Ram Kumar Mallick

Ram Kumar Mallick is a singer of dhrupad from the Darbhanga tradition, one of the oldest lines of dhrupad musicians. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Bihar ^[1].

Twelfth generation

He was born on 10 February 1957 into the Mallick family of the Darbhanga gharana and represents its twelfth generation ^[2]. He trained from childhood with his father, Vidur Mallick, and grandfather, Sukhdev Mallick, both noted dhrupad singers ^[2]. As well as dhrupad he sings khayal, thumri, dadra, Vidyapati songs and bhajans ^[2].

Keeping dhrupad alive

Mallick has set up an organisation in his father’s name to preserve dhrupad, which holds a yearly music festival in Darbhanga ^[2]. At the Pandit Vidur Mallick Dhrupad Sangeet Gurukul in Darbhanga he teaches dhrupad free of charge ^[2].

An A-grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed at festivals in India and across Europe, including at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and the Moers festival in Germany ^[2]. Several albums of his music have been released in Germany ^[2].

Honours

He came first at the National Youth Festival in 1985 and received the Swathi Thirunal Puraskar at the Akhil Bharatiya Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi in 2014 ^[2].