‘Music requires dedication, focus and hard work’

Maestro of the flute, Hariprasad Chaurasia on the importance of the gurukul system, his jazz collaborations and being in perennial learning mode

Master stroke: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Theatre in Puducherry last year

Flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia spends a lot of time between Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, where the two branches of his Vrindaban Gurukul are located. Based on the guru-shishya parampara, it helps upcoming artistes imbibe various skills to build their musical personalities.

Marking milestones

In an interview with

The Hindu , the Allahabad-born maestro said these two cities are his favourites. He joined All India Radio at Cuttack, near Bhubaneswar, in 1957, and moved to Mumbai six years later. Though he gave recitals as a teenager, he began playing professionally six decades ago. To mark the milestone, the 81-year-old musician performed at the Anant Gatha concert this week. He was accompanied by Subhankar Banerjee on tabla, Bhawani Shankar on pakhawaj and Jayanti Gosher on guitar.

When we spoke Chaurasia, was looking forward to the concert as it was to feature just one artiste for the entire evening. “So I can play at length, and showcase many aspects of my repertoire,” said Chaurasia. The flautist will also perform on December 1, when he and santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma will do a jugalbandi at the NCPA Add Art Festival, a three-day event being organised to celebrate 50 years of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Working in tandem

“There was a time when Shivji and I did many jugalbandis, but eventually we got involved with individual projects. As musicians, we always thought alike. It doesn’t happen too often among artistes, but it was our good luck it happened with us,” shared Chaurasia. Along with guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra, Chaurasia and Sharma released the successful album

Call Of The Valley in 1967. The two musicians then formed the film music director duo Shiv-Hari, and worked on

Silsila ,

Chandni ,

Lamhe and

Darr . Why did they stop? “One should give a chance to younger music directors too. But on a serious note, while we enjoyed what we did, it wasn’t anything permanent. My focus remained classical music,” he emphasised.

While a lot of time these days is spent at the gurukuls, Chaurasia is also busy travelling for concerts. For many years, he was involved with the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in Holland. When asked about his fusion collaborations with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, saxophonist Jan Garbarek and rock band Jethro Tull, he said, “Fusion must involve different cultures simultaneously. While playing, both of us have to show our strengths and unique features, and not indulge in one-upmanship or copying each other.”

Adhering to tradition

Chaurasia, who comes from a family of wrestlers, points out that numerous changes have taken place in Hindustani classical music since his younger days. “The whole approach to learning has changed. People try to learn through Internet and they seem to be satisfied. But it's like teaching wrestling on the Internet. Music requires dedication, focus and hard work. I always emphasise on the importance of maintaining one's health. It's just not about playing the notes correctly,” he elaborated.

The purpose of the gurukuls is to teach musicians in a supporting environment. Besides music, the students are involved in day-to-day activities like cooking and cleaning. Special events are held on festivals. “It's like a family, and there is a certain lifestyle. And since I have two gurukuls, it’s like having two homes,” said Chaurasia. After spending over six decades in the field, what is his current state of mind? Chaurasia smiled, and concluded, “It's like I have just been born. There’s a lot to learn.”