Album: Vrindavan

Label: Times Music

Artist: Pt Ronu Majumdar

India’s ace flautist Pt Ronu Majumdar presents a great collection of soothing flute pieces in his musical interpretation of Lord Krishna’s abode Vrindavan. While we know Pt Majumdar for his brilliant folk reditions, in this seven track album he weaves traditional folk to contemporary arrangements.

The mellow track Dreams gives a nice start to the album, but what hits the listener instantly is Classic Lounge – an awe inspiring combination of folk and contemporary. What really stands out in this song is the feel and the catchy hook layered on lounge beats.

You and Me has a thematic – romantic appeal to it. While it’s not the best on the album, it has some great moments in bits and parts. The track Shepherds Call is strong on experimentation with effects and all; in fact, Majumdar even tweaks the original flute sound on some parts of the song, but the end result is not as likable.

The maestro shows his chops on Indian Summer, where he also dubs over hi own solos – the overall effect creates a magical ambience on this up-tempo track. Two tracks – Nostalgia and Bitter Sweet – make a great company for a quiet evening, given it’s dreamy poignant feel.

Despite the challenging nature of the theme, Majumdar, successfully creates the surreal abode of Lord Krishna using the power of his flute – something very few flautists can even dare to try. If you are looking for an instrumental album that promises peace – go for this.