The bansuri is a simple-looking but deeply expressive transverse flute made from a single piece of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. It has no keys, so the player controls pitch and endless microtonal transitions with the fingers and breath alone.
The bansuri has a sacred meaning in Indian culture: by myth it is the beloved instrument of the god Krishna, whose playing enchanted all living things. In the classical music of North India the bansuri is a leading melodic instrument, able to render the ragas subtly with their smooth glissandos, ornaments, and meditative unfolding. Its warm, breathing, “natural” timbre creates an atmosphere of calm and spiritual depth. The bansuri is one of the most poetic instruments in the world, a voice of the Indian soul.
