Hariprasad Chaurasia

Hariprasad Chaurasia (born July 1, 1938) is a renowned Indian flute player whose repertoire is in Eastern Classical music. He is an innovator and a traditionalist. He is as credited for his musicianship as for his technical ability on the native instruments. He has been honoured with several awards of which the most prominent ones are the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India, and the distinction of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) of France. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands.

Quotes

 * Half-a-century ago, I came to Odisha to embark on my musical journey. This land has nourished my soul and nurtured my spirit. Through this Gurukul I wish to give back a small part of what I received from here.
 * During the launching of his “Vrindaban Gurukul”, an institution for training in Indian classical music in Orissa. Quoted in


 * The flute is the symbol of spiritual call, the call of divine love.
 * In


 * In my past there is Krishna. In my dreams I dream of recreating a huge college of flutists, a veritable Vrindaban in which students will arrive to learn and study with satchels full of flutes, live in mud huts, eat at a common langar. A modern Vrindaban from which a thousand flutes will ring out each day.  For what else is there?  When my breath is gone and I can not play anymore what do I leave behind?  Some dedicated students! When you leave nothing behind, you cry at the point of death, but I still dream, I dare to dream that through my students my flute will be left behind as the memory of Krishna.
 * In "Discography".

Music is a Prayer:An interview with Hariprasad Chaurasia by Ian Gottstein

 * Music is my love. And because it is my love, music has become my religion.
 * When I play music, that is my best yoga, the best meditation, the best prayer.
 * Whoever gets involved in this field becomes spiritual because the music itself is purely spiritual. The music is a prayer, a rare kind of prayer. Music is created by the Supreme entity (‘Brahma’) so that we can get an understanding or a view (‘Darshan’) of that entity.
 * So, my instrument there is simply bamboo. The sound is straight from nature and it connects me to nature.


 * A drop of water when you are thirsty gives such relief. The same drop in a fountain inspires you with its beauty. The same water in a dirty drain is repelling. And the same drop in the river makes you want to swim there and take a bath. And when the same water goes in the sea it thrills you with its power.
 * On the theme of water.


 * First of all I choose a raga that gives me musical satisfaction. When I choose that raga then I welcome and invite the raga. To do that I have to meditate on the raga to understand its structure. When I get the structure then I can enjoy playing it. When I play a few beautiful notes, the spirit of the raga feels happy and comes and blesses me. Then the real music comes.
 * On playing a raga.

My father's wrestling techniques made my lungs strong: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

 * Music helps you understand the deeper musings of the mind. Listening to music can help a person to a better understanding of his inner drives. This, in turn, gives him the confidence to follow the path in life dictated by his heart.
 * I learnt kushti (wrestling) and music simultaneously,
 * Listening to that performance changed my life. It changed the course of my musical career. I could listen to my heart's voice clearly because the music had helped me understand my mind's deepest desires. Today, I am happy and feel blessed that I followed the path dictated by my heart.
 * On hearing a performance on a woodwind by Pandit Bhola Nath of Varanasi.
 * Music assists you in your quest of the spark hidden within, the moment you discover your real self through music, the reason why you have been born becomes clear. This realisation ultimately helps you mould your path to achieve your dreams.
 * I could develop finer and newer blowing techniques because of the power my lungs acquired through the physical exercises my father personally taught me when I was training to become a wrestler,"

Melodies of Brindavan: Pandit Hariprasad Chourasia

 * It’s very difficult to make them understand the importance of a Guruji. In India, it’s kind of more than gods and goddesses. We revere our Gurujis more than our parents, more than our family members, more than gods and goddesses. But they’ll never understand. Never understand who a Guru is. There are so many differences. But when I am teaching at Rotterdam in Netherlands (He heads the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory), I tell each and every student-“keep your shoe out, you have to sit down. If you want to learn Indian music, you have to treat me- not like your teacher, not like your Guru, you treat me as a friend and we share our willing.
 * On Guru-Shishya Parampara (tradition of Teacher and Student) and Modern world.


