more-in “I have always thought violin was difficult to play. But as I witnessed Balabhaskar playing it, I started wondering if it was that easy. Such was his mastery over the musical instrument,” Kozhikode’s own musician Wilson Samuel was almost lost for words while talking about the violinist-cum-composer who passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Paying tribute to the late musician here on Wednesday, Mr. Samuel recalled how Balabhaskar did not stick to the norms and instead experimented with both Carnatic and Western music to come up with heart warming fusion music. Mayor Thottathil Raveendran said “Balabhaskar was a magician who played the violin like it was a part of his body.” The musician’s demise had put into further sadness, a State that was just coming out of the flood-induced trauma, he added. The commemoration programme organised by Kala Samskarika Samyukta Vedi saw a unique tribute by six violinists of Kozhikode who rendered a prayer song in the memory of the late violinist. “Artistes are flowers in the garden of culture. As they fall off, we need new talents to fill the gap,” said district panchayat president Babu Parasseri, also recalling film-maker Thampi Kannanthanam who passed away on Tuesday. Film producer P.V. Gangadharan and writer K.P. Sudheera too spoke on the occasion. Artistes of the city offered a musical tribute to Balabhaskar later in the evening.

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