Shri. Mysore A. Chandan Kumar [Flute Artist]
Early in the 1990s a fresh flute melody began to emerge in the Karnatak music expanse of Mysore. The Source was the child prodigy Mysore A. Chandan Kumar (1977), a great-grandson of the legendary Violin Wizard Mysore T. Chowdiah (1895 – 1967).
Commenting on Chandan Kumar’s entry into sequestered world of classical music columnist C.H. Prahlada Rao wrote in The Hindu (April 5, 1999), “Kumar is in the final year M.Com. He lives in the ancestral house where Chowdiah had lived. Parents Anandakumar and Rejeswari tell about Kumar’s ‘discovery’ of the flute. He was then ten, and an old friend, who had called played on the flute for them, For Kumar it was the beginning of Romance.
The moment of this boy’s dramatic debut into the professional stage was highlighted by G.T. Narayana Rao in The Hindu (January 19, 1996) thus, “The occasion was the annual Flute B.N. Suresh (1946-90) annual flute recital at Ganabharathi’s Veene Seshanna Bhavana. The wait was long, but the scheduled [professional] flutist could not make his way [to the stage] thanks to the innumerable ‘bunds’ en route. M.A. Chandan Kumar, in his late teens and still a ‘junior’ artiste who was one among the expectant rasikas [connoisseurs] was persuaded to take the center of the stage. Senior professionals were to ‘accompany’ him….. Chandan ascended the stage reverentially, held the ‘bamboo reed’ Suresh-like, and breathed life into it exactly in an identical manner. It was a full-fledged traditional recital….. proving that a virile tradition reincarnates itself through fresh talents…..” At that moment a new stat was born in the hallowed firmament studded with flute geniuses T.R. Mahalingam (1926-86) and B.N. Suresh.
A senior rasika significantly expressed his joy by quoting Rabindranath Tagore, “This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and has breathed through it melodies eternally new. At the immortal touch of thy hands my heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable.”
Since then Chandan has not looked back! His nascent musical instincts were lovingly groomed by Guru M. Gopala Krishna. On the educational side he holds a M.Com. degree (2000) of the University of Mysore. Professionally he is an accomplished ‘A’ grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan.
His Style
The main Characteristics of Chandan’s virile style are powerful blow, soul-moving melody and refreshing creativity all resting on rigour. His innovative mind is ever in quest of new horizons and fresh expositions. Thus each of his concerts has rightly earned the epithet “a singing flutist.” When he develops any vaggeyakriti (a musical composition) a discerning listener can ‘hear’ the text syllable by syllable. It is called gayaki style (as distinguished from the mechanical one).
Such a daring adventure and creative experimentation have made Chandan today (2005) a favorite of prestigious cultural organizations all over the globe. He has toured Malaysia with the Seer His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachidananda Swamiji for the concert “Music for Meditation and Healing.” He was invited several times to the US. Bharatha Kamalalaya of New York has conferred on him the title venugana Ratna (2003). Chandan’s CD Heritage is dedicated to the source of his spiritual inspiration and great-grandfather Sangeeta Ratna Mysore T. Chowdiah.
Awards
Few among the several prizes he has received are :
- “Best Main Artiste” and “Best Main Instrumental Artiste” from Bangalore Gayana Samaja (1997) .
- “Best Concert Prize” from the Madras Music Academy Chennai at its Annual Sadas (2001) .
- “Yuva Kala Bharathi” from Bharath Kalachar Chennai (2003) .
- “Ananya Yuva Puraskara” from GML Ananya, Bangalore (2005).
In Media
- “Chandan Kumar of Mysore demonstrated his extraordinary prowess in his flute recital [at the young musicians’ conference organized by Karnataka Gana Kala Parishat and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Bangalore]. With the right blowing technique anointed by shruthi shuddhi, the words of the song could be enjoyed. (M. Surya Prasad in The Hindu, December 19, 1997.
- The dexterous approach of coordinated melody and well-articulated swara-malika thrilled the audience. Chandan Kumar is all set to make a mark with a different instrument, flute. The ragabhava on violin [by M. Chandrasekharan] was well maintained and the flawless melody of the flute was equally skillful….. It was a conflunce of two generations. (B.S.S. Rao in The Hindu, January 28, 2000 reviewing the performance at the Bidaram Krishnappa’s Rama Mandira to mark the 32nd anniversary of Chowdaiah).
- The elaborate development of Kamhhoji Flowering in Ma Janaki and Bhairavi blossoming in Rakshabettare, both by Tyagaraja, had the depth and wait of great music. At the conclusion a senior rasika remarked, “Yes, this is music – in creativity, melody, pace and textual explicitness.” (G.T. Narayana Rao in Star of Mysore, March 10, 2003).