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Flute maestro readies for a cricket break
Ronu Mazumdar.
KNOWN FOR his musical track in the Hollywood film "Primary Colours" which won a Grammy nomination in 1996, Ronu Majumdar has been associated with international greats including Pandit Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Ry Cooder. He has also played flute in the Bollywood film "1942 - A Love Story".
Despite his rather busy schedule, the flute maestro is in his own words at peace with himself. Currently in the city for a performance, the maestro says this will be his last mega performance before he takes a fifteen-day break to sit at home, walk on the beach and watch cricket all day long.
"Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is my God. And though I would not be going to Pakistan to cheer the Indian team, my good wishes are with them," says Pandit Ronu, admitting that the only thing that distracts him from music was cricket. "I like the way Sunny played cricket. It almost felt like music and now Sachin Tendulkar is fast taking his place. And perhaps that is the reason why I feel connected," he says.
And just when you think the flute maestro would never really speak about his first love, he corrects you immediately. "The only reason I am not going to Pakistan is because I also want to do my rehearsals everyday even if it is for fifteen minutes, something that is not possible there," says Ronu.
Asked if there was any threat to classical music from the remixes, Ronu says: "I believe remix is being promoted extensively by the electronic media but the same cannot be said about classical music. But the good news is people in cities especially Delhi have started appreciating classical music which is indeed very encouraging. Also the classical music is not seasonal and does not change with time. It is timeless."
Speaking about his performances in Delhi and how the audience has changed over the years, Ronu says, "Delhi had always been very low on my performance list but things are clearly looking up and I have already performed six times in the city this season. I have begun to start liking the audiences here."
Most of Ronu's albums have English titles. "I don't want to confine myself to regional or national audiences. What I am looking for is an international audience and that is possible only when I speak in a language that they understand. English, therefore, works just fine for me."
As of now, the maestro is busy preparing for his 15-day vacation as music and all the rest can wait.
By Bindu Shajan Perappadan
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Bangalore
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