Ranjit Gazmer

Ranjit Gazmer, also credited as Ranjit Gajmer, is an Indian Gorkha musician and music director known for his contribution to the music industry of Nepali cinema. He had a long association with Indian music director R.D. Burman.[1][2] He has composed for most of the films directed by Tulsi Ghimire, a renowned film director in Nepal.

Ranjit Gazmer
Background information
Birth nameRanjit Gazmer
Also known asKancha
Born (1941-10-03) October 3, 1941
Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
Originethnic Indian Gorkha citizen
GenresFilmi
Occupation(s)Music director, musician
Instrument(s)Madal, Vibraphone, Tabla, Drums, Harmonium, Keyboard
Years active1970-present
LabelsHMV Records

Early life

Ranjit Gazmer is from a gold merchant family of Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Gazmer was a student of Amber Gurung at his Art Academy of Music in Darjeeling.[3] His contemporaries were Gopal Yonzon, Karma Yonzon, Sharan Pradhan, Aruna Lama and Jitendra Bardewa, all of whom went on to be musicians. He was a part of a musical group called 'Sangam Club' and was also a drummer for 'The Hillians', the first-ever western band formed in Darjeeling. In 1966, he moved to Birgunj, Nepal with his friends, which included Anuradha Koirala (then Anuradha Gurung), managing an English-medium private school. In 1967, Gazmer moved to Kathmandu with his friends and became a studio musician at Radio Nepal. Later, he moved to Mumbai (then Bombay) to pursue his music career there with R.D. Burman.[1]

Career

Initial works

Gazmer joined George Banks, father of Louis Banks and was performing in his Band. When the Royal Nepal Academy was opened by King Mahendra, Ramsaran Darnal, who worked in the Academy called up Gazmer and gave him a job.

Manohari Singh, a close aid of the Burmans, invited Gazmer to join him in Mumbai. Gazmer arrived in Mumbai on 25 December 1971. Singh then introduced him to R.D. Burman. After initial introduction where he played a tune composed by himself, he was asked to be present in a recording at Film Centre, Tardeo. When Gazmer reached there, he was surprised and happy to see that the tune which he had played in front of Burman when being introduced was being recorded. The song was 'Kanchi Re Kanchi Re', which had been inspired from Gazmer's composition 'Kancha Re Kancha'. After the recording, Burman told him, "This is your song. And from today, you shall be called 'Kancha'". Since then, he was a sitting member of Burman's team as a percussionist until Burman's death in 1994.[4][5]

Music

Gazmer worked under R.D. Burman in Mumbai, playing madal in several Hindi film songs. In 1982, Ranjit arranged for Asha Bhosle to sing her first Nepali film song with him. Asha Bhosle's first Nepali song was however in the film Maitighar. Ranjit he has composed music for several Nepali films such as Samjhana, Kusume Rumal, Lahure, Saino, and Darpan Chaya. He is based in Mumbai and records songs in the studios there.

Discography

As a music director
Year Film Notes
1981Bansuri[6]
1983Samjhana
1985Kusume Rumal
1985Basudev
1987Saino
1989Lahure
1991Chino
1991Trishna
1992Dui Thopa Aanshu
1993Koseli
1994Dakshina
1996Deuta
2001Darpan Chaya
2002Lahana
2007Dui Kinara

References
  1. Gaekwad, Manish (17 March 2018). "R.D. Burman's percussionist Ranjit Gazmer is a symbol of the old days of Bollywood composition". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. गिरी, कुवेर (5 December 2018). "कहिले कहिले लाग्छ सङ्गीतमा लागेर भुल गरेँछु –रन्जित गजमेर". RatoPati (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. Chhetri, Vivek (14 May 2007). "At home, madal player recounts good old Mumbai days". The Telegraph (India). Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  4. Karthak, Peter J. (30 June 2009). "Ranjit Gazmer: My mother's favourite son!". Darjeeling Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  5. "आशाले सोधिन्-नेपालका मान्छेले मलाई किन यति चाँडो बोलाए?". Setopati (in Nepali). 30 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  6. पौडेल, राजाराम (4 March 2018). "रन्जित गजमेर पोखरामा अभिनन्दित". Saptahik (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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