Music makes me a global citizen,says Chaurasia

“With the support of Dr Kalam,we will mobilise corporate sponsorship to increase the popularity of Indian Classical music,” asserted Pandit Jasraj at the inauguration on Saturday.

“Music elevates the mind and cures human angst. Music can bring relief to the sick and heal them,it is one of the few mediums untouched by violence. With the country’s progress in technology,a synergy between music and technology is imminent. We should archive our traditional music and not fall prey to the remix culture to propagate music internationally,” says Kalam,a music fan who has promoted and supported even unknown musicians.

Relating a little anecdote,the former president said jokingly,“I once met a man,Vidvan Krishnamurthy,who had no legs and no hands,but he enthralled me with a thirty-minute performance without any accompaniment,a Tyagaraja composition. This person with such a huge disability enriched me.” Kalam suggested ensuring the Royalty of musicians along with popularising their music through digital archiving and vehicles.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia,another recipient of the Padma Vibushan,declared that it is music that makes him a global citizen. “I do not need a passport,I merely take my music with me and that ensures a free passage into any country across the world. In fact,once in Varanasi,I found that my audience was made up of more foreigners than Indians,” recalls the renowned flautist.

Sujit Banerjee,secretary of the Ministry of Tourism,a self-confessed music lover,said that it is the government’s responsibility to promote Indian music. “I promise to promote Indian folk and classical music at the Common Wealth Games with road shows at each venue. Let us pledge that every metro should have a concert hall,like we have multiplexes and airports.”