Ranjit Barot
About
Ranjit Barot is a Drummer, film score composer, music director, music arranger, and Bollywood playback singer. He has been described as one of the ‘leading edges in drumming’ by the guitar legend John McLaughlin.
Son of renowned Kathak dancer, Sitara Devi, Ranjit Barot belongs to a family steeped in Indian classical music and dance.
At the age of 17, he became one of the leading performers on the western drum set, and he appeared at the Jazz Yatra in Europe with the Jazz Yatra Sextet, as well as with Pandit Ravi Shankar's ensemble on the same trip in 1980.
As a featured drummer and arranger for the Indian film industry, he has worked with big names such as R.D. Burman, Lakshmikant - Pyaarelal, Kalyanji – Anandji, Anu Malik, Ismail Darbar, and A.R. Rahman's greatest work over the years, including the Grammy & Oscar-nominated 127 Hours, and he continues to bring his unique personality to this genre of music.
He has had the distinct honour of performing often with Maestro Zakir Hussain, including a Masters of Percussion US Tour in 2004 along with U. Srinivas, Guru L. Subramaniam, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ustad Sultan Khan Sahab, Pandit Vikku Vinayakram and Selva Ganesh among many other noted artists.
As a playback singer, Ranjit Barot has lent his soulful voice to several Bollywood songs. He has showcased his singing abilities in tracks like Khalbali from the film Rang De Basanti and Sadda Haq from Rockstar, leaving a lasting impact with his expressive and versatile vocals.
His international collaborations have included one-of-a-kind performances with renowned artists such as John McLaughlin, Jonas Helborg, Ayden Esen, and Tim Garland. He was also featured as the drummer in his Grammy-nominated album Floating Point.
In 2010, Ranjit released his highly acclaimed debut album Bada Boom featuring some of the greatest musicians from India and the West including Ustad Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, U. Srinivas, U. Rajesh, Scott Kinsey, Matt Garrison, Taufique Qureshi, and Tim Garland to name a few.
Ranjit has worked as a background music composer, music composer, and playback singer for Hindi films including Fiza, Main Hoon Naa, Dus, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Shaitan among others.
Awards and accomplishments
Awards and accomplishments
- Ranjit received ‘Best Background Score’ at the Filmfare Awards and Screen Awards for Aks in 2001.
- He also received ‘Best Background Score’ at the Filmfare Awards and Screen Awards for Shaitan in 2011.
- Ranjit was the Music Composer and Sound Designer for the entire Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the mega events, the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 and the opening of the Hockey World Cup 2019.
- He has worked as the music producer of MTV Unplugged seasons 1 & 2 and Jammin season 2.
Why Ranjit Barot?
After being introduced to music at the age of 14, Ranjit Barot has created a niche in both mainstream Indian/World music and Jazz Fusion.
As a drummer, Barot has collaborated with numerous legendary musicians and bands from around the world. Ranjit has performed at various European festivals which also featured jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Foster, Billy Higgins, Cecil Taylor & Louie Bellson, among others.
He is a highly accomplished musician, known for his drumming skills, film scores, music direction, arrangement, and singing. He has left an indelible mark on the Indian music scene with his versatility, innovation, and immense contribution to various genres and forms of music.
