Bhubaneswar: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city lives a musician disguised as a cab driver. While a drive with an ordinary driver is all about reaching the destination, a drive with Sanjay Kumar Nayak is all about the journey. He fills the customer’s time with sweet euphonies out of his flute.
Sanjay, a 37-year-old cab driver of the city, is very passionate about the musical instrument ever since he was a teenager. At the age of 19, he saw musicians play on stage. This motivated him to get into Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya to learn music professionally despite his financial condition being extremely weak. Learning music from Nigamananda Sahu, his guru, during the day and riding a rented auto rikshaw in the night was his daily routine.
A couple of years later he had no option but to quit his training due to unavoidable circumstances. However, his passion for music never faded.
Sanjay lives in a joint family and is the only earning member. He was a diver for ‘108 government ambulance’. However, he had to quit due to low and irregular pay. Presently diving for a leased OLA cab in the city, he plays flute for the passengers at the end of the journey. Entertaining his passengers for a few words of appreciation is what keeps him and his spirit of playing flute alive.
Talking to Orissa POST Sanjay said, “A full time music profession in Odisha is possible only if you are financially stable and have enough contacts and support. The scope for classical music in Odisha is very low. I went to Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s flute school for training. However, it was very expensive for me. For me, flute is like an inseparable part of my body. Playing it is a no less than a spiritual experience for me.”
Sanjay devotes four hours daily to practice flute. He plays in “Bhajan Samarohas” for free and is very optimistic about playing in front of his idol Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia someday.
Dipti Ranjan Das, OP
