Cuttack: Flautist Abhiram Nanda has played a key role in the making of several popular Odia movie songs. Not only his skills in playing flute but also his ability to craft melodious flutes from bamboos has made him popular among the artistes in abroad.
Nanda who played flute in the making of at least 1,000 songs has crafted the musical instruments for the artistes of countries like USA, Russia, Holland, Switzerland, Spain and Germany. Even, many artistes from abroad have learnt the flute playing skills from Nanda.
“My tryst with flute started in 1990s. Initially, I had learnt flute playing from Professor Mohinimohan Patnaik. Later, I honed my skills under the guidance of renowned flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia. I was associated with All India Radio. Till date, I have played flute in 1,000 songs including some movie songs. I have visited 53 countries to hold musical events,” Nanda told Orissa POST.
Nanda further revealed that he has trained many artistes from abroad. “Many artistes from foreign countries come to me for short courses in flute playing. Usually, they undergo 15 days training under me,” he said.
Nanda claimed that he usually source bamboos from Assam to craft flutes. The renowned artiste is charging anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 8,000 for his handmade flutes. “One needs special skills and precision to craft flutes. It takes me two days to prepare a flute from bamboo. I usually send the flutes to abroad through parcels,” said Nanda, a native of Jagatsinghpur district.