Great!! and so touching! --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Ajit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello fellow ARR Fans, > > Back on Nov 25th, my dream came true when I met and spent some time > with ARR. I wrote about it briefly to you all shortly afterwards > informally. However, I have written a formal writeup on my experience > with him that night as well as my own deep feelings about him. My > family has encouraged me to submit this writeup to some local Indian > newspapers here in the US, such as India Abroad. I may do this, but I > would like your feedback first. There is some intimate information > about ARR's life which I learned, which I am not sure if some of you > already know about. Please forgive the lengthy nature of this writeup > and I'm sorry to take so much bandwidth. The point of this writeup is > not only to express my deep feelings about ARR, but to also hopefully > someday educate the public about him and his music. In fact, many of > my close friends were pleasantly surprised to know about some facts of > ARR that they didn't know before and regarded him with more respect > after reading my writeup. But, I am humble about it and I want to > share this with you. Thanks for reading. > _________________________________________________________________________ > A.R. Rahman......... > > > >Yes, we've all heard of him and most of us have heard his music. > He's been > >called "The Mozart of Madras". He's the long wavy haired Tamilian music > >director genius from Chennai who is associated with movie soundtracks > like > >Taal, Rangeela, Lagaan, Iruvar, Thiruda Thiruda, Dil Se, Roja.... > Yup, you > >know him.....the shy and quiet one. Yes, he is the one who prefers to > >compose music at night, requiring singers and other artists to adjust > their > >routines to accomodate his recording schedule, and the one who is > notorious > >for taking his own time composing, much to the impatience of the "film > >wallahs" of Mumbai and Chennai. He is the most expensive music director. > >He has been labeled repetitive by his critics, focusing too much on > rhythm > >and "fusion". Some accuse him of tainting the traditional North Indian > >style of film music with his brand of fusion experimentation, imbuing > >Western and South Indian musical blends. Oh, and let's not forget the > >other > >outdated and absurd criticism of.... "Woh synthesizer aur computer se > >gaane > >karte hain na?" > > > >What else is known about A.R. Rahman? > > > >He has been awarded with the Padmashree, one of the most distinguished > >awards the Indian government gives to deserving and outstanding citizens. > >Winning countless number of filmfare, national, technical, and other > >regional awards and accolades, he has been showered with praise by Lata > >Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Amitabh Bacchan, > President > >Abdul Kalam (for whose poem he has composed music) and many other top > >artists and performers. He has single handedly revolutionized the > face of > >Indian film music from the 1990s to today, begining with his debut > >soundtrack for "Roja" in 1992 (first in Tamil). He somehow was able to > >bring the top most classical and film artists of the country with all > their > >egos and generate a beautiful patriotic album consisting of various vocal > >and instrumental renditions of the Indian National Anthem...."Jana Gana > >Mana" in the year 2000. Oh yes, his patriotism.......remember his > very own > >creation celebrating India's 50th year of independence in 1997 with the > >album "Vande Mataram"? He is the number one selling artist in India, > >commercially selling more than Britney Spears and Madonna combined. His > >music has been recognized internationally, gathering the attention and > >applause of Andrew Loyd Webber who is known for directing many famous > >Western musicals. Their showbiz marriage gave birth to "Bombay > Dreams", an > >amalgamation of his own Hindi film songs and original Western musical > >pieces > >which showcased in London and Broadway. He has collaborated with > violinist > >virtuoso Vanessa Mae, superstar Michael Jackson, and recently scored the > >background music for a Chinese film "Between Heaven and Earth", utilizing > >Turkish and Chinese instruments and musical styles. And let's not forget > >his latest international venture in co-composing music for Kevin > Wallace's > >"The Lord of the Rings" stage musical, projected to be the biggest > musical > >of all times. > > > >Yes, that's the A.R. Rahman known publically. > > > >I have been a fan of his music now for several years, following his work > >closely and anticipating new music from him constantly. As a > keyboard and > >piano player like him, I spend a lot of time listening to his music, > >learning, getting inspired, and just being moved. His music to me is not > >time pass, it's a cherished experience each time that never gets old. > >That's the beauty of his music.........you let it grow on you, and like > >good > >wine, it ages gracefully with more appeal. Of course, I don't expect > >everyone to buy into his work and his music is of course subject to > >different opinions. > > > >But, people often wonder why I like him so much? They say I am "paagal" > >about hs music and that I like anything he composes. Yes, I am "crazy" > >about his music, but it's not true that I love everything he creates. I > >give his music a chance, but there are many songs of his that go nowhere > >wth > >me