Dr. Natesan Ramani (15 October 1934 – 9 October 2015), commonly known as N. Ramani or N. Flute Ramani, was an Indian Carnatic flautist. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy‘s Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1996. Ramani is also credited with introducing the long flute into Carnatic music.

Ramani was born in Tiruvarur, a city in Tamil Nadu which is honoured by its association with the Trinity of Carnatic music. Ramani was born into a family of flautists. Ramani first learnt music from his grandfather, Sri Aazhiyur Narayanaswami Iyer, a well known flute artist and singer himself. Aware of young Ramani’s keen interest in the Carnatic flute, Ramani’s initiation to Carnatic music began at the age of five.

Ramani performed his first concert at the age of 8. The turning point in Ramani’s career was when he became a disciple of his maternal uncle and eminent flautist, the late T. R. Mahalingam(known more commonly as “Flute Mali”), who first popularised the Carnatic flute in Indian music. By the age of 11 years, his first concert was held at Singaravelavar Temple, Sikkil, near Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. His mother Smt Sarathambal was instrumental in bringing him to notice. She accompanied him for his concerts when he studying at Boys High School Tiruvarur. Ramani accompanied his guru T. R. Mahalingam in a concert for the first time.

In 1945, Ramani performed his first concert on All India Radio. Following Ramani’s first concert at the Madras Music Academy in 1956, at the age of 22, Ramani had reached the highest point in his career and become an artist of international fame, and his concerts became a regular feature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akfcrL2mUj4