At a very young age, Krishen Manaroo found in the melodies of the flute an echo to his soul, transforming an ordeal into a devouring passion. Discover how the captivating notes of the bamboo flute shaped his journey and his aspirations.
The music that flows from Krishen Manaroo’s Bansuri (bamboo flute) resonates. Tells stories. Evokes emotions. It transports the listener on a timeless journey. At 22, this young Mauritian prodigy has transformed a childhood ordeal into a devouring passion for the flute, navigating between traditional melodies and modern sounds with an ease that he himself describes as “inexplicable.”
Son of a stay-at-home mother and a “contractor” father, Krishen Manaroo lives in Terre-Rouge. He has an older brother and a younger sister. Two years ago, he completed his secondary studies at Soondur Munrakhun College in Montagne-Longue. While waiting to pursue further studies in music, Krishen Manaroo has currently embarked on a career as a freelance musician, playing a variety of wind instruments, while exploring many musical genres. In Le Dimanche/L'Hebdo, he confides that he has found in this universe not only a passion, but also a true path in life.
How did this musical adventure begin? Krishen Manaroo says that during his childhood, he loved to contemplate the statuette of God Krishna and the way he held himself to play the Bansuri. “I imitated him. » At the time, he did not know that bamboo flutes existed in Mauritius. “I heated a metal and drilled holes in a plastic pipe to make a flute,” relates the young man. Was he able to bring out musical notes? With a laugh, he says it was more noise than music. At that point, he didn't really aspire to play the flute.
At the age of seven, he was involved in an accident. “While I was in the hospital, I was listening to a ringtone on my mother’s phone, it was a flute melody. I found comfort in the musical notes and that’s when I developed an interest in the instrument,” he shares.
From then on, he insisted to his mother to have a flute. His older brother found him a wooden recorder, but it wasn't what he was looking for. And if in the beginning, he made a lot of noise, he says, with time and practice, these noises became melodies.
A few years later, Krishen Manaroo is around 13 years old. During school holidays, he works as a traveling clothing seller in Port-Louis. “One day, I saw a gentleman selling wooden flutes at the central market. He sold this flute for Rs 50. My brother and I only had Rs 50 in our pocket. This was our money for the bus ride and we each had to pay Rs 12 to return home. The gentleman kindly sold us this wooden flute that I absolutely wanted for Rs 25,” he remembers with nostalgia.
Although he never saw this man again afterwards, Krishen Manaroo nevertheless remembers that he was very tall, fair-skinned and that he wore a cap. “What I have become today is partly thanks to him, because he sold me the flute I wanted and I want to thank him. He changed my life. » For him, his journey, marked by his accident, awakened his love for the flute and what followed is a story of discovery, perseverance and spiritual growth.
Today, Krishen Manaroo, who says he plays sports, especially soccer, and collects Marvel figurines and toy cars in his spare time, plays a variety of wind instruments, including the transverse flute, the Shehnai, the saxophone, the recorder, the harmonica, the Irish Tin Whistle, the Xaphoon and the Hulusi. He even recently started playing a Yamaha company instrument called Venova, a pocket saxophone. Where does he get this passion for music from? “I don’t come from a family of musicians. My older brother sang and my passion for music started at home,” he says.
Carnatic and Hindustani music, two forms of Indian classical music, are the pillars of Krishen Manaroo's musical repertoire, who also composes his own melodies. Originating in southern India, Carnatic music is characterized by its complex melodic structures as well as its rich compositions, while Hindustani music, which comes from northern India, is distinguished by its improvisation and ragas (notes from music) elaborated, he explains. He listens to a lot of them to be inspired and to be able to play like the great virtuosos.
As a flautist, Krishen Manaroo fuses these two styles while incorporating elements of Western, Irish, Chinese and even Arabic classical music. This eclectic approach allows him to deliver varied performances that captivate a wide audience, resonating with the diverse musical tastes of his listeners. His ability to navigate between different musical traditions is a testament not only to his virtuosity, but also to his deep respect for the various forms of musical expression.
To demonstrate his talents as a self-taught flautist, Krishen Manaroo participates in many major memorable events. However, his first full performance of Hindustani classical music, organized by the Infinity group, which promotes Hindustani classical music in Mauritius, will remain memorable to him forever.
Some of his favourite composers are Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ravi Shankar, Hans Zimmer, Yanni, Simon and Garfunkel, Rupert Gregson-Williams and AR Rahman. “They are all famous and very talented in their field. Their music gives me a sense of peace, gives me ideas and transports me to another world,” he confesses. He often listens to the sounds of nature and discovers many melodies in them.
How do you recognize a good flautist? It is when he is able to make the flute sing and bring it as close as possible to the human voice, answers Krishen Manaroo. He plays to send a message of love and he tries to touch everyone's hearts through his music.
Is it difficult to make a career as a flautist in Mauritius? “There are not many platforms in Mauritius to promote Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. Moreover, it took me seven years to finally buy my first set of professional flutes because I had no financial backing and had to work hard to save money,” he says.
Thus, according to Krishen Manaroo, it is essential to create more platforms for classical music in the country, and provide more opportunities to prevent the demise of one of the oldest forms of music. In the future, the young Bansuri player plans to turn his passion into a profession. He also hopes to instill respect for the wooden flute in those interested in Bansuri. He hopes that today’s children will not only be able to listen to music but also be able to distinguish between good and bad music.
Moreover, for him, music should be taught from a very young age. “Learning music as a subject should be introduced from kindergarten to secondary school.”
And what is his biggest dream? Krishen Manaroo reveals that it is to play the flute alongside some of his great inspirations like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Rakesh Chaurasia, Pandit Rajendra Prasanna and Pandit Ashwin Shrinivasan, and also to travel the world with his music.
His choice to play the bamboo flute
How did playing the flute change his life? “It connected me to the depths of music, which made me more spiritual because music is God and God is music. This art helped me travel outside of Mauritius, and contributed to making me a more calm and understanding person,” he replies, while confiding in us with a laugh that before, he was a real “bitor”.
For Krishen Manaroo, the bamboo flute is an instrument that is part of nature itself. “It is made of a single piece of bamboo and has only seven holes. I like the sound of the flute because it reminds me of nature. It is like a cuckoo bird singing,” he says. But while it is one of the oldest instruments in the world, it is one of the newest additions to Hindustani classical music.
