Latest news with #HariprasadChaurasia
TimesLIVE
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Rakesh Chaurasia on ‘Symphony of Bansuri'
He was born into one of India's most revered musical families and his uncle is the flute legend Hariprasad Chaurasia. He has spent a lifetime balancing tradition with experimentation. 'The legacy is a responsibility. Sometimes I feel I'm carrying dumbbells on my chest,' he admitted. 'But classical music gives you a framework, and once you master it through practice, it gives you the confidence to take risks.' Asked what the bansuri can express that no other instrument can, he said: 'It's completely organic. No factory-made components. Only bamboo and breath. Because when you play it's close to the vocal cords, it's like singing through wood, and it reflects everything you feel. If I'm happy, it shows. If I'm sad, it shows.' In a world spinning ever faster, Chaurasia believes Indian classical music offers something increasingly rare: peace. 'My Spotify stats show people listen to my music mostly at night. It helps them unplug. Music is built into us. Heartbeat is rhythm, voice is tone, emotions are melody. It's the food for the soul.' He's excited about playing with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, sharing that he's looking forward to 'the lush textures, the expansive sound of a full orchestra and most importantly, the chance to introduce the bansuri to new ears in a new setting. There's something magical when traditions meet without ego, only curiosity and heart.' The Symphony of Bansuri is more than a concert. It's a conversation between East and West, between history and possibility and, perhaps, between you and something greater than yourself. Don't miss the chance to hear the flute that has charmed gods and animals wrapped in orchestral splendour in the city that welcomed him more than 30 years ago.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
SPIC MACAY int'l convention to kick off at IIT-H
Hyderabad: The 10th International Convention of SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) is all set to kick off on Monday at IIT-Hyderabad. Over 1,500 students and volunteers from across India and abroad are expected to participate in the convention. To be held from May 26 to June 1, the week-long event includes an immersive experience in Indian classical arts, culture, and values. Participants will begin their days with 'Naad Yog' and yoga at 4 am, followed by intensive workshops with legendary artistes. Afternoons will feature heritage walks, craft workshops, and screenings of cinema classics. Evenings will come alive with concerts and performances by some of India's most celebrated cultural icons. The lineup includes maestros such as Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Begum Parween Sultana, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, N Rajam, Raja & Radha Reddy, and many more award-winning artistes from Hindustani, Carnatic, Odissi, and folk traditions. All participants will receive free accommodation and meals, and will contribute through 'shramdaan' (voluntary service) as part of the experience. "This is not just a festival, it's a journey inward," said SPIC MACAY founder Padma Shri Kiran Seth, adding, "Waking up early, immersing in our heritage, and being in silence—it transforms students from within." Professor BS Murty, director of IIT-Hyderabad, said, "We are proud to be the canvas for this cultural renaissance. IIT-H will resonate with rhythm and spirit this week." The convention is being led by convenors Kona Lakshmivalli and Kalapoorna Nalla, who called it a "living classroom where silence is the teacher and art is the syllabus." A special edition of SPIC MACAY's newsletter Sandesh will also be launched during the event.
Business Mayor
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Mayor
Horn concertos and all that road jazz
Nitin Gadkari reminds us of the baroque masters with his fondness for polyphony – musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody. On Monday, the road transport and highways minister revealed that he is planning to table a law that could make symphony out of cacophony. He proposed that 'horns of all vehicles should be in Indian musical instruments so that it is pleasant to hear – flute violin , harmonium'. Thereby also a push for desi music. The thought of busy crossings being soothed by languid notes of the flute by Hariprasad Chaurasia's iconic theme tune from the 1982 film, Hero, is already calming. Harmonium renditions of other popular tunes, bhajans included, could make lane-changing, signal-jumping melodic. Prime zigzaggers, autos, will put-put away while sending out cadence-full opening bars of the choicest Carnatic violin music. For those worried about all this music happening pell-mell – Indian drivers' penchant for pressing the horn for no rhyme or reason remaining intact – think of it as road jazz, closer to the experimental soundscapes of Philip Glass or other masters of diatonic scales. Gadkari's idea could well be a boon for the muzak industry. India's roads, if not less noisy or dangerous, can well become the new insides of lifts and hotel lobbies playing piped horn concertos.
