PANAJI: Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman said legendary singer M Balamuralikrishna's music should be celebrated as he has left a huge legacy behind.
Asserting that the work of the late Carnatic musician will always be remembered, the 49-year-old composer said, "He is a legend. We shouldn't mourn his death but celebrate such an icon, who kept the flag of classical music alive.
"It (his music) is going to be alive because the recordings are still there. It is going to be alive because of his art," Rahman, who was here to attend the 10th edition of NFDC Film Bazaar, told PTI.
Balamuralikrishna, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 86. He was not keeping well for some time and breathed his last at his residence in Chennai.
Having started his musical journey as a six-year-old boy, Balamuralikrishna grew to be one of the best names in the profession, leaving his imprint in the field of Carnatic music.
A multi-faceted personality, he enriched music not only with his voice but also by composing over 400 songs in various languages like Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada and Tamil besides playing various instruments.
This included devotional to varnams, krithis, javalis and thillanas in all the fundamental 72 melakartha ragas.
He was a towering figure in Carnatic music world and was loved equally by the the masses and connoisseurs.
His songs like 'Oru Naal Pothuma' in Sivaji Ganesan- starrer "Thiruvilayadal", 'Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran' in "Kavikuil" and 'Thanga Ratham Vanthathu' in "Kalai Koil" were great hits and are popular even today.