Flute HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA 1h 04 min KRISHNADHWANI Raga Kaunsi Kanhra

The flute is the symbol of spiritual call, the call of DIVINE LOVE

The flute is the symbol of spiritual call, the call of DIVINE LOVEHow does one describe, in words, the melody
produced by a flute. The notes that hit the soul at the right spot, every time.A thin of
bamboo, with holes drilled in, which produces the most amazing melody – the
flute is a musical instrument that has divine connotations. Krishna, in his
childhood, when he herded cows by the banks of the Yamuna, played the flute. We
are told there are three main types of flutes he played : The Venu, a small flute, about 6 inches long,
with 6 holes in it. It also lead to Krishna being called Venugopal – (Go meaning cow, Pal meaning nurturer, and Venu the player of the venu).The
Murali, a
longish flute, about 18 inches, with 4 holes at varying distances from each
other. He is also called Murali. The Vamsi, a fifteen inch flute, with 9 holes in
the body.But it is not just Hindu mythology that talks
about the flute. The Greek god Pan, the god of shepherds, is said to have been
a fabulous flautist. Native American cultures too have a link with the other
world through the music produced by the flute.There is a
certain soulfulness, a certain longing, a kind of loneliness that is associated
with the flute. A little something that melts the heart. At the same time there
is a sense of the heart being hugged, the soul being massaged and of pain
falling away when you hear the flute played by a maestro. And, in modern times,
there is no maestro better than Hariprasad Chaurasia when it comes to playing melodies on
the flute.Hariprasad Chaurasia was born on July 1, 1938,
into a family of wrestlers. His mother died when he was six, and the young lad
grew up in the akhada. His father had dreams of his son following his
footsteps, but young Hariprasad was never interested in the ancient form of
wrestling,kushti.
He said,"I was
not any good at wrestling. I went there only to please my father. But maybe
because of the strength and stamina I built up then, I'm able to play the bansuri even to this day".He came from
a rather traditional family that believed that music was practised by
courtesans. It was an era, when that was the reigning belief, and many of the
outstanding musicians of that time were from the devdasi or the courtesan
tradition. Hariprasad used to lie to his family to go and learn music – he
would tell them he was going to the temple, when he was busy following his
passion for the bansuri.But like all
musicians of that era, driven by passion and longing for music, Hariprasad was
in the search for a guru who would open up the universe of music for him. He
found her in Annapurna Devi, the
daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan and a musician in her own right. Many
believe that she was the finest musician of her generation. Incidentally, Baba
Allaudin Khan’s students included Ravi Shankar (who Annapurna married and
divorced), Nikhil Banerjee and Pannalal Ghosh, to name a few.Annapurna
Devi made Hariprasad wait for three years, to judge his dedication to music,
and then accepted him as a student. Her only condition was that he unlearn what
he had hitherto learned, and start with a clean slate – approaching music with
total bhakti as a complete novice.
Hariprasad Chaurasia agreed, and says
of this:"To
show her I was serious. I decided to switch hands. I used to play with my right-hand,
I switched to the left and believe me it is sheer torture. It’s like if I tell
you that instead of walking straight, walk backwards for the rest of your life
without looking back. I used to cry in sheer agony."He, later, said of her, "Shrimati Annapurna
Devi is my Guru. She is my mother, she is my teacher. She is everything for me.
She is more than a goddess."That was the
beginning of the journey that led to one of the greatest flautists of all
times.When you hear Hariprasad Chaurasia play the
flute, there is that sense of other worldliness, an almost spiritual and divine
connect. The maestro himself admits to
this."I am
playing for the audience. But between us, I can see Lord Krishna. And the
audience can also see him."When you
play for the passion of music, the music itself becomes an end in itself. Music
itself becomes God, religion and the path to divinity. As he points out, it is not about rituals
or public observances but a love andbhakti that transcends the material
world."I
almost never go to temples. I don't find the time. I'm not religious in that
sense. My religion is my music. Lord Krishna is my God. Whenever I want to
pray, whenever I want to meditate and concentrate, I take my flute. I can feel
God. The feeling is difficult to explain, but I feel lost when I'm in it." Quick Facts
ALSO LISTED IN
Composers
ALSO KNOWN AS
Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Bhuban-Hari,FAMOUS ASIndian Classical FlautistNATIONALITYIndian Famous Indian MenBORN ON01 July 1938 ADBIRTHDAY1st July Famous 1st July BirthdaysAGE78 YearsSUN SIGNCancer Cancer MenBORN INAllahabadSPOUSESKamla Chaurasia, Anuradha ChaurasiaCHILDRENVinay Chaurasia, Ajay Chaurasia, Rajiv ChaurasiaAWARDSSangeet Natak Academy - 1984Konark Samman - 1992Padma Bhushan - 1992