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 |
| Spouse(s) | Kamala Devi Anuradha Roy |
| Children | 3 |
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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 on July 1, 1938, is a famous Indian musician. He is known for playing the bansuri, which is a type of flute. He plays in the Hindustani classical style, which is a traditional form of Indian music. He is also a talented music director and composer.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Journey
Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in Allahabad, India, in 1938. This city is now called Prayagraj. His mother passed away when he was only six years old. His father wanted him to become a wrestler. So, Hariprasad trained in an Akhada, which is a traditional wrestling school.
However, Hariprasad secretly loved music. He started learning music without his father knowing. He would practice at a friend's house. He once said, "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." This shows how dedicated he was to his music.
A Career in Music
Hariprasad Chaurasia began his musical journey at age 15. He first learned to sing from his neighbor, Rajaram. Later, he decided to focus on the flute. He studied with Bholanath Prasanna in Varanasi for eight years.
In 1957, he joined All India Radio in Cuttack, Odisha. He worked there as a composer and performer. While at All India Radio, he received special guidance. He learned from a very private teacher named Annapurna Devi. She was the daughter of the famous musician Baba Allaudin Khan. 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. He still plays left-handed today.
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. Some of these films include Silsila and Chandni. They made many songs that became very famous.
He also worked with Bhubaneswar Mishra. They formed the duo "Bhuban-Hari." They composed music for many Odia movies. Their songs were very popular in the state of Odisha.
Teaching and Legacy
Hariprasad Chaurasia is also a dedicated teacher. He is the artistic director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands. He also started two schools in India. These are the Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai (opened 2006) and Vrindavan Gurukul in Bhubaneshwar (opened 2010). These schools teach students to play the bansuri flute. They follow the Guru-shishya tradition, where students learn closely from a master teacher.
His nephew, Rakesh Chaurasia, is also a very talented flautist. He has performed all over the world with famous musicians like Zakir Hussain. He is carrying on the family's musical tradition.
International Work
Hariprasad Chaurasia has worked with many musicians from Western countries. These include John McLaughlin and Jan Garbarek. He even played on The Beatles' song "The Inner Light" in 1968. This song was written by George Harrison. He also played on George Harrison's first solo album, Wonderwall Music.
Personal Life
Hariprasad Chaurasia has been married twice. His wives are Kamala Devi and Anuradha Roy. He has three sons. His sons from his first marriage are Vinay and Ajay. With Anuradha, he has a son named Rajeev. He also has five granddaughters and one grandson. His nephew, Rakesh Chaurasia, is a flautist who continues the family's musical legacy.
Awards and Recognition
Hariprasad Chaurasia has received many important awards for his contributions to music. Some of these include:
- 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 from North Orissa University - 2008
- Honorary Doctorate from 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
- Lokmat Sur Jyotsna National Music Award (Legend Award) - 2023
Books About Hariprasad Chaurasia
Several books have been written about Hariprasad Chaurasia's life and 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
Selected Albums
Hariprasad Chaurasia has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his notable ones:
- Call of the Valley (1967) with Shivkumar Sharma and Brij Bhushan Kabra
- Krishnadhwani 60 (1978)
- Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute (1981, 1984)
- Morning to Midnight Ragas - Morning Ragas (1987)
- Nothing But Wind (1988) - composed by Ilaiyaraaja
- Venu (1989)
- Megh Malhar (1991)
- Night Ragas (1992)
- Soundscapes - Music of the Rivers (1993)
- Thumri - The Music of Love (1994)
- Maharishi Gandharva Veda series (1995) - a collection of ragas for different times of day.
- Krishna's Flute - Master of the Bansuri (1996)
- Music for Reiki (1998)
- Jugalbandi (1999)
- Music without Boundaries (2000)
- Adi-Ananth (2001)
- Salvation - Instrumental Bhajans (2003)
- Ajanma (2015) - a solo album.
With Zakir Hussain
- Making Music (ECM, 1986)
- Several Maharishi Gandharva Veda albums.
Film Music Composed
Hariprasad Chaurasia has composed music for films, often with Shivkumar Sharma.
Hindi Films
- Silsila (1981)
- Faasle (1985)
- Vijay (1988)
- Chandni (1989)
- Lamhe (1991)
- Parampara (1993)
- Darr (1993)
- Sahibaan (1993)
Telugu Films
- The film Sirivennela (1986) featured his flute playing. The story was about a blind flautist.
English Films
- Some of his music was used in Mithaq Kazimi's film 16 Days in Afghanistan (2007).
