When God beckons to Man – Flute's eternal fascination with Dr. N. Ramani

[ Lord Ramachandra as worshipped in "Parvathi" ]

Sarojini Naidu, (blessed is the land that gave birth to great souls like this Nightingale), writes in her haunting poem 'The Flute-Player of Brindaban':

Why didst thou play thy matchless flute
'Neath the Kadamba tree,

And wound my idly dreaming heart
With poignant melody,

So where thou goest I must go
My flute-player with thee?

Still must I like a homeless bird

Wander, forsaking all
The earthly loves and worldly lures

That held my life in thrall
And follow, follow, answering

Thy magical flute-call.

Such is the eternal fascination of the flute. A humble reed that epitomizes surrender at God's lips, whence come all divine vibrations. Perhaps to be a flute-player calls for several births of evolution. It is perhaps the simplest musical instrument, and yet has the maximum impact on a listener. Wordless but vibrant lips that infuse Prana or “Life-breath” into our ears and penetrate the deepest part of our souls. A simple note alone from a flute will suffice. Then what of the majestic melody of a Kharaharapriya or a Thodi, melodies born of millennia of spiritual quest of those residing in their Vishuddhi Chakra?

It is not only us Krishna-worshippers. The whole world knows the divine abandon that flute beckons us to. Keats, in his Ode on the Grecian Urn, writes,

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone.

His words point to another key aspect of flute music. Silence is embedded in each phrase! There is an eternal tango between melody and silence in the music of the flute.

It is almost for sure that Keats is thinking of the divine flute-player we call Krishna when he says,“ happy melodist, unwearied/ For ever piping songs for ever new. ”

It is not too different from the words of Swathi Thirunal who sang: "Mohanamayii tava muraligaanam Aho..."

And so dear Rasikas, we bring you Dr. N. Ramani's concert held in Parvathi in 1970. With great accompaniment, Vidwan Ramani has transported us to a heaven we are loathe to take leave of! Come to the feast. Brochevaruevarura... Kharaharapriya, no less... Thodi RTP... and more and much more. Krishna nee begane is uniquely presented on the long flute.

The Parvathi Concert
April 19, 1970 Shri Ramanavami Festival

N. Ramani- flute
K. Alagiriswamy - violin
K. Sivaraman – Mridangam
M. Manjunathan - Ghatam



[ 01.Sarasijanabha Atatala Varnam – Kambhoji – Swathi Thirunal*** 02. Vatapi Ganapathim – Hamsadhwani – Muthuswami Dikshitar*** 03. Dudukugala – Gowla Pancharathnam – Thyagaraja*** 04. Niravadhisukhada- Ravichandrika – Thyagaraja***05. Paripurna Kama – Poorvikalyani – Thyagaraja*** 06. Broche varu – Khamach – Mysore Vasudevachar*** 07. Ninuvinaa – Navarasakannada – Thyagaraja*** 08. Chakkaniraja – Kharaharapriya – Thyagaraja*** 09.Raghuvamsha – Kadanakutuhalam – Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer*** 10. Thodi Ragam Thanam Pallavi Ragamalika*** 11. Krishna nee begane – Yamunakalyani- Vyasaraya*** (long bamboo) 12. Jagadoddharana – Kapi – Purandaradasa*** 13. Magudi *** 14. Sadho Sadho - Ahir Bhairav- Surdas Bhajan *** 15. Mangalam *** ]