A master of melody
Grammy-nominated flautist, Shashank Subramanyam talks about creating world music through innovation.
He was a child prodigy, who began performing on the flute at age six. Once fondly called Master Shashank, today, Shashank Subramanyam has grown into a world musician, who has broken the traditional norms of classical music to give expression to musical innovation. Shashank has been invited to participate in a music festival at Hyderabad, along with a team of world musicians.
Says Shashank, “Classical music still has its niche audience and people with some basic knowledge understand it more easily. It’s like reading Shakespeare! World music gives me an opportunity to go beyond the rules of classical music and improvise with musicians from all over the world. It’s all about giving vent to your creativity with freedom.”
Shashank has fond memories of Hyderabad. “I performed here for the first time in 1989 and have always been invited to major festivals.”
Praising the contribution of All India Radio and Doordarshan, Shashank says, “All India Radio has done some phenomenal work for classical music by providing employment to many deserving musicians. Even today, All India Radio and Doordarshan have a great reach in villages and rural areas of India to spread classical music. I am however, a little perplexed about the divide between North Indian and South Indian music. We need to evolve more and see that all forms of music are heard everywhere.”
Shashank’s travels have taken him far and wide. “Being a globe trotter, I have heard many beautiful musical instruments in countries like Japan, Singapore, Iran etc. Sometimes I am tempted to even learn them as they are very much suited to Indian classical music. It is a pity that we do not have an opportunity to even see or listen to such wonderful instruments,” he rues.
When asked about the connect between the flute and Lord Krishna, Shashank says with a cheeky smile, “The flute and Lord Krishna are inseparable. Flute, therefore has a very special place in the hearts of music lovers.”
His parting words to every aspiring musician — “Give your best in the quest of becoming a maestro.”
— The writer is a musician, creator of ‘Jaywant Guitar’ and a freelance photographer