Hariprasad Chaurasia | |
|---|---|
 Chaurasia performing in Bharat Bhavan, 2015. | |
| Born | 1 July 1938 |
| Occupation(s) | music director, flautist, composer |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Awards |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music, film score |
| Instrument | Bansuri |
Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, [1] in the Hindustani classical tradition.
Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (1938) (present day Prayagraj) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. [2] His mother died when he was six years old. He had to learn music without his father's knowledge, as his father wanted him to become a wrestler. Chaurasia did go to the Akhada and trained with his father for some time, although he also started learning music and practising at his friend's house. [3]
He has stated,
I was not any good at wrestling. I went there only to please my father. But maybe because of his strength and stamina, I'm able to play the bansuri even to this day. [4]
— Hariprasad Chaurasiaa
Chaurasia started learning vocal music from his neighbour, Rajaram, at the age of 15. Later, he switched to playing the flute under the tutelage of Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for eight years. He joined the All India Radio, Cuttack, Odisha in 1957 and worked as a composer and performer. [2] [5] Much later, while working for All India Radio, he received guidance from the reclusive Annapurna Devi, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan. She only agreed to teach him if he was willing to unlearn all that he had learnt until then. [6] Another version is that she only agreed to teach him after he took the decision to switch from right-handed to left-handed playing to show her his commitment. [7] In any case Chaurasia plays left-handed to this day.
Apart from classical music, Hariprasad has collaborated with Shivkumar Sharma, forming a group called Shiv-Hari. [8] The pair composed music for many popular movies, including Silsila and Chandni, and created some highly popular songs. Chaurasia also collaborated with Bhubaneswar Mishra, forming the pair "Bhuban-Hari" (in line with Shiv-Hari), and the pair composed music for many Odia movies, creating numerous songs that were hugely popular in the state. These include Muje janena kaha baata (sung by Suman Kalyanpur; movie: Gapa helebi Sata); and all songs from Maa o Mamata, and many more.
Chaurasia's nephew and pupil Rakesh Chaurasia is a highly accomplished flautist now, and has been performing globally with such eminent maestros as Zakir Hussain.
He serves as the artistic director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands. [9] He was also the founder of the Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai (opened 2006) and Vrindavan Gurukul in Bhubaneshwar (opened 2010). Both of these institutes are schools dedicated to training students in bansuri in the Guru-shishya tradition. [10]
He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, and Ken Lauber, and has composed music for Indian films. [11] Chaurasia also played on The Beatles' 1968 B-side "The Inner Light", which was written by George Harrison. [12] He also played with George Harrison on his first solo release, Wonderwall Music , and with Harrison, Ravi Shankar and others on the Dark Horse Records release Shankar Family & Friends . [13]
Chaurasia has married twice, first to Kamala Devi [14] and then Anuradha Roy. [3] [15] He has three sons. With first wife Kamala Devi he has two sons, Vinay and Ajay. With Anuradha, Chaurasia has a son named Rajeev. Chaurasia has five granddaughters and a grandson. [16] His nephew Rakesh Chaurasia is also a flautist and carrying forward the family legacy. [17] [18]
The 2013 documentary film Bansuri Guru features the life and legacy of Chaurasia and was directed by the musician's son Rajeev Chaurasia and produced by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. [19] [20]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(June 2017) |
These are major albums released by Hariprasad Chaurasia
Ajanma - Hariprasad Chaurasia (Solo album)
Along with Shivkumar Sharma he composed music for
The music for the film Sirivennela was composed by K. V. Mahadevan which revolves around the role of Hari Prasad, a blind flautist played by Sarvadaman Banerjee and flute renditions by Chaurasia. [29]
Some of his music is used in Mithaq Kazimi's 16 Days in Afghanistan .
Sirivennela (transl. Moonlight) is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini, Sarvadaman Banerjee and Moon Moon Sen. The film has music composed by K. V. Mahadevan.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was an Indian classical musician and santoor player who is credited with adapting the santoor for Indian classical music. As a music composer, he collaborated with Indian flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia under the collaborative name Shiv–Hari and composed music for such hit Indian films as Faasle (1985), Chandni (1989), and Lamhe (1991).
