Completing 50 years of professional journey, flautist Pandit Ronu Majumdar feels the need to evolve and to connect further with young music lovers is preparing his next single focused on them.
On his visit to Lucknow, the Padma Shri recipient says, “I am a purist but have kept myself open to changes and evolving. So, to reach out to teenagers and youngsters I have prepared a single You and Me which is a romantic genre. I won’t say it’s a Bollywood style, but something light in a similar genre, which they can relate with and add to their playlist.”
The 63-year-old musician says he is mirroring the trend of digital music playlists. “Today, it’s important to have a high rating on digital platforms and your pieces trend on social media. That will happen when you connect with all age groups, especially the younger generation. And, that will happen when you provide what they want to listen and see,” he says.
Keeping that in mind, he is coming up with his single that will have a video as well. “I have collaborated with amazing pianist and composer Shivam Bhagchi and we are coming out with our single. For the first time, I have made such a romantic theme – bhavnaon ki leher hai ismein. Depending on its success, I will bring a series of singles under an album by collaborating with different artists.”
His last release was Payoji and Raghupati Raghava in Grammy awardee Ricky Kej’s album Gandhi Mantra of Compassion.
“From Love Story (1980) and 1942: A Love Story (1993) with (music composer) RD Burman to my last film, Akshay Kumar’s film Raksha Bandhan (2023), I have played numerous songs for films. So, I know how to be a purist when it’s a classical music loving audience and blend with young school and college students when performing for them,” he says.
Majumdar is next gearing up for his US tour next year with veena player Rajhesh Vaidhya.
The musician says getting Padma Shri this year brought change for him. “There is a big change in recognition in person and on social media. I got the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2014 but this is huge. Professionally, it helps and you get to participate in big government events,” he says on a signing off note.
