Neo Notes

Pandit Ronu Majumdar’s answers were both candid and measured. On Day 2 of Antarang at Sawai Gandharva Smarak,the flautist shared with the audience the choices he had made as a musician and his drive for experimentation. Pt Majumdar spoke in a mix of Hindi,Marathi and English,shifting comfortably between the three while giving quick answers to questions by vocalist Vikas Kashalkar. Beautiful renderings of ragas on the basuri accompanied most of his answers.

Pt Majumdar’s journey into music began at an early age,when he was transfixed by the sound of the instrument. “The bansuri was made a part of Hindustani Classical music by Pandit Pannalal Ghosh. Earlier,it was considered a folk instrument,” he said,as he played a raga. Pandit Majumdar also shared his interest in jugalbandi and fusion. “Most of the time,jugalbandi becomes a matter of competition and so the blending does not happen. Jugalbandi ke liye mann ka riyaaz karna chahiye ( For jugalbandi ,the mind needs to be trained). Artistes should collaborate,or else it becomes a confused piece of music.”

The flautist,who is known for his wide-ranging interests when it comes to music,has actively innovated with new age music. He has also been a Grammy nominee for his work with Bela Fleck in the 1996 album,Tabula Rasa. His international collaborations have made him understand music in different perspectives. As the interview proceeded,Pt Majumdar played a classic Russian flute piece. “I had learnt it when I was in Moscow in 1988 for the Moscow Chambers concert,” he said,as he moved over to playing the Shank Bansuri designed by him. A three-feet long flute,the Shank Bansuri is known to reach lower scales than the normal bansuri.