Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Maestro Of The Indian Flute turned 81 today.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Maestro Of The Indian Flute turned 81 today.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is a world-renowned exponent of the bansuri or bamboo flute. He is one of those rare classical musicians who expanded the peripheries of classical music by taking it to the common masses.

With his virtuosic blowing technique, Hariprasad Chaurasia has turned the Bansuri (bamboo) flute into an instrument of beauty. Blending the musical traditions of India with imagination and innovation, Chaurasia has reached beyond classical music to create a sound of his own.

Apart from classical music Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has played flute in many Hindi films like Jahanara, Akhri Khat, Tajmahal, Milan, Amar Prem, Aandhi, Aaye Din Bahar Ke and Hero.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia along with santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma formed the composer-duo ‘Shiv Hari’ to compose music for several Hindi films. Their first and most famous of these were with Yash Raj films ‘Silsila’. The musical duo Shiv-Hari went on to compose soulful music for many successful movies like Lamhe, Chandni, Faasle, Parampara, Sahibaan, and Darr.

The awards, prizes and honorary doctorates awarded to him make for a long list. Presented with the national award of the Sangeet Natak Academy in 1984, Chaurasia received the Gaurav Puraskar from the state government of Maharashtra in 1990, the Padma Bhushan and the Konarak Samman in 1992 and the Yash Bharati Sanman in 1994.

Here’s wishing the Bansuri Guru a very Happy and Blissful Birthday.