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Time was when the Indian flute was just a humble folk instrument. It is only in recent years that it has come into great prominence and earned for itself the status of a concert instrument. And one has only to listen to this disc to believe that the simple hollow cylinder, with six or seven holes on it, is capable of producing all the fineries of Indian melody as delightfully as the sitar, the sarod and the shehnai.

This music of the flute comes from Pt. Vijay Raghava Rao, who has breathed three colorful ragas down its blowing hole with an amazing artistry. The tonal range of his flute corresponds to that of the human voice and he reveals all the fineries and graces of the ragas by means of subtle blowing variations and manipulation of finger tips.

Musician, dancer, choreographer conductor, composer and poet: that is Vijay Raghava Rao. With all his versatility, music remains his first love and he ranks high among the eminent flutists of the Hindustani tradition today.

Presently Director of Music in the Films Division of India’s Ministry and Information and Broadcasting, Vijay Raghava Rao has pioneered new trends in music making. Several of the films for which he has scored the music have won national and international awards. To name a few: “through the eyes of a painter”, “life”, “Akbar”, “Bhuwan Shome” and “Interview”. His experiments in creative composition and orchestral and ballet music bear ample testimony to his musical genius. A true portraiture of his creative eminence and his achivements, both at home and abroad, has been made so brilliantly by James Beveridge in his film titled “Vijay Raghava Rao”.

Honoured with the Padma Shri and Sangeeta Kala Shiromani awards, Vijay Raghava Rao has extensively toured abroad and has given lecture recitals before appreciative foreign audiences. Many of his musical scores have been published in foreign journals.

His solo recitals present all that is best in Hindusani music. His music is noted for its clarity and precision and it empodies a perfect adaptation of the “Gayaki Ang” of the Hindustani tradition. Each note, each phrase, each pattern is so lucidly rendered in the scheme of improvisation that it brings out the peculiarities of the musical mode in bold relief.

To Vijay Raghava Rao, from music to poetry is but a step. Here is how he gives eloquent expression to his poetic feelings: 

“……..

Years ago

While I was young

A lullaby sweet

You must have sung

Its mellow strains

Still course through

My veins

And tempt me

To play the flute…”

(from “My country-My mother”).

THE MUSIC

SIDE ONE: RAGA MIYAN-KI-TODI

This is a morning raga, serence and pensive in character. It is rendered here in “vilambit” and “Madhya-laya” in “jhaptaal” (10 “matras”), followed by “drut” in “tritaal” (16 “matras”0.

SIDE TWO: 

(a)   RAGA CHANDNI KEDARA

This is a sub-melody of the celebrated raga Kedara and rendered in the first quarter of the night. It is known for its romantic character.

The artist plays the raga in “ektaal” (12 “matras”).

(b)  RAGA CHARUKESHI

Originally a Carnatic raga, it is now rendered in the Hindustani style and enjoys tremendous popularity among the North Indian audiences.

The raga is rendered here in “ada-chautaal” (14 “matras”).

Artists:

Pandit Vijay Raghava Rao (Flute), Giridhar Prasad Jaipurwale (Tabla)