SRI.KRISHNA BALLESH
SHEHNAI ARTIST AND VOCALIST
Address :--
No 37, A.V.M street, Venkatesh nagar,
Saligrammam Chennai – 600092,
Tamil Nadu , India.
• MOBILE NO : 0-9884295357, 0-9962603230,
• HOUSE NO : 044–23765849,044-23763849.
SRI.KRISHNA BALLESH learnt shehnai under the distinguished tutelage of the world renowned SHEHNAI MAESTRO BHARAT RATNA USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN SAHEB .He born on 5th November in M.K.HUBLI (Belgaum district) KARNATAKA ,hails from the illustrious family of renowned “Shehnai players” for past 350years,his grand father Shehnai Vidhwan Pandit Sanna Bharamanna ji gave the initial training in his childhood days has been his 1st guru ji, and he continued under his father south Indian film music “SHEHNAI CHAKRAVATHY” Pandit S.BALLESH himself a famous shehnai player of note (disciple of Ustad Bismillah Khan Saheb) and called as DAKSHIN BHARAT BISMILLAH KHAN by Guru ji Ustad Bismillah Khan Saheb.
At the age of 6yrs he started his carrer. He learnt Hindustani vocal in kirana gharana from Dr. DP.Hiremath for several years and he continued PATIYALA GHARANA khayal gayaki from Hyderabad Nizam’s Court Asthan Vidhwan’s Maharasthra Maha Pandit Sri. Kodhanda Salunke Maharaj & Pandit Sri. Prakash Salunke Ji trained him very much for the past years and since now. He gave his first public appearance accompanying his father Pandit S.Ballesh in Ustad Ahmed Hussain Khan Music Circle in Chennai and started his music tour. And 2nd performance in Ganayogi Panchakshara Sangeet Sammellan in Chennai and received the blessings from Dr. Pandit Puttaraj Gawai ji.
At first he is proud to perform shehnai before USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN SAHEB & got a hearty blessings after performance Ustad ji took him to banarus to train him, KRISHNA BALLESH set his heart on also being the best and towards this goal, he sought to be the Shishya(disciple) of no less a “GURU JI” than “Bharat Ratna USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN SAHEB”, it is happy to say that he is a best and last disciple of USTAD JI, he had the good fortune of receiving his guidance in Banarus. He learnt the Banarusi Gharana SHEHNAI style playing in Khayal Gayaki ang, Thumari ang ,Dhun and Kajri style. He has enabled him to refine technique and mastery. He performed in Ganga Ustav in Banarus & son of Ustad ji, Ustad Nazim Hussain Khan accompanied in Table.
He is receiving guidance from great guru ji Shehnai Maestro Pandit Krishna Ram Chaudhary ji at present & received also from Shehnai wizard Late Pt. Jagannath Ji in Hubli – Dharwad.
He has been accompanying his father for passed years and has given several Solo performances in several Sabhas in India & Abroad & also performed for culturals events with his father. In Chennai,Ganayogi Panchakshara Sangeet Sammellan,He has performed with Surmani Samrat and Karnataka Rajostav Puraskar Awarde Violinist Sri. VEERASHWAR MADRI of Dilruba & Shehnai Jugalbandhi and brought the listeners-mind immediately with the Gayaki Ang ,taans and tone. He has given some jugalbandhi concerts with vocalist, veena, violin, dilruba, flute, harmonium with various artists of Hindustani and Carnatic musicians. He is been accompanying his father in many Jugalbandhi concerts.
He is the leading Shehnai Artist from South India & has spanned over 15yrs of unbatting popularity such of the appeal of his shehnai, he has played for film recordings for famous Music Directors and for some light music live shows for Maestros like M.S.Viswanath, Illayaraaja, A.R.Rahman, MM.Keeravani, Shyam Joseph, Anu malik, Hamsalekha , he has been honoured as a judge for several tele music shows in Sun Tv Saptha-Swarangal, Jaya Tv Ragamalika show and Zee Tv Tvs Sa Re Ga Ma. And also playing presently for upcoming music directors of south & north India for films recordings, back ground score, devotional and album songs too..
He has performed before Dr. Gangubai hangal, Dr. Rajkumar, Swami Jayendre Saraswathi Swamigal, Dr L.Subramanium, Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasiya Maestro Illayaraaja, S.P.Balasubramaniu, Hamsalekha, Violin Maestro M.S.Gopalkrishna, P.B.Srinivas, M.S.Viswanath, G.K.Venkatesh, S.Janaki, Vanijairam, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, M.Balamurali Krishna, Violinist Chandrasekaran, Pt M.Venkatesh kumar, Pt.RajShekar Mansur, Maestro’s like M.S.Viswanathan, Illayaraaja, AR. Rahman, Pt Shivanand Patil, Pt Vinayak Torvi , Pt Somnath Mardur,etc..
Pandit Krishna Ballesh can play on his Shehnai, Aalaapi like khayal singing, Jhala like Sitar and Sarod, Tatkar like kathak-dancers, Harquatts like sarangi and violin, continuity of tone like been and also adds sweetness of bansuri to all this.
Shehnai is an old wind instrument associated with the temples of India.Shehnai creates a Mangal Dhwani, an auspious sound.Our great one and only maestro Shehnai Nawaz Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan elevated shehnai to the rank of a classical concert instrument,all the important events of an Indian life, a birth, a marriage, a religious festival, a social gathering, etc are iniated with the sound of shehnai.. the tone of a shehnai brings blessing in the atmosphere... .
Major perforamances :--
• Ustad Bismillah Khan Sangeet Ustav,
• Mudhara Sangeet Ustav Chennai,
• Pandit Sawai Gandharav Sangeet Samellan (Kundagol),
• Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru Sangeet samellan,
• Pt. Kumar Gandharav Sangeet Samellan (Belgaum),
• Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur Sangeet Ustav (Dharwad),
• Sangeet Ustav (youth festival hall) (chennai),
• Ganayogi Panchakshari Sangeet Sammellan (gadag),
• Viswa Kala Sangam Music festival,
• Mewati Gharana Sangeet Sammellan (kerala),
• Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammellan (mumbai),
• Smt. Krishna Hanagal Memorial Festival (hubli),
• Bharat Kalachar Sangeet Ustav (chennai),
• Tansen Sangeet Sammellan (Chennai),
• Ganga Mahostav (varanasi),
• Navarathri Music Festival (chennai),
• Ustad Ahmed Hussain Khan Music circle,
• Ustad Rahamad Khan Sangeet Ustav (chennai),
• Kalarasana music festival,
• Ganayogi Panchakshari Sangeet Ustav (bangalore),
• Pt. Krishna Anand Music Festival,
• Swami Ramana Maharishi Birthday Ustav (thiruvanamalai)
• Raag – Rangi – Raat Sangeet Sammellan (ernakulam),
• Swarana Jayanthi Hindu Dharma Foundation,
