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A child prodigy and nephew of flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rakesh Chaurasia has not only managed to continue the Chaurasia legacy but has also carved a niche for himself, despite constant comparisons with his uncle. He recently performed at the 74th edition of the Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival at New Delhi’s Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. In an interview with DHoS, Chaurasia chatted about his new collaborative album As We Speak and his album-related tour. Excerpts
Tell us about your new collaborative album As We Speak...
I am very grateful to be a part of this group consisting of some of the greatest contemporary artistes — Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain. The album unites bluegrass, classical Indian and classical Western music. At first, it was a little challenging for me to adapt to the bluegrass genre because of its uniqueness and complexity. But soon I got the hang of it and was very happy and excited about the outcome.
Last year, you released an album called Saath Saath with Purbayan Chatterjee. How was the experience?
Saath Saath is a classical jugalbandi album between the sitar and the flute. The album expresses the friendship that we’ve built over the years. When you know your co-artist so well, the musicality is on a different level and the outcome is great.
What are your earliest musical influences?
I have been listening to Babuji (Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia) since I was a child and it was the most beautiful feeling. It had such a huge impact on me that I was left with no choice but to pick up the flute and start playing it myself. Thankfully, the decision turned out to be right.
Rakesh and Friends (RAF), an ensemble you lead, combines Indian classical music with world music. What is your inspiration behind this effort?
The idea behind RAF was to deliver music to youngsters and people who are not so classically inclined, and I think it worked. Both classical and non-classical listeners liked it. All the songs of the album are based on Indian ragas with a touch of Western instruments.
Tell us about some of the experimental music you have created with the bansuri over the years.
I believe the bansuri goes well with all instruments and all genres of music, so whenever I have experimented with it, it has turned out to be pretty good. But working with my music band RAF has been most enriching when it comes to experimentation.
You have performed at several classical and semi-classical festivals and concerts across India and the world. Any memorable ones?
All my concerts are very close to my heart, but if I have to choose, it would be the one with Ustad Zakir Hussain in Poland. It had an exceptional response and its video has more than 18 million views.
Nature is one of your biggest sources of inspiration...
The flute is a gift from Mother Nature to mankind: A wind instrument that teaches you that beautiful music can be produced by just controlling and calming your breath. How magical it is that music can be created in the air! Moreover, it also increases one’s lung capacity, which is good for health.
What can fans expect from you next?
I am currently touring to promote As We Speak. This is an exciting time as am getting to perform again with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Ustad Zakir Hussain. What could be better than that?