Renowned Indian flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia: ‘When I visit Dubai, I feel I’ve come home’

The 76-year-old Indian classical flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, who will perform in Dubai on Friday, says the love he gets from the UAE is what keeps him coming back to the city.

Hariprasad Chaurasia, the award-winning classical flautist, considers himself ‘a student floating in this musical world’. Courtesy Tambourine Live
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The 76-year-old Indian classical flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, who will perform in Dubai on Friday, says the love he gets from the UAE is what keeps him coming back to the city.

“I like Dubai a lot and Indians there have contributed in making it more beautiful,” he says. “They work so hard and because they miss their land, their music, I want to make their souls happy. And if I can bring them two hours of happiness with my music, that gives me immense joy.

“Besides, nowadays when I visit Dubai, I feel I’ve come home.”

Chaurasia, whose career highlights include collaborations with George Harrison, of The Beatles, and Jethro Tull, will present his renditions of Indian classical and semi-classical compositions at the Madinat Theatre in Souk Madinat Jumeirah during a concert titled Elements – Vayu, presented by Tambourine Live.

He will be accompanied by two senior percussionists – Subhankar Banerjee on the tabla and Bhawani Shankar on the pakhawaj, a two-headed drum.

While most eminent Indian class­ical musicians boast of a musical lineage dating back generations, Chaurasia did not come from a family of musicians. His father was a professional wrestler, and at the age of15, Chaurasia took Hindustani classical vocal lessons in secret.

After hearing the noted flautist Bholanath play, Chaurasia switched to playing the flute and trained under him for eight years. He also trained extensively in classical music with the acclaimed Annapurna Devi, the reclusive daughter of the sarod maestro Allauddin Khan and the former wife of the renowned sitarist Ravi Shankar.

Honoured with the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France, and the Indian government’s Padma Vibhushan for his outstanding contribution to music, Chaurasia still considers himself only a student of music.

“My journey has been a real test,” he says. “I feel I’m still a student floating in this musical world and people have adopted me as a musician, but there is lots more to learn.”

The maestro, who also teaches music at the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands, played with the rock band Jethro Tull in Dubai a decade ago, has collaborated with the Irish flautist James Galway and the English guitarist John McLaughlin, and says he has “fond musical memories” of working with Harrison.

“George Harrison had a very strong connection to India,” says Chaurasia. “His heart was in India, he loved our culture – the food, the music. I once spent more than a month with him in his ‘castle’ in Henley-on-Thames.”

Chaurasia says he still enjoys going on extensive international tours and that his audiences provide him with “the energy I need”.

He adds: “And of course, music – it has always been a huge source of energy to me.”

• Elements – Vayu is on Friday at Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, from 7pm. Tickets, from Dh100, are available at www.timeouttickets.com, or by calling 04 323 6612

artslife@thenational.ae