even after letting them grow. He's a human being afterall. > > > >What is it about this man and his music that drives me to the peak of > >passionate reverance and devotional admiration? I don't speak for his > >other > >fans and admirers, but based on my observations, my reasons below are > >shared > >by others. Beyond a certain popular appeal about his music that most > >people > >can identify with, I can answer this question based on what close > people to > >me know about me. I consider myself to be open minded and tolerant > when it > >comes to human diversity in all forms. Actually, I celebrate > diversity and > >a lot of that impetus comes from my own life experience of having a > >cultural > >blend of Indian and Western values and world views and choosing the > best of > >both worlds. For me, Rahman's music celebrates diversity in all its > >vibrant > >and beautiful colors. Like a coherent mozaic, his music breaks across > >artificial barriers and speaks about the threads that bind us. And the > >word > >"fusion" is really not appropriate to describe his approach and > style. He > >somehow manages to blend various musical styles from around the world and > >yet retain a sound and feel that is totally and completely Indian in > most > >of > >his Indian film compositions. I honestly don't know any other musical > >artist with a bigger musical range and repertoir than him; incorporating > >Western classical, symphony, Hindustani and Carnatic classical, jazz and > >smooth jazz, thumris, bhajans, Qawalis, ghazals, sufi, new age, dance, > >techno, Latin, Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, Ska, Rock, etc. etc. His > music is > >simply all emcompassing. As a person devoted to Sufi Islam and > coming from > >Tamil Nadu, his ability and willingness to compose North Indian style > music > >and world music catering and appealing to different languages, cultures, > >and > >religions is simply astounding. To that effect, he is not just a music > >director of Indian film music. He is a true cross over artist and a > world > >music composer. > > > >The other aspect about his music that resonates so intimately with me is > >the > >underlying spiritualness and emotional depth of many of his compositions, > >which I will elaborate further when speaking about him as a person. As a > >psychologist, a musician, and a deeply spiritual and emotional person > >myself, his ability to communicate complex emotions through his music > on a > >spiritual platform of innovative soundscapes has impacted me in profound > >ways that I just cannot describe in words. Indeed, I find a strong > >connection between sound, spirituality, and emotional expression in his > >music that for me personally, has been very therapeutic and uplifting. > >Despite my lack of understanding of Hindi and Tamil lyrics, his music > >speaks > >volumes to me more than words could ever dare. His compositions have > gone > >way beyond the typical romantic love ballads of Indian film music, while > >also catering to those who appreciate those types of songs as well > when the > >film or situation requires it. > > > >From all his awards, accomplishments, accolades, distinctions, and from > >what > >I described above, one can gain a firm understanding about this man's > vast > >musical aptitude and sheer genius. That in and of itself deserves > >recognition, which has been granted. But, what is less obvious and > sadly, > >often neglected in the public's eye is what his music and the > >expressiveness > >and dedication behind it says about him as a pesron, which I only > inferred > >and observed before actually meeting him in person. > > > >Before meeting him in Toronto on November 25, 2005, thanks to my new > friend > >and A.R. Rahman fan who arranged the meeting, I had an impression of > him as > >a shy and socially anxious person who communicated more through his music > >than words. Through his stated interviews, press statements, and > >involvements with various charitable causes, including being the UN > global > >ambassador for the fight against TB, I also understood him to be down to > >earth, humble, and generous. His latest involvement in a musical project > >addressing issues related to poverty and human rights, for which he > >composed > >an anti-poverty anthem, was another indicator of this man's > compassion and > >sensitivity. As we entered his studio, we were directed to a door > which we > >thought was a waiting room, when it was in fact the studio in which > Rahman > >was busily composing the background score of his latest Hindi film > >soundtrack for "Rang De Basanti". We opened the door, and much to our > >astonishment, there he was, in person, just as surprised as we were > to see > >us as we were to see him! He of course knew we were coming to the > studio > >to > >meet him, but I don't think he expected us to just walk into his > recording > >room! After we apologized profusely, he smiled, came out and told us to > >please sit in the actual waiting room. No frown, no sign of irritation, > >but > >just pure hospitality. > > > >Half an hour later, he gave us his break time and sat down with us. > >Unassuming, gentle, shy, but yet showing interest in us and asking us > >questions, my wife and I were very excited to be meeting him, but I in > >particular, felt quite overwhelemed being in the actual presence of a man > >who I have admired and practically worshipped for all these years. A > total > >dream come true. He made us feel so comfortable