Vijay Raghav Rao – Flute – His Master's Voice – ECLP 2357, recorded 1968 (LP)
Vijay Raghav Rao (1925-2011) was one of the most distinguished North Indian Bansuri flute players to emerge in the footsteps of the great Pannalal Gosh (1911-1960), who transformed the Bansuri, an instrument played mostly in folk and light classical music, into a deeper-toned concert solo instrument by significantly extending the instrument's length to over 30 inches (75 cm) and devising innovative playing techniques.
Born in Chennai (Madras) in the State of Tamil Nadu, Rao initially studied Bharatanatyam South Indian dance, and ultimately took up the bass bamboo transverse flute after meeting his guru Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) in the 1940s. He toured widely, wrote many ragas and had a successful career at All India Radio as a soloist and film music composer. He was also a dedicated teacher who trained the likes of G. S. Sachdev (1935-2018) and Ronu Majumbar (b. 1963).
Born in Chennai (Madras) in the State of Tamil Nadu, Rao initially studied Bharatanatyam South Indian dance, and ultimately took up the bass bamboo transverse flute after meeting his guru Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) in the 1940s. He toured widely, wrote many ragas and had a successful career at All India Radio as a soloist and film music composer. He was also a dedicated teacher who trained the likes of G. S. Sachdev (1935-2018) and Ronu Majumbar (b. 1963).
This 1968 release showcases the maestro’s delicate, reflective and fluid lyricism complemented by D. K. Thakar on the second Bansuri flute, Manikrao Popatkar’s understated tabla and the tonal drone of the tanpura.
Vijay Raghav Rao (1925-2011) fut l'un des flûtistes Bansuri les plus distingués de l'Inde du Nord à suivre les traces du grand Pannalal Gosh (1911-1960) qui transforma le Bansuri, jusque-là limité aux musiques folkloriques et classiques légères, en un instrument solo de concert aux tonalités plus profondes. Il étendit considérablement la longueur de l'instrument à plus de 75 cm et créa des techniques de jeu novatrices.
Né à Chennai (Madras) dans l'État du Tamil Nadu, Rao commença par étudier la danse classique Bharatanatyam, et se consacre finalement à la flûte traversière Bansuri en bambou après avoir rencontré son maître Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) dans les années 1940. Il effectua de nombreuses tournées, écrit de nombreux ragas et mena une brillante carrière à All India Radio en tant que soliste et compositeur de musique de film. Il fut également un maître dévoué qui forma notamment G. S. Sachdev (1935-2018) et Ronu Majumbar (né en 1963).
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Photograph below is from Treasures of Asia - Paintings of India, by Douglas Barrett and Basil Gray, Skira, 1963.
Lord Krishna playing the Bansuri flute – believed to have had magical powers over all living beings – to tame the serpent Kaliya (Bundi School c. 1640):
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