Playing the flute is yoga & exercise for me: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

BENGALURU: Before presenting him with the Samagana Mathanga award for music, instituted by the Bharatiya Samagana Sabha on Sunday, Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty sat down for a tete-atete with legendary flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Being closely associated with Hindustani classical music and a self-confessed Chaurasia fan, Murty was armed with curious questions for the maestro. ET's Divya J Shekhar is the fly on the wall

When did you come to Bengaluru first?

I think it was some 40 years ago.And I have been coming here at least 3-4 times a year since. The amount of love people have here for music ­ both South Indian and North Indian ­ you will never find anywhere else.
Bengaluru used to be like a hill station where people would come for a vacation. Now, everything has changed. I have composed music for Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam films, but never in Kannada. Now, it is too late and the music has become too modernised.

What is the source of your energy?

You give me energy (laughs). People like you who love me and my music make me so energetic. Playing the flute is yoga and exercise for me, breathing in and out all the time! I also teach in Holland (at the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory), but I am supposed to retire soon.

Your journey has been a long one.Is there any country that you have not been to?

I have been playing since age nine.I come from a family of wrestlers in Allahabad. They fought in the akhadas, I fought with music. The passion for music came only to me and my nephews. We belong to the Maihar gharana.

I started my musical career at the age of 19 as a staff artiste with All India Radio, Cuttack, where I got married (to Oriya singer Anuradha Chaurasia). I have been to every country, including Pakistan.

In fact, I was pleased to see how much the people there love us. It is just politicians who create tension. Now, I want to concentrate on my gurukuls (Vrindaban), one in Bhubaneshwar and other in Mumbai.

Why don't we see more women flautists on stage?

No, no. There are many beautiful woman flautists around. There are at least 10-12 in India today. Lord Krishna did not have them because he was jealous, but I am not! You just tell me when you want to hear them, I'll get them to play for you!

I have always been curious...which variety of bamboo is your bansuri made of?

These are straight ones, with no knots in between. We choose this from Assam, to ensure consistency in quality. I used to make my bansuris myself; every artist should know how to make their own instruments.
Today's flautists need to be educated about this. There is no organised industry for making flute, unlike sitar or tambura. I keep at least three flutes with me, you never know when or why they start cracking. I have had flutes cracking during concerts even due to change of climate.

You are one of your kinds in your music. What after you?

There will be many and more after me. The world is very bright. The future of my music is akin to that of the sun and the moon, or the mountains. The sound of my music is created by Brahma.

We think the music will be dead after the man, but it is not so. Just like I have walked this path, so will my children after me.