SHASHANK SUBRAMANYAM AND RAKESH CHAURASIA

The Indian musicians Shashank Subramanyam and Rakesh Chaurasia have been charming audiences since they were six. They are no longer child prodigies (Subramanyam is 37; Chaurasia, 42), but as masters of the Bansuri, a bamboo flute, they remain keepers of an ancient musical tradition. Jacqueline Louie talked to them before their local concert, which is presented by the Raga Mala Music Society.

What is the significance of the flute in Indian music? S. S.: From time immemorial, Lord Krishna was supposed to have charmed people with his flute. Flute is synonymous with Krishna and Krishna is synonymous with flute. Therefore in Indian music, flute is worshipped as one of the significant instruments. How does the Bansuri differ from the flutes played in western orchestras? S. S.: In Indian classical music there are no keys on the flute, giving us the freedom to move our fingers backward, forward and sideways, exposing the holes a quarter, half or completely. Indian music demands an instrument that can produce all of these nuances. Maybe I should have asked how Indian classical music differs from western classical music. R. C.: In Indian classical music, the song is fixed— we know what song we’re going to play— and the rest is total improvisation. That is our system of Indian classical music, to improvise music. The improvisation depends on your mood, it depends on how you are thinking, how you are feeling, and how the audience is enjoying it.

So what can Calgarians expect to hear at your recital? S. S.: The performance is a dialogue between Rakesh, who represents north Indian classical music, and myself, representing south Indian classical music. The south and north have the same kinds of scales and similar mathematical combinations, but the ornamentation is different. There are more than 50,000 compositions in south Indian classical music alone— music that is written by somebody else— but more than 90 per cent of the concert is improvised.

What is the coolest thing about Indian flute music? R. C.: Indian classical music has been used as a healing therapy by doctors around the world. S. S.: It is the most natural instrument— just a piece of wood with holes drilled into it that produces such fine music. Indian flute has a lot of different angles to it. The way we play the simplest of instruments can produce such beautiful sounds, very haunting sounds with a lot of effects. It can do a lot of things.