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Journalism of Courage
last month Ronu Majumdar found out that a tune he had played was picked up as the theme score for Primary Colors.
Mike Nichols8217; film based on the life of US president Bill Clinton picked up the tune that Grammy-winning guitarist Ry Cooder, trumpet player John Hassels and Majumdar recorded together. quot;The score is called Wide Sky8217;. This is the first time flute music has been used as a theme piece by Hollywood.quot;
And it was a sheer twist of fate that made it happen.
On hearing Majumdar8217;s bansoori at a concert, Ry Cooder sent his numbers through a friend. The next time Majumdar was in America he used that number. quot;Well, the rest is history. We recorded inside a church at Santa Barbara. The natural reverberation added to the impact of the score. Nichols was present at the recording and he immediately considered using it for his film.quot;
But this is not the first time his music has been used for a film?
He has played with R D Burman8217;s orchestra for films like Agar Tum Na Hote. Morerecently it were his lilting notes that were added to 1942 A Love Story.quot;My first non-film album was Koi Akela Kahan with Kavita Krishnamurty.quot; And then there8217;s Song of Nature, Traveller8217;s Tale a fusion album and Heart to Heart, a jugalbandi with Zakir Hussain. quot;Carrying Hope, an experimental project is one of my personal favourites. It8217;s my language of expressing optimism to an ever-changing, cynical world.quot;
A hope that Majumdar still has despite a personal battle in his early years as a musician with penury and hard struggle.
quot;Both my gurus, Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao and Pandit Laxman Prasad Jaipurwala, were against the idea of my playing the flute for money. But I had no choice. It was a matter of survival.quot; The first opportunity came when he met R D Burman in 1981. The second, was just a year later, when he played with Ravi Shankar8217;s orchestra at the 1982 Asiad. quot;I was already acquainted with Western Classical Music when I joined his orchestra for Chants of India. This knowledge helped when Iplayed with Ravi Shankar at the 1988 Festival of India at Moscow where one of the concerts was a jugalbandi with a Western orchestra.quot; By then Majumdar was regarded as a musician in his own right.
In fact, now he is ready to modify his surs to match mass culture.
quot;It would be lovely to have visuals interpret my music. It is a misconception that popular taste is averse to classical taste. People are not exposed to classical music enough to decide that they prefer only pop music.quot;
And what would he do with that preference?
Majumdar wants to reach the international audience as a bansoori not flute 8212; player. quot;I want the Indian bansoori to be recognised as a separate instrument, with its own distinctive sound.quot; In fact, he has designed a unique bansoori 8212; the Shankh Bansoori that can render more power and depth to alaap notes.
Ronu Majumdar at the ISKCON Auditorium, Juhu. On September 5.
Sanjukta Sharma
