Raga Ahir Bhairav on Flute I Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia at BCMF 2014

#bengalclassicalmusicfestival Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is a living legend and one of greatest ambassadors of Indian classical music. Unlike many other great artists, Pandit Chaurasia does not come from a family of musicians. Rather, music is a path he found for himself. He overcame the many challenges to emerge successful by dint of sheer talent, hard work, devotion and dedication. Born on July 1st, 1938, in Allahabad, Pandit Chaurasia began his musical pursuit at the age of 15, by learning classical vocal techniques from Pandit Rajaram. Within a year however, he switched to the flute after being profoundly influenced by a recital by the noted flautist of Varanasi, Pandit Bholanath. He tutored under Pandit Bholanath for eight years. Above all, it was under the tutelage of the legendary Vidushi Annapurna Devi, daughter of Baba Allauddin Khan and sister of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, that his music reached great heights. His role as a flautist witnessed a paradigm shift and his artistry entered new realms. Since then Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has achieved unparalleled renown and success. His innovative approach has significantly broadened the repertoire of North Indian classical flute-playing, through masterful technique and unique adaptation of alaap and jod to the flute. His command of the instrument, the novel techniques he introduced and the traditional dhrupad style ‘barhat’ of the Senia Maihar tradition to which he belongs and which he popularised decades ago, has ushered in a new generation of flautists. At the concluding session of the third edition of the Bengal Classical Music Festival held in 2014 in Dhaka, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s magical presentation in Raag Ahir Bhairav mesmerised the audience. Pandit Yogesh Samsi’s superb tabla accompaniment and Vivek Sonar’s restrained artistry in the accompanying flute added to the extraordinary appeal of Panditji’s recital. Raag : Ahir Bhairav Accompaniment Pt Yogesh Samsi ( Tabla) Vivek Sonar ( Flute )