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Ronu Majumdar
Weaving magic through his flute
The
Pied Piper of Hamlin wove his magic through the flute and all children
followed him into a world beyond reality. Mozart’s Opera Magic Flute
still haunts the minds of western classical music lovers. It is indeed
a heavenly instrument as embodied in the passionate playing of the flute
by none other than Lord Krishna.
Well, nearer home, that is in the city of Calcutta at Cossipur Udyanbati,
more than twenty five thousand people had assembled to be spell-bound
by the magical notes of a flute recital rendered by Ronu Majumdar. The
concert organised on the occasion of Kalpataru Utsav lasted for one-and-a-half
hour.
He played Naat Bhairav starting with alap, jod, jhala, bilambit, jhaptal
and drut teental which was competently supported by Abhijit Banerjee on
his tabla. Ronu Majumdar’s masterly flute renditions have charmed
his music critics as well. One of them said -- Wherever he performs, his
outstanding maturity and understanding of ragas, his emotional appeal,
his breath control puts life into the musical notes and endears him to
the audience.-- Despite his busy schedule we managed to ask Ronu Majumdar
a few queries. Now that he is the first Bengali to have secured the top
position as a flautist, to whom would he credit his achievement?
Says Ronu Majumdar -- Actually the bamboo flute is a folk instrument but
after much soul-searching and research, Pandit Pannalal Ghosh who is a
pioneer of the genre discovered that it was possible to play and produce
musical notes of the classical rags and ragini on the flute. It is his
discovery and creativity that inspired me to forge ahead. It was he (Pannalal
Ghose) who was instrumental in popularising the bamboo flute not only
in India but also abroad.
Bengalis have always made a mark not only in India but across the sub-continent
in all spheres of cultural activity. Among them Pandit Ronu Majumdar has
carved a niche in the realm of flute playing. He can be bracketed amongst
the topmost flautist within the range of classical music.
Ronu’s flute renditions have been used as a background score in a
documentary on the American President Bill Clinton entitled Primary Colours.
It was a major achievement which fetched him Rs 5 lakhs royalty from the
producers of the documentary. Many CD cassettes of his flute compositions
are already out in the market, the most notable being Raag Parmeshwari
in collaboration with Pandit Ravi Shankar which has the maestro’s
rag creations. It is a raga to be played on the flute which no other flautist
has dared.
Ronu who is hailed as India’s front-ranking flautist is one of the
biggest heart-throb of the younger generation. A powerhouse performer,
Ronu is firmly rooted in the Maihar gharana which has thrown up musicians
of eminence like Pt Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Born in Benaras on June 20, 1963, Ranendranath Majumdar, popularly known
as Ronu was trained under his father but, later switched to vocal music
under the tutelage of the late Pt Laxman Prasad Jaipurwale at whose behest
he reverted to the flute. Ronu today, displays an unlimited range of improvisatory
inventions while playing the flute.
His magic sprints from the relaxed, incessant and progressive exploration
of decibel levels. He generates innumerable sound waves which gently encircle
the listener and ultimately overwhelm him. Ronu’s music emanates
from a deep understanding and internalisation of a rich tradition. He
is a magician who compels even the tone-deaf to lend him a willing ear.
Celebration and gaiety bubble forth as Ronu plays his jod portions. There
is an appropriate transformation of approach, technique as the mood shifts
from melancholy to ecstasy. One may inhale the fragrance of festivity
as Ronu weaves his tonal patterns
Ronu has been the star attraction of all the major music festivals in
India. A globe-trotter, he has performed all over Europe and America where
his programmes have made an enormous impact motivating some leading practitioners
of Western music to launch a series of musical encounters with him.
He has played innumerable jugalbandis with leading instrumentalists. An
innovative composer he has scored music for projects viz Carrying Hope
(Music Today), Traveller’s Tale, Song of Nature (Magnasound), Kal
Akela Kahan (Plus Music). Ronu Majumdar is a favourite performer of the
television buffs.
He was the first concert artiste to be recorded for Raag Rang, the 39
episode serial on ragas produced by Doordarshan. He appears regularly
in television concerts hosted by channels like Starplus and Music Asia.
A flautist who is not only empowered with technique but coupled with an
imagination and passion which is a profoundly moving experience for the
captive listener.
Anit Mukerjea