On 5th September, 2024, the Extra Mural Lectures (EML) team hosted Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia, renowned bansuri exponent, for a lecture-demonstration. Known for his expertise in Hindustani classical music and his innovative collaborations across genres, Pt. Chaurasia is a Grammy award winner and a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan. The Fifth Estate had the opportunity to interview him before his talk. The excerpts of the conversation can be found below.
Firstly, hearty congratulations on your recent Grammy Awards for ‘As We Speak’ and ‘Pashto’. My first question to you would be: how was the experience working on the album, as well as working with Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Ustad Zakir Hussain?
They had come up with an album called Rhythm and Melody before. I played with them as a guest artist at the Bluegrass festival and I was amazed by the kind of audience that was present (60,00 – 70,000 strong). Before this, I was touring with Zakir bhai; we were doing a rehearsal at his home, and he asked them, “Do you want to try this guy?”. We were sitting all day, just jamming. I was trying to learn from them, but they were listening to how this instrument would work with its melody. There was always something new to learn, as I was comfortable with a little bit of Bollywood I was doing at the time. Touring with them, I saw that there were more and more young audiences. We recorded the album at Béla’s house, and by God’s grace, it was nominated for the Grammy Awards in the same year.
While ‘Pashto’ won the award for Global Music Performance, is there any other song on the album, or otherwise, that you believe is your best performance to date?
Pashto is quite Indianized, and was composed by Zakir Bhai. The B-Tune and The Beast in the Garden are some of my favorite songs from the album.
I’ve done a lot of things and worked a lot in Bollywood. But my focus was always on classical (music), which is like an exam where your result is in the applause of the audience. We try to perform the best for the audience; it’s alright if you do the same thing every day, but you take a risk when you take challenges. Energy and positivity from the audience obviously affect how your performance goes, as 50% of your energy goes into the nervousness of performing in front of 200 people, 400 eyes.
Obviously, your uncle and mentor, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia ji, has had a very large impact on your music and who you are today. Is there any particular advice/memory of him that stands out from the rest?
His expressions would tell everything, when we used to sit in class. He never says anything to anybody, but only once did he tell me that he felt my practice had gone down, and I was under a lot of stress because I was working in studios day and night. I asked him if I should reduce my work, and he said “No, sleep less”. For him, and for me too, work is worship. My family complains that I am never there on birthdays or festivals, but it’s best to keep quiet, because they would not understand.
People think it’s about the money but it’s not – it’s the greed of being with the audience. Music is my career and job but also my passion. And the work surrounded with that, the traveling and exploring new countries, are things I enjoy a lot.
You have performed at multiple locations across the world for different musical festivals and events, including the conclusion of the 24-hour music broadcast in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee. Is there one performance that is the most memorable to you?
It is difficult to say; sometimes people’s applause and appreciation are much more than expected, but it is a different experience everywhere. Recently – ten days ago – I was in Norway, and it was an amazing experience because all the Indians, Pakistanis, and Norwegians there appreciate classical music, and there was pin-drop silence because they were appreciating the music quietly. But in South Africa, you will find a much more energetic crowd.
I remember being on stage with Hari ji in London, and one of our flutes cracked. This happens often, especially when the frequencies match, and if the right pitch is there for even a second, one can get glass to crack as well.
Your command over the bansuri is impeccable, and it is safe to say that the Chaurasia’s are second to none when it comes to this versatile instrument. However, do you see any up and coming musicians who you believe could one day reach similar heights in the classical percussion space?
It’s getting better and better with the younger generation, because there is so much information on the internet. Back then, if Hari ji was on tour, practice was paused for a few months. That was the time of cassettes, and we used to wear them down listening again and again.
A lot of youngsters are there currently, be it Harshit (Shankar) or Debopriya and Suchismita (Chatterjee). Even my son is learning, but the lack is in the practice. The young generation is not used to sitting for twenty minutes on the floor, but once the involvement begins, it comes quickly to them.
In this era of ‘fast’ music, interest in classical music is not as profound as it once was, with the younger generation being less interested in attending classical performances and concerts. What is your opinion on this?
It’s just like doing yoga or meditation: you need focus. Even doing it for five minutes with proper focus is difficult, similar to how it is in music. Nowadays, the first thing parents ask when children say they want to learn classical music is whether they can sit for 16 hours and practice. We don’t need that, because the right practice is like studying. It’s like becoming a doctor – when you see the books to prepare, you get afraid, but if you know how to do it the right way, the right practice, it becomes easy.
It’s not necessary to learn classical (music) either, but if you have classical (music) as a foundation, it helps you a thousand times more because your foundation gets stronger. At the end of the day, all music is about only seven notes.
Being a musician, I am sure you must spend quite some time also listening to music. Could we get an idea of how your playlist looks like/what you have been listening to recently?
Generally, when I travel in the car, I listen to old songs on the radio that I can understand and relate to; especially if I like a phrase, I think about how I can use it in my music. When I’m with my kids in the car, they play a lot of jazz; some Michael Jackson.
Nowadays, because of YouTube, you can ‘see’ the music as well; before, it used to be just the audio that you listened to.
Lastly, any advice for aspiring musicians in IIT Madras?
The new generation should try exploring; try fusion of Carnatic with North Indian Hindustani styles. In Carnatic music, instruments are still not considered equal to the vocalist, so why not try changing that? Especially outside in the world, people prefer instrumentalists because it is easier to relate to. I even tell my students to listen to Carnatic music as well, because it’s subtle and serene, and it’s good to grab knowledge from every corner. It’s especially easier now; gurus used to stop you before, but there are no such restrictions now.
T5E thanks the EML team for facilitating this interview.
