Hariprasad Chaurasia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hariprasad Chaurasia
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Chaurasia performing in Bharat Bhavan, 2015.
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| Born | 1 July 1938 |
| Occupation | music director, flautist, composer |
| Years active | 1957–present |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music, film score |
| Instruments | Bansuri |
| Associated acts | Shivkumar Sharma Bhubaneswar Mishra Brij Bhushan Kabra Zakir Hussain John McLaughlin Jan Garbarek Anindo Chatterjee Ilaiyaraaja |
Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is a very famous Indian musician. He is a master of the bansuri, which is a special type of flute used in Indian classical music. He is also a talented music director and composer.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in 1938 in Allahabad, a city now called Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, India. His mother passed away when he was only six years old.
His father wanted him to become a wrestler, so Hariprasad trained at an Akhada (a traditional wrestling arena). However, he secretly started learning music at a friend's house. He once said that his strength from wrestling helped him play the bansuri even today!
Music Career
Hariprasad Chaurasia began his music journey at age 15, learning vocal music from his neighbor, Rajaram. Later, he switched to playing the flute and was taught by Bholanath Prasanna for eight years.
In 1957, he joined All India Radio in Cuttack, Odisha. There, he worked as a composer and performer. He also received guidance from the very private musician, Annapurna Devi. She agreed to teach him only if he was willing to forget everything he had learned before. Another story says she taught him after he decided to switch from playing the flute with his right hand to his left hand, showing his dedication. Today, he still plays left-handed.
Collaborations and Film Music
Besides classical music, Hariprasad Chaurasia has worked with many other artists. He formed a group called Shiv-Hari with Shivkumar Sharma. Together, they created music for many popular Indian movies, including Silsila and Chandni. Their songs became very famous.
He also teamed up with Bhubaneswar Mishra to form "Bhuban-Hari." They composed music for many Odia movies, creating hit songs like "Muje janena kaha baata."
Chaurasia has also collaborated with Western musicians like John McLaughlin and Jan Garbarek. He even played on The Beatles' song "The Inner Light" in 1968 and on George Harrison's solo album Wonderwall Music.
Teaching and Legacy
Hariprasad Chaurasia is the artistic director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands. He also founded two schools called Vrindavan Gurukul, one in Mumbai (2006) and another in Bhubaneshwar (2010). These schools teach students how to play the bansuri using the traditional Guru-shishya tradition, where students learn closely from a master.
His nephew and student, Rakesh Chaurasia, is also a very skilled flautist. He performs all over the world with famous musicians like Zakir Hussain, continuing the family's musical legacy.
Personal Life
Hariprasad Chaurasia has been married twice. He has three sons: Vinay and Ajay with his first wife, Kamala Devi, and Rajeev with his second wife, Anuradha Roy. He also has five granddaughters and one grandson.
Awards and Recognition
Hariprasad Chaurasia has received many important awards for his contributions to music:
- Sangeet Natak Academy - 1984
- Konark Samman - 1992
- Padma Bhushan - 1992
- Yash Bharati Samman - 1994
- Padma Vibhushan - 2000
- Pandit Chatur Lal Excellence Award - 2015
- Hafiz Ali Khan Award - 2000
- Dinanath Mangeshkar Award - 2000
- Pune Pandit Award - 2008
- Akshaya Samman - 2009
- Honorary Doctorate, North Orissa University - 2008
- Honorary Doctorate, Utkal University - 2011
- National Eminence award, NADA VIDYA BHARTI - 2009
- The 25 Greatest Global Living Legends In India by NDTV - 2013
- Gansamradni Lata Mangeshkar Award - 2021-22
Books About Him
Several books have been written about Hariprasad Chaurasia and his music:
- Breath of Gold by Sathya Saran - 2019
- Hariprasad Chaurasia: Romance of the Bamboo Reed by Uma Vasudev - 2005
- Woodwinds of Change by Surjit Singh - 2008
- Hariprasad Chaurasia and the Art of Improvisation by Henri Tournier
- Bansuri Samrat : Hariprasad Chaurasia by Surjit Singh
Discography (Selected Albums)
Hariprasad Chaurasia has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his notable works:
- Call of the Valley (1967) with Shivkumar Sharma and Brij Bhushan Kabra
- Nothing But Wind (1988)
- Live in Amsterdam '92 (1992)
- Soundscapes - Music of the Rivers (1993)
- Maestro's Choice (1995)
- Krishna's Flute - Master of the Bansuri (1996)
- Music without Boundaries (2000)
- Ajanma (2015) - A solo album
With Zakir Hussain
- Making Music (ECM, 1986)
- He also contributed to various Maharishi Gandharva Veda albums.
Contributing artist
- The Rough Guide to the Music of India and Pakistan (World Music Network, 1996)
Music for Films
Bollywood Films
Along with Shivkumar Sharma, he composed music for these Bollywood movies:
- Silsila (1981)
- Faasle (1985)
- Vijay (1988)
- Chandni (1989)
- Lamhe (1991)
- Parampara (1993)
- Darr (1993)
- Sahibaan (1993)
Telugu Films
He played the flute for the film Sirivennela. The movie is about a blind flautist, and Chaurasia's flute music was a key part of it.
English Films
Some of his music was used in Mithaq Kazimi's film 16 Days in Afghanistan.
Images for kids
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Pandit ji Performing at Rajarani Music Fest 2015, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
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With Ustad Zakir Hussain (2012)