and related to us > like we > >were his friends, never airing his status as a superstar, and never > talking > >about himself or his music. He was so relaxed with us, making witty > >remarks, giggling, and being at ease, we almost felt like we've > known him > >personally for a while. He defied our expectations of him being very shy > >and > >reserved, which perhaps would have been the case in a crowd or if our > >common > >friend wasn't there. Regardless, he gave us his break time despite not > >having slept the night before and dealing with the work pressure of > >handling > >so many huge Hindi and Tamil film soundtracks and The Lord of the Rings > >musical. Despite being in a foreign country, he welcomed us with as much > >hospitality as if that studio were his home. This was exemplified > the most > >when he wished us a good journey home and asked us caringly by saying, > >"Khana?" while motioning his hand towards his mouth. He and his group of > >musicians were looking for food in the fridge and despite appearing > to not > >have many options, he still offered us dinner. > > > >His simple and humble personality combined with his strong spiritual > nature > >left a big impact on us, despite being with him for only 15-20 > minutes. Of > >course for me, being it a dream come true, I was quite overwhelemed > by the > >experience. However, beyond that, we felt touched by this man's > >compassionate and gentle humanity. A true philanthropist, we learned > from > >that despite all the fame and success he has earned, he does not use > money > >for self indulgence. He uses only what he needs and generously gives to > >the > >less fortunate in India. As we sat and chatted, a basketball game was > >happening on TV in front of us. Rahman remarked that he doesn't > understand > >what's going on when he sees these games. After a pause, he stated, "I > >don't > >even know cricket". Only later we came to understand the significance of > >this remark and how personal it is for Rahman. > > > >At a tender age of 9, his father, a well known musician himself in Tamil > >Nadu, succumbed to illness and passed on. Known then as Dileep Kumar, he > >bore the burden of having to support his family and deal with the > grief of > >his father's sudden absence. As a result, he dropped out of school and > >eventually took up his first job carrying musical instruments for other > >musicians. He sacrified his childhood to support his family and > eventually > >became more involved with music as time went on. He suffered tremendous > >hardship during those years. One of his regrets and a source of great > >sadness for him is never getting an opportunity to understand and > develop > >an > >interest in the game of cricket due to being so bogged down during his > >childhood. As we know, the sport of cricket is India's pride and joy, > >loved > >and watched and played by so many. Thus, a painful void in his life, so > >apparent and real, but unknown except to those very close to him. He also > >compares himself unfavorably with others with regards to dropping out of > >school early and not having achieved a desired level of education, > despite > >his status and success in life thus far. > > > >These painful emotional wounds from his past along with tremendous > love and > >support from his family served to drive his strong sense of values, > >simplicity, faith, spirituality, compassion, humility, sense of duty, and > >love for diversity. A true modern day rennaissance man and > philanthropist, > >his creative work is a broad but powerful reflection of his life > experience > >and has served time and time again to deepen his faith and committment to > >hard work and helping others. I often sensed that in many of his > >compositions, there is a touch of sorrow interwoven like a thread, a > quiet > >but profound commentary on the pangs of humanity. But, yet, there is > also > >celebration, joy, folk festivity, and just plain rocking > entertainment when > >the mood demands it. His popularity and commercial success prove that he > >can entertain like no other when he wants to. His ability to communicate > >such a rich emotional and spiritual landscape through his music most > >certainly reflects a true investment of his heart and soul and his > dreams, > >as well as the wounds that have been inflicted on them by life. This > >emotional depth and spiritual dimension that I sense through his creative > >expressions are what resonate within me so intensely. He expresses his > >spirituality through the beautiful use of Indian raagas, which appeal > to me > >on a classical sense. His music is so enriched with emotional depth and > >dimension, which sadly, has often gone unappreciated by the masses > who are > >more interested in entertainment than art. After meeting him and > catching > >a > >glimpse of his personality for real, my esteem, devotion, and love > for this > >man is even higher. I am and forever will be his student and fan. > > > >The pureness of A.R. Rahman and his music will be with me forever. I feel > >very fortunate and grateful to have met him and I hope that I can > meet him > >again some day. I expressed many of my thoughts written above to him > in a > >letter that my friend gave to him before meeting me. For a man whose > only > >dream was to compose for one film during his jingle ad composing > days, who > >he is today and what he has accomplished is much more than a dream come > >true. > > >
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