Pandit Pannalal Ghosh, also known as Amal Jyoti Ghosh, was an Indian flute (bansuri) player and composer. He was a disciple of Allauddin Khan, and is credited with popularizing the flute as a concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and also the "Pioneer of Indian Classical Flute".
Shiv-Hari refers to the Indian music director duo of Shivkumar Sharma, a Santoor player, and Hariprasad Chaurasia, a flutist. The duo has worked on Indian classical music pieces as well as Indian movie scores.
Pandit Ritwik Sanyal is an Indian classical singer and the Dhrupad maestro from Varanasi. He is a retired professor and former dean from the department of vocal music at the faculty of performing arts at Banaras Hindu University. On 5 April 2023, Pandit (Dr.) Ritwik Sanyal was conferred the Padma Shri award for 2023 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the revival and propagation of the Dhrupad tradition, both as an academician and performer. A recipient of the esteemed Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2013, presented by the then Hon. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, Pandit Ritwik Sanyal has now received the 4th highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, from President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
Milind Date is an Indian flautist and music composer who plays the bansuri. He studied under Hariprasad Chaurasia and is known for his technique and playing in various musical styles.
Chandrakant Kamat was a Hindustani classical tabla player of the Benares Tabla Gharana.
Debopriya Chatterjee and Suchismita Chatterjee are sisters by birth, popularly known as the "flute sisters". They are Indian Hindustani music artists who play instrumental Indian flute music.
Pandit Anindo Chatterjee is an Indian tabla player of the Farrukhabad gharana school. He was born into a musical family. Chatterjee is a disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh.
Deepak Ram is a South African born flautist, composer, keyboard player and producer of Indian origin. Deepak is considered a master of bansuri, an Indian flute of ancient origin made from bamboo. He is a senior disciple of world renowned bansuri maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia under whom he studied Indian classical music. Deepak's versatile playing and breadth of musical repertoire melds classical and improvisational techniques of Indian Raga, Jazz, Blues and Flamenco into a fusion that has garnered critical acclaim internationally. Deepak was awarded a SAMA in 2000 for 'Best Instrumental Album', Searching for Satyam. He has contributed on Shango and Labyrinth albums by the trance group Juno Reactor which was featured as the title soundtrack for The Matrix - Revolutions, Dead Bees on a Cake album by Jazz artist David Sylvian among others.
Rakesh Chaurasia is an Indian flautist, who plays the bansuri, an Indian bamboo flute. He is the nephew of flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Anant Lal, often referred to by the title Pandit, was an Indian classical musician who played the shehnai. He worked for All India Radio and played with artists such as Ravi Shankar and Debu Chaudhuri in addition to recording under his own name. Lal was one of the leading exponents of the shehnai in Hindustani classical music. In 1989, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest recognition afforded artists in India.
Pandit Niranjan Prasad was an Indian flutist. He belonged to Allahabad.
Vivek Sonar is an Indian flautist and composer. He is a disciple of flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Pt. Bholanath Prasanna was an Indian flute or bansuri player. He was born in Varanasi. He was the guru of celebrated flute player Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Rupak Kulkarni is an Indian Bansuri player.
Gurukul Pratishthan, a charitable trust, is an institute with the ideology of promoting and encouraging the Indian classical music and various other forms of art. It was founded by Shree Vivek Sonar. He is one amongst the senior most deciples of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, a Padma Vibhushan holder and a well-known artist of the instrument Bansuri.
The Bansuri Utsav is a two-day musical festival which is especially dedicated to flutes. The 8th Bansuri Utsav was held in Mumbai in Ravindra Natya Mandir. The festival is held annually and till 2015 it was held in Thane in Maharashtra.
Sameer Rao is an Indian flautist who plays the Bansuri, the Indian bamboo flute. He is one of the prominent disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Sunder Lal Gandharv is an Indian flautist known for his contributions to Hindustani classical music. He has earned various honors.
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