Soulful journey

There must be hardly anyone in the world, who loves music and hasn’t been mesmerised by the flute maestro, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Whether in India or across the globe, the legend had enthralled his audiences’ countless times during his long and illustrious career, spanning over six decades. It’s soon going to be Hyderabad’s turn to witness the magic of the flute. The soul stirring journey today, will take place at the Shilpkala Vedika, as part of the ongoing Hyderabad Art Festival.

The flute exponent, who has been to Hyderabad before, shares that he loves performing at the city. “I really like to play here, because the audience of Hyderabad not only enjoys South Indian Carnatic music, but also appreciates North Indian Hindustani music,” he says. 

Hariprasad Chaurasia started playing the flute during the 1940s and ’50s. However, in the recent times, the music scene in India has undergone a major transformation. The maestro, who himself has given many fusion performances, feels that an artiste should never stop learning. “Music is an ever-evolving process. As musicians, we have to adapt to new genres of music and also to new cultures. Whether it’s the western music, jazz, rock or pop, one should always try to learn and understand it. I have collaborated with various artistes not only from India, but even abroad, and have loved the experience thoroughly,” he says.

However, Hariprasad Chaurasia agrees that his heart beats for Indian classical music. “Many people feel that the times are changing and Indians are moving towards the western culture, but I don’t think so. I have been playing flute for the past 60 years and people have been very appreciative. We have our own musical heritage and tradition, folk and classical, which is very vast. I believe that the youngsters too enjoy Indian Classical music,” the maestro concludes.