Sameer Rao from our very own Mysore continues to shine with a brilliance of pristine music, one that emanates effortlessly from his flute. Trained under the living legend Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sameer is one of the inheritors of the rich legacy that Panditji represents. Soft spoken, humble and friendly, Sameer allows his achievements to rest very lightly on his shoulders.
Born in Mysore, to a family of academicians and scholars, Sameer nevertheless found his calling in music. “My father used to own plenty of gramophone records that he would often listen to. I grew up listening to Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt. Ravishankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saab, Beethoven and Bach too!” Inquisitive and ever exploratory as a kid, Sameer revelled in digging out old stuff from the attic. One such exploration led to the discovery of an old flute lying in a box. The rest as they say is history. Before long, Sameer had taught himself how to play popular numbers on the flute, but not contented, his desire to learn more was soon satiated when his father admitted him to the tutelage of Pt. Virabhadraiah Hiremath. “He used to sing, and I would try to reproduce the same notes on the flute. Pt. Hiremath was a product of the Veereshwara Punyashrama in Gadag, and hence had exposure to various musical instruments. He did teach me the basics of flute and some techniques. I was able to expand on this foundation and self-taught myself too. I would listen to cassettes of several maestros and try to reproduce them on flute myself.” Gifted with an innate ability to recognise and reproduce the tunes effectively, Sameer’s virtuoso grew with time. “Even while am talking to anyone, there is always a tune or raga that keeps playing in my mind. I have tried, but I just cannot shut it out!” Music occupied his mind and world – effectively pushing academics out.
For any serious flautist, learning under Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia is a dream comes true. For Sameer, it is an unforgettable experience of his life. An introductory recommendation letter from one of Panditji’s close friends, Lakshmi Narayan Babu, gave Sameer the opportunity to meet the legend in Mangalore, where he had arrived for a performance. Sameer had prepared extensively for this meet, in anticipation that he would be asked to play. What actually transpired was something different. “Guruji took one deep and intense glance towards me; looked into my eyes and asked me to come to Mumbai to learn under him.”
Staying at Dattatreya Lodge for two years, before eventually shifting into the Gurukul of Panditji, Sameer began the journey to evolve into a master musician, sculpted to brilliance by the maestro himself. “It was 24/7 music in the Gurukul. There was a healthy competitive atmosphere, and we used to practice for long hours to outdo one another. Guruji was personally monitoring and always watchful of every student’s performance. I had once arrived at ‘ sam ’ on the note nishad when I was practicing raga Yaman in the afternoon. That night, Guruji called me and said I should not arrive at ‘ sam ’ on the note nishad. He had remembered what I did earlier in the day! I felt so protected with Guruji around me. At Gurukul, be it lunch, dinner, walks, music practice or just talking – everything was happening with Guruji. That is the most wonderful aspect of the Gurukul system. You are in such close association with the teacher, that you are always engulfed in his aura. He would encourage us to go and listen to other concerts and later we would discuss about the rendition and techniques. ”
“I had accompanied Guruji on one of his concerts at Nehru Centre. He asked me to check if the tabla accompanist had arrived. I peeped out and to my shock found Ustad Zakir Hussain in the green room. I went up to Guruji and requested him not to ask me to play that evening and that I would only accompany him on the tanpura. Guruji smiled and asked me not to worry. I sat behind Guruji and was enamoured by his rendition of Keeravani . In between, he took a break and looking back, signalled me to start playing. To this day, I have no idea how it happened, but even as I started to play, the audience, my Guruji and Ustad Zakir Hussain - all appreciated my rendition. There are also instances where he has taught me a new raga on the stage, in the midst of a performance! I learnt a lot about stage presence too.” Panditji was as caring about Sameer’s person as he was about his music. “He would intuitively know when I was low on my bank balance. If we had to travel anywhere for a concert, without my asking or ever discussing my finances, he would have purchased the tickets for me too! He is like a guardian angel to his students.” A lot of what Sameer imbibed from Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, he put to use, when entrusted with the task of managing Panditji’s Gurukul. Adept in the gayaki ang of renditions, Sameer learnt the tantrakaari from guruji and plays alap-jod-jhala in dhrupad style, as well as compositions in different taals. His jugalbandis and fusion music have won him a lot of acclaim as also his solo performances. “I have felt a lot of satisfaction in my work with Matthew Sharp. Whether it’s a jugalbandi or a fusion, I don’t think my commitment varies.” Sameer’s long term ambitions is to set up a music school named after his teacher and ideal – Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Sameer’s music is always a dedication to a teacher who sculpted an excellent musician out of Sameer. Today, Sameer’s music has carved a niche for itself, for its sincerity of rendition and purity of tradition.
