Legendary Yakshagana playback singer and scriptwriter Balipa Narayana Bhagawatha passed away at his residence near Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday. He was 84. He hailed from Maruru, near Moodbidri, and is survived by sons Madhava, Shashidhara, and Shivashankara who is also a noted Yakshagana playback singer.
His wife, Jayalakshmi, predeceased him. His another son Prasad Balipa, who was also a well-known Yakshagana playback singer, died in April, 2022.
Mr. Narayana Bhagawatha, who had a large fan following, had mastered a unique style of singing which fans had named as “Balipa shaili” (Balipa style). It was distinct from that of other singers. Though many other Yakshagana singers had tried to emulate this, none could master it. Mr. Narayana Bhagawatha had a rich voice and wrote over 30 Yakshagana “prasangas” (scripts).
Mr. Narayana Bhagawatha was born on March 19, 1938 at Padre village in Kasaragod (Kerala) district. His family later shifted to Maruru. He hailed from a family of Yakshagana artists.
thehindu.com