a printed 'lungi' he had been made to wear for the qawwali programme that immediately preceded our item. I must locate and post that photograph on this blog.
In 1986-87 I left Home School to do my seventh standard in Mysore. Unable to bear my separation from Balu, I came back the very next year to renew my association with him at Kumaran's for three more years till we passed out of tenth standard in 1990. In this period, I remember we represented the school at a children's festival at Adi Chunchunagiri. I remember the other children booed and whistled for the full six minutes we were on stage. I don't know why. Maybe even they didn't.
Anyway, Balu worked very hard and showed tremendous grit and enterprise to develop his talent with the violin. Eventually he moved to London to teach the violin at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. We hear that late in the evenings Londoners hear the notes of
bindumalini wafting across the Thames.
My wife Mangala interviewed Balu when he was visiting a few months ago. I helped her put it down on paper. Here it is. Please read the quote which the editors chose to call out in the context of the rest of the write-up.
