Ronu Majumdar

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Ronu Majumdar is a noted flautist in the Hindustani Classical Music tradition. Born in Varanasi on June 20, 1963, Ranendranath Majumdar, popularly known as Ronu was trained under his father and later learned vocal music with the late Pt. Laxman Prasad Jaipurwale at whose behest he reverted to the flute. In 1981, Ronu Majumdar won the first prize at the All India Radio competition.

The flute or bansuri was brought into the fold of Indian Classical music barely half a century ago by Pt Pannalal Ghosh; earlier it was a folk instrument, associated with shepherds, a favoured instrument of lovers like Krishna.

Today, Ronu Majumdar is among the more popular musicians on this instrument, and is especially popular with the younger generation for his creative improvisations. An energetic and indefatigable performer, Pt Majumdar's music is rooted in the Maihar gharana which has thrown up musicians of eminence like Pt Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Apart from his concerts all over India in different music festivals, he also participated in the Festival of India in Moscow and Asiad '82 in New Delhi. He has toured extensively in Europe, the USA , Canada, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and the Middle East.

His speciality is the "Shank Bansuri", a 3-ft long flute of his own design, which adds an extra dimension at the lower scales. Pt. Majumdar is also known for a number of collaborations and jugalbandis with other leading instrumentalists. An innovative composer, he has also composed several pieces in a fusion of Hindustani classical with other forms of music, particularly Western Classical Music, including the projects Carrying Hope (Music Today), A Traveller's Tale, Song of Nature (Magnasound), Kal Akela Kahan (Plus Music).