 * Why to bring revolution? They are also human beings. Why don’t we treat ourselves as human beings? I speak Hindi and you speak your native language, but we are all human beings. Why do you treat them as foreigners? They also want to adapt to our tradition- some are visiting temples, they become vegetarians, some have given up spoons and eat using their hands, they try to become Sadhus. Why do you want to treat them as foreigners, they are human beings! If we get influenced by their tradition, it’s okay. If they get influenced by our tradition, it’s okay. Younger generation who try to emulate them will eventually come back to their native tradition!
 * On Western Culture and the so-called Revolution.
 * Music has no differences. We played alongside each other; it was not in fusion but in unison. I have enjoyed playing with all the artists. I have collaborated with musicians from the west and fellow Indians, including Ravi Shankar, Allah Rakha (father of Zakir Hussain), George Harrison, Jean Pierre Ramphal, Jethro Tull, John McLaughlin, Jan Gabarek, Yehudi Menuhin and others. I composed for Bollywood. It made me affluent. It was Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma who asked me one day if playing in Bollywood films was all I was going to do in my life. I was not growing as an artist. I needed more. What did I have to show in terms of personal creativity, or growth? He was right.
 * On Western Culture and the so-called Revolution.


 * My father was a wrestler and though everyone liked music in the family, it was a taboo to even think of a musical career. I used to wrestle to keep him happy. When I was about nine years old, I started learning vocal music from Pandit Rajaram, secretly! At the age of fifteen, I heard the flute for the first time on Allahabad radio. It was as if I was being transported to heaven. The flautist was Pt. Bholanath and that was the major turning point in my life. Soon after, while I was still in my teens I got an offer to work as a staff artist on Cuttack radio in Odisha/ and I accepted. It was then that my father found out that I was a musician. It was a major shock for him.
 * On Parents and Passion.


 * Who can you blame, parents or their friends or the children? In India every parent wants their child to earn more money and fame than any of their peers, no one wants their child to be set on a cultural journey and do tremendous things like other artists or musicians or sportsman have done. They think the entertainment sector won’t earn them any job or money. I blame the parents. They should inspire their children to pursue their interest along with the regular studies. I feel really sorry about this.
 * On Parents and Passion.


 * Motivate the younger generation to listen to music especially, when they are tired, when they are upset about anything. Music is the best remedy; it remediates you mentally, physically and emotionally.
 * On Ideas: Ideals: India.


 * Eventually you cannot stop the sun from rising, the water from flowing, the moon from spreading its light and you cannot compromise the seven notes with anything else. Live your life, live the music.
 * On Ideas: Ideals: India.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia in Hinduism Today

 * 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.
 * When I play, it is not for the audience. I play for that superior Power in between the audience and me. There are different kinds of people in the audience, and it is difficult for me to satisfy everyone. I perform for "that Power." If He is satisfied and happy, I feel blessed.
 * Flute is an instrument which gives you more power as you play. It's like the breathing exercises in yoga. I'm able to increase my lung power by playing more. But because of travelling I don't get time to practice
 * 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.

About Hariprasad Chaurasia

 * Hariji (Hariprasad) and Shivji (Shiv Kumar) are the icons and ambassadors of Indian classical music. We have spent wonderful moments together during the making of the film Silsila
 * Amitabh Bachhan who sang and acted as well in "A step forward in promotion of classical music".


 * We are not mere friends, but more than two brothers. We met more than 50 years ago and we share a very beautiful bond between us. We worked together for films and immensely popular discs like Call of the Valley.
 * Shiv Kumar in "A step forward in promotion of classical music".


 * When flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia plays raagas on his bansuri the notes are not just heard but also felt!
 * Quoted in


 * The flutist's fan following cuts across all barriers and borders, Myriam.
 * Ambassador Myriam from France quoted in "French honour for flutist Chaurasia"


 * I was 16 when I heard him for the first time, and today in India, after 20 long years, I heard him play again. He is still so wonderful!. France is quite bansuri proficient. It's such an expressive instrument that all emotions like mysticism, romanticism, humour, etc can be brought out through this simple bansuri.
 * Ambassador Myriam from France quoted in "French honour for flutist Chaurasia"


 * Indigenous musicians in our backyard, who are also world-famous and as successful –people like hariprasad Chaurasia or Bhimsen Joshi. Why? Because they remain as desi as desi  ghee. They dress Indian, talk Indian, walk Indian, eat Indian (paan, horror of horrors!), think Indian, feel Indian.
 * On the overzealous attention given in India to Zubin Mehta who was just born a parsee in India but has lived overseas most of his life and comes to India occasionally. Quoted in


 * He was the youngest composer and performer to be hired by |AIR Cuttack...he has developed the art of flute playing through his skilled blowing technique and adaptation of alap and ‘jat’ to the flute. Regularly experimenting with new styles of music, Hariprasad has played with western musicians such as John Mc Laughlin and Jan Garberik and has composed music for films like Silsila where he partnered with the master Santoor player Shivkumar Sharma. A true master in the art of Flute playing, his contribution to Indian classical music can not be undermined.
 * Akshat Kapil in