For a moment, sit calm, close your eyes and take yourself to the banks of the river Ganges where you hear serene and melodious sounds of the flute. If you’re one of those lucky few who can make it to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela on February 3, then make sure you stay for flute maestro Pandit Ronu Majumdar’s flute performance.
Making his debut at the Maha Kumbh Mela, Pandit Ronu is all excited and geared up for his upcoming performance at the divine surroundings of the Kumbh Mela. Pandit Ronu says that the UP government has invited classical musicians for the first time to perform at the festival. “I feel blessed…the Maha Kumbh is one of the most divine and sacrosanct festivals in the Hindu calendar. People from all over the world come here to pray at the Sangam Triveni,” he says.
Music and spirituality are intertwined and have a special connect.
“I truly believe that music comes from another planet. There is not a single note that you can create. It comes from the nature and God creates that. I was just rehearsing with Louis Banks the other day and we were talking about how one can’t ‘create’ a note. We can only be inspired and channelise the notes in our own different ways, but at the end of the day, music is above all of us. It comes to us, rather than us going to it. You are chosen to be a musician by a divine intervention of sorts,” explains Pandit Ronu.
The repertoire of the maestro’s performance at the Maha Kumbh will include various famous bhajans by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, then Raag Saraswati which is the mother of all ragas and various other small pieces.
“I still can’t believe that I will be performing at the banks of Triveni sangam. It is said that Maa Saraswati descends on earth and showers her blessings upon us,” says Pandit Ronu.
Having a fresh perspective on music around him today, Pandit Ronu says that he doesn’t believe in genres of music. “I don’t consider any generation gap or different barriers in music. I just enjoy my music and keep up with my technique. I am happy that I connect with the commoners. The younger generation today is looking for something new all the time. That inspires musicians to create something new. I don’t think they are to be blamed for the kind of music that is popular today. At the end of the day, they want pure sound and novelty in music,” says Pandit Ronu.
Since Bollywood eats a larger share of the musical pie, Pandit Ronu thinks that there is need for change in people’s mindset and attitudes.
“I believe Bollywood is popular and commercial only because of the marketing gimmicks these days. There is more visibility and more publicity. You know, abroad it is not like that. Musicians are bigger than any stars there. Here, we worship our stars and actors and don’t look beyond them. Musicians haven’t been able to achieve that cult status in India. I have no qualms in admitting here that we should change the way we market classical music. Classical musicians have to find their own space. It is time to stop getting sidelined. It makes me angry that our classical bandishes are not getting the place they really deserve,” says Pandit Ronu.
Having been close to the legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who had advised Pandit Ronu to develop a unique style of his own, the flautist says, “No one can get close to Pandit Ravi Shankarji or the other legends. I’m afraid, but we are not doing anything to live up to their vision and standards. Whenever I travel abroad, audiences come up to me saying that they expect what Pandit Shankarji had played years ago. It is no doubt, difficult to keep up with traditions and standards set by veterans like Pandit Shankarji and Ustad Akbar Ali Khan. We need some soul searching at the end of the day and we need to reflect about where we are going,” says Pandit Ronu.
On another level, Pandit Ronu thinks we are losing our identity as a nation with respect to culture and music.
“We need to revive our identity and bring back that purity. We are going through a confused stage in music where we have developed a lack of vision. It is time to take a step back and introspect,” says Pandit Ronu.
On a personal note, Pandit Ronu says that meditation keeps him going. “Music and I are inseparable. I do pranayam and try to maintain a balance in life. Music does get overwhelming at times, but once you are performing, you forget about everything else and you are at ease. I am at my happiest best when I connect with my audience and when they encourage me to do even better. I strive to get better everyday and go beyond performances. The possibilities are endless and that is inspiring enough for any artiste.”