By: JAYWANT NAIDU, “It’s been a very inspiring journey with my Guruji Rakesh Chaurasia”, says nephew and disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia who was in Hyderabad to perform at HYDROUITE 2012. He speaks about this musical journey and more. Tell us about the time you spent with Guruji Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia? Well, it’s been a very inspiring journey with my Guruji. He is so simple. He never thinks of even getting ready to meet anybody. His only focus is on music. He would tell “Keeping up the right mood is in your hand.” He always knew that a bad mood would distract his music. So he made sure small problems do not affect him. He always thinks of options, for example if he has problem getting flight tickets, he will explore travel by road. I remember once when he injured his hand, he went to Kolkata and when the audience requested him to play atleast for five minutes, he obliged. And without even lifting his hand he played for nearly half an hour. One does not know from where the energy came. He is our source of inspiration. He practices so much that he may be practicing for all of us. He would never scold us, but we can see the expression on his face, when he was not happy with what we did. He believed that if you cannot control anger, then you can do nothing. It’s our own anger. It can only spoil our working and results. Problems are always there in life. You open the door and the problem is ready to receive you. The audience is struggling to come all the way to listen to us. So it’s important to give them relief and not add to their stress. Without saying anything his music has worked on their minds and hearts. It’s the same instrument, maybe the same raga, but it’s always at the highest level. Where do you see yourself in this service towards music? Public expectation is very high. If I can do atleast 1% of what my Guruji has achieved in his lifetime, then I feel my life is made. There is so much to learn in music. One life may not be enough for doing something substantial in music. It’s important to do what we enjoy. It’s time to write poetry after having learnt A, B, C and D. What has been your dream concert in music? I always used to admire the chemistry between Guruji and Ustad Zakir Hussain. My dream was always to play with Ustad Zakir Hussain. And now I am playing with him. He is a senior artiste but always plays with the same professionalism as he plays with any other senior artiste. There is always so much to learn by just being with him. What about your new projects? I want to do more of live concerts. A fusion album for lounge music is being planned. It would relate more to the youth of this country. The music is same but we need to create a form for them by adding maybe some western instruments or beats. Which forms of music do you like the most? Every form of music has a rich legacy. It’s like food. One may want to eat chinese, continental and Italian. Finally everyone would like to enjoy all forms of music. Today, with internet and mobiles, there is a wide choice at the call of a button. I listen to Jazz, Blues and many forms of music. Are you planning any collaboration with other artistes - national or international? Collaboration is not about making music. We need to understand each others temperament. We need to first enjoy our music. It should not be a competition. I wait for my opportunity, as and when it comes. Source: The Hans India
