The master flutist performed on Day 2 of Saptak which is dedicated this year to Pt Ravi Shankar
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, known for his melodious rendering of classical music on the bamboo flute, performed in the fourth session on Day 2 of the ongoing Saptak festival in the city. He is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akadami awards.
“Pt Ravi Shankarji introduced our music to the world and in his memory we must organise mass concerts across the country to widen the reach and appeal of our musical tradition. That will be a true tribute to Panditji as well as true service to the nation as music will help the youth understand their life in a fuller context.”
His pain, that the entire music fraternity shares, at the loss of Pt Ravi Shankar was evident. He said, “In Ravi Shankarji’s demise we have lost a majestic and magnificent face of Hindustani classical music. Performing to pay him homage to him is a tremendous responsibility.”
Chaurasia, who does not belong to a musical tradition in the conventional sense, believes that music is a potent medium to express emotions. “Music is the only medium which can rightly express the insurmountable loss that we have felt due to Ravi Shankarji’s demise.”
Propagating Hindustani classical music was the motto of Ravi Shankarji’s life. “To carry forward his motto, it is our responsibility to widen the reach of classical music to the youth. And in the present era of anarchy and upheavals, youth also needs to learn more about the panacea called classical music,” he elaborated.
“Learning or listening to music helps one understand the deeper musings of the mind and helps one gain courage to follow the path dictated by the heart,” said Chaurasia.
Narrating his own experience on how music helped him find his true calling in life, Chaurasia said, “My father was a wrestler and wanted me to become one too. As I could not convince my father that I wanted to be a musician, I had to continue the pursuit of music without his knowledge. And I learnt kushti (wrestling) and music simultaneously.”
While learning vocal music clandestinely in Allahabad from Pandit Raja Ram, one day Chaurasia happened to hear a performance on a woodwind by Pandit Bhola Nath of Varanasi. “Listening to that performance changed the course of my career and my life. Today, I feel blessed that I followed my heart.”
