CUTTACK: The house of Krushna Chandra Kabi at Ramachandrapur, a village in the interior of Cuttack district, turns into a musical stage every evening nowadays. As the 70-year-old squats on the verandah and plays his flute, people begin to gather around. The mellifluous tune even draws people from the neighbouring villages.
But, this Pied Piper of Ramachandrapur is different. He is not only visually impaired but also plays the flute using his nose not mouth. This exceptional ability has not violated the melodious element of the flute but added a new dimension to it. Ask any villager, Kabi’s rendition is as beautiful as a maestro. He is playing the role of a healer of mental stress and pressures that the Covid pandemic and lockdown has inflicted on the people. An evening spent listening to him soothes the mind, villagers say.
Born blind, Kabi had taken to music since his childhood. He did not have any formal training on playing the flute. He learnt the craft by listening to popular artistes on radio and began playing flute with his mouth at the age of 13.
“Once while practising, I thought of experimenting at playing the flute with my nose. I could play it but with some difficulty and since then I began practising it every day. It took me two years to master it”, said Kabi. Today, the artiste claims that he can render any raga or song in flute by blowing through the nostrils. Apart from flute, Kabi plays different tunes with conch.
His family has always supported him and encouraged to further enhance his unique talent. With his village under lockdown, Kabi said he keeps his fellow villagers entertained by playing flute every evening. “I can never say no to anyone coming to me to listen to my music. I also keep telling them to practice playing flute to keep their lungs strong during these Covid times”, he added.
Leading a simple life, the elderly artiste gets Rs 500 from the State government as a monthly disability pension. Unmarried, he stays with his brother Maheswar who is a daily wager.