Music for Quietness

Prem Rana ‘Autari’ began his musical journey as a classical flutist at an early age. He was 12 when he traveled to India to train under the guidance of renowned flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. His first professional debut came when he was 15, with an orchestral ensemble in Mumbai. Prem then worked as a resident musician for All India Radio and traveled all over India with his music. He then returned to Nepal and devoted his time and effort to promote Nepali music. He established himself as a musician and began his professional career here with Radio Nepal, where he worked for nine years and at the Nepal Academy for ten years. Prem has performed at concerts around the world with the classical music group Sursudha. He also represented Nepal at the World’s Exposition in Australia as a soloist in 2000.

Music for Quietness is an album of solo flute by Prem, with some of his best performances. He arranged the music, and the album was recorded at Cine Sound Studio. The album marketed by tik ‘n’ tok is produced by Cding International.

The first track, Mt Everest, captures the profound serenity of the great Himalaya with its suggestion of free-floating around the massive heights of rocks and ice.

Quietness, the second track, is soothing and gentle. The composition feels like a head massage. It lulls the listener into a state of calmness.

Dusk and Loneliness, the third and fifth tracks are based on popular folk songs. The tune of the former eulogizes the magical wait between daylight and darkness, and the tune of the latter reflects peace and solitude.

The fourth track, Sunkoshi (‘River of Gold’), reveals a feeling of release, with the mind flowing as a river on its endless journey.

The tune of Thyangboche (named after a Buddhist monastery near Mt Evereset), the sixth track, is punctuated by a subtle crash of cymbals alluding to monks at prayer and highlighting the spiritual side of the awesome peaks.

The last track, Jungle Walk, begins with the sound of chirping birds and it takes the listener on a pleasant stroll through the jungle. It encourages him to turn off his mind and take delight in pristine nature.

Overall, the album is superbly crafted and stands apart from Autari’s earlier works. The album is not supported by any other instruments. The journey is purely flute.

Available at tik ‘n’ tok, New Road, 4228679, and at all leading music stores in Kathmandu. The CD is available for NRs 450.