Music hath no boundaries...

Her name is Sylvie lecerf. When I came across an article about Sylvie in a national newspaper, I was mildly surprised. The photo showed a woman in her late twenties, her mouth on an Indian flute or basuri and with a look of intense concentration on her face.

Here was a woman who was very intimate with a very, very Oriental art form. I say this with authority because Indian flutes are not the Pan flutes of the West. Their playing is quite different and the melodies that emanate form it have to be heard to be believed.

Sylvie is master of the basuri. Born in a musical circle, mastering the instrument was quite an easy task. What was not easy, in fact, was convincing her father that she did indeed wanted to specialiase in learning the Indian flute. You see, her father, Claud, is a violinist in a French Orchestra in Paris. The fact that her uncle was a cellist, her grandmother a mandolin player and aunt a pianist naturally propelled her towards the realm of Western music.

But Sylvie had other ideas on her mind. Influenced by a recording of Pannalal Ghosh's flute recital, Sylvie approached flute-maestro N. Ramani to accept her as a shishya or student. The Maestro agreed and so began an extraordinary journey of learning and joy that has lasted for nearly a quarter century and passion that is still going strong.

Sylvie moved bag and baggage to Chennai (previously Madras) and was under the tutelage of N Ramani. She talks of her guru with a mixture of reverence and awe and a sprinkling of affection.

Though Sylvie is an ardent devotee of Carnatic music, she is unflinching when it comes to ground realities. "No, I cannot make a career out of Indian flutes and music back home in France. It is still oriented towards Western music." Her fondest wish is to move to Madras and settle down, though she acknowledges that "it might be difficult for her mother".

She is so entranced of India and Indian traditions that it is a matter of great sorrrow for her when Indian teenagers ape Western fashions blindly. "Here is great culture..!" she enthuses. Indian music represent peace and tranquility to her and she is at ease with the local language Tamil.

Sylvie has received two scholarships from the ICCR and the External Affairs Ministry of France.

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