Rest in music Ustad Zakir Hussain🙏

God.  The nephew of Hariprasad Chaurasia. My all time favourite of every Indian instrument in classical music. The flute. I am so blown away to see the nephew perform just like his  Legendary uncle.

Few things on the way these two masters are playing. The lateral body movement by Rakeysh is primarily because the Bansuri, the Indian flute sounds from the lip side and the open end. He is adjusting the position for the mic. His uncle, Pandit Hariprasad would set two mics. A short one near the open end. Now coming to Zakir Hussain, watching him as an accompanist is quite different from him as a solo player. He never said no to accompanying younger musicians and never overpowered them. He always went with the flow to make the main performance better. His accompaniment for vocal, instrument and dance all were different styles. He is missed. There will never be one like him. Left us too early.

Rakesh created the universe of birds chirping, bees whizzing, water cascading with his flute, associated with Shri Krishna who enchanted the  humans and animals alike with his flute called bansuri. Coincidently, yestarday India comemorated his birth with devotion and love.

Both the performers are MAGICIANS

Ustaad Zakir Hussain is accompanying Shri Rakesh Chaurasia Ji and not overpowering him because when flute is played the flute becomes the major instrument kind of show runner... that great are they both are 🙏

Two absolute masters of their craft. They are not just playing their instruments, they are playing with their instruments. What a treat! Thank you to everyone who recommended this and thank you Johnny and Richard for this video. Loved it!

Hamsadhwani originates in Carnatic music and adopted into Hindustani fairly recently. so, literally Hamsa=swan, dhwani=note/sound. But the raga is not to indicate the sound made by swan, but it indicates the movement of the raga like how a swan swims on water, very gently, rhythmically, making gentle turns, ever so subtle and graceful.. I can go on and on about the raga. it's a mesmerising one, calms your mind instantly..

It is time, you both are to give us an Indian Classical concert on your piano. By now you have enough knowledge of Indian music. Good to see you giving a concert not long from now.

Our dear God Krishna is supposed to have played tge flute and all his herd of cattle rested in his divine music!

Omg thank y'all for listening to them 😍
Btw please do watch the performance of Pandit Rahul Sharma Santoor with Ustad ji, in the same place... Please I beg you. You'd like it a lot. 🥰🥰🥰🥰❤❤❤❤❤

In the early 70's when I was playing sitar, (odd for an Englishman I know, but my then wife was Anglo-Indian), Rakesh was my all time fav' performer to listen to! Professional flautists of wooden flutes, usually make their own instruments as well! Extraordinary player. Yes, bending the note is releasing the finger pressure over the hole.

Should listen to performance by Hari Prasad Chaurasia. He was the  virtuoso you can listen to as background music for days on end.  It is so soothing its beyond imagination.

Fun fact - this one is pan-indian. They're riffing on muthuswami dikshitar's vatapi ganapathim, which is Carnatic, but they're both Hindustani practitioners through and through. Is tradition for this raga to typically be a riff on Dikshithar's carnatic kriti. A fun melding

He is improvising on a South Indian piece, Vathapi Ganapathim in Hamsadhvani, my mothers favorite and her vocals in conjunction with this duo would have been super.

a stick with holes in it...magical...

Zakir Hussain had the ability to synch with any artist, vocal or instrumental.

Both are legends 👏 🙌

What a concert. Calming, rising, ebbing and exciting all at once. Absolutely beautiful journey. Thank you for bringing out some of the best music that there is.
And yes, there'll never be another Zakir 😢

Spiritually we are told to become like the flute - hollow so God can play through you. Because of this the flute is considered God's favorite instrument.