*Rahman left his home to study music at Trinity College of Music, Oxford University. With a degree in Western Classical Music, he returned to Madras to join an Ad agency in 1987.
*Didn't Rahman get his degree thro distant learning? Correct me if am wrong, friends. Cheers, Shahul. On Jan 6, 2008 8:31 AM, $*$ PaVaN $*$ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Happy Birthday BOSS. > > Below is the article on ARR's birthday from Zee News...nice one.. > > ----------------------------------- > > The Mozart of Madras *Mini Kumari* > > I have fought, argued, held eternal grudges against anyone who didn't > agree with me over the greatness of Rahman, the Mozart of Madras. From > buying the first audio release, to listening to his music all day long, it's > after a long time that I sit to rethink and share my thoughts on the wizard, > who weaves spells through his music. > > The name needs no introduction. It stands for melody, energy – a heady mix > of modern and traditional form of music. It also symbolises the man who has > stirred emotions of love, patriotism, and many unspoken feelings by his > music. A tech-savvy musician, who mixes charms of musical notes with > technology to create a new genre of listeners. A man who has gained > international acclaims yet remains humble, truthful, with an air of > innocence. > > Born A S Dileep Kumar, A R Rahman turns 42-year-old today. > > *Birth and personal life* > > Dileep was born in Chennai to Late R K Shekhar and Kasturi (now Kareema > Begum). He was introduced to music at an early age and in a short span of > time became the best-selling recording artiste ever surpassing Elvis, > Beatles and Jackson. > > Being second among the 4 children, Rahman has three sisters, Rehana > (Kanchana), Fatima Talat (Bala) and Israth. > > At the age of 29, Rahman had an arranged marriage to the beautiful, demure > Kutchi speaking wife, Saira in 1995. They have three children, two daughters > namely Khatija and Raheema and a son –Rumi. > > *Early years* > > Life is drama – true in the case of young Dileep, who lost his father > while he was just nine years old. He became the sole breadwinner of his > family by playing instruments in bands and lending the musical instruments > owned by his father to various troops. A school dropout, this little > precocious child soon became a touring tyro musician with tabla maestro > Zakir Hussain and various other orchestras. > > Dileep converted to Islam at the age of 20. "My dad went through a lot of > problems. He was sick and my childhood was a disaster… I spent most of my > childhood in hospitals. There came a stage when the family was almost down. > We met a pir sahab at that time. It is inexplicable. It just happened. My > idea of God coincided with all this." Dileep became Allah Rakha Rahman, his > mother Kasturi is now Kareema Begum. "Okay, this was something that was > bound to happen", he says. > > Soon, Rahman left his home to study music at Trinity College of Music, > Oxford University. With a degree in Western Classical Music, he returned to > Madras to join an Ad agency in 1987. He wrote some 300 jingles for radio and > TV commercials – winning several industry awards. He also released his first > album of Muslim devotional songs, titled Deen Isai Malai and the English > album, Set Me Free. Both went unnoticed in the market. > > *Rising from 'Roja' * > > The maestro's debut in the film industry came in 1992 at the age of 26. > Director Mani Ratnam, approached Rahman to compose the score and soundtrack > for Tamil film Roja. The music broke all the records and went on to become > Time's top ten music tracks of all time. It also fetched him first National > Film Award for best music direction, an award that was given for the first > time to a debutante music director. > > The success of Roja was followed by Tamil movies like Bombay (dubbed in > Hindi), Kadhalan, Indira, Minsaara Kanavu, Muthu and Love Birds, which > gained him accolades even from non-Tamil fans who swayed to the freshness of > tracks and cared little about the literals. > > Rahman's versatility in classical, folk, jazz, reggae, soft rock and other > styles in his pieces soon made him stand out in the dull Hindi cinema which > still used the quintessential 'dholak' for the 'taal' and was also reluctant > to experiment with new technologies. > > It was maverick director Ram Gopal Varma's movie Rangeela, which gave > Rahman his first break in Bollywood in 1995. Though the movie failed to > create waves at box-office, people danced and hummed to the tunes of famous > title tracks – 'Rangeela Re' and 'Tanha Tanha'. The film later went on to > become Rahman's biggest hit and the most original score of that year. > > *A true experimentalist* > > Rahman has many a hit movie scores, some were even re-made in other > languages. > > His prowess in South film industry is unparalleled. But his music score in > Hindi films like 'Bombay', 'Rangeela', 'Dil Se', 'Lagaan', 'Yuva', Saathiya' > and 'Rang De Basanti' are timeless. For each time you listen to a 'Tu Hi > Re', 'Ae Nazneen Suno Na', 'Rangeela Re', 'Mitwa', 'Humdum Suniyo Re', > 'Khuda Hafiz', 'Paathshaala' or 'Rubaru' it seems as if you heard a new beat > or a new note, which was not heard last time. > > Unlike other music directors, Rahman's uncertainty of many a factor about > his music makes his every releases worth the wait. He has tested the limits > of playback singers and moulded them accordingly, even the untrained ones. > > Rahman had established singers like Asha Bhosle convey that titillating > effect in 'Tanha Tanha' and brought out the warmth of Chitra's voice in > 'Kehna Hi Kya' from Bombay. The song 'Jiya Jale' from the movie Dil Se, sung > by ageing Lata Mangeshkar expressed restlessness and angst. The exuberance > of Sukhwinder Singh's voice in Chaiyya Chaiyya sets the parties rolling even > after completing a decade of its release. > > Rahman himself sang the new version of Vande Matram with Nusrat Fateh Ali > Khan in 1997, marking the 50th year of Indian independence. > > *Rahman-Ratnam combo* > > Rahman who has worked with Mani Ratnam in at least nine movies – Roja, > Thiruda Thiruda, Bombay, Iruvar/Iddaru, Dil Se, Alaipayuthey/Sakhi/Sathiya, > Kannathil Muthamittal/ Amrutha, Ayutha Ezhuthu/Yuva, Guru; has always given > chart topping numbers. The strength of the music of Dil Se made it the first > Asian film to enter the UK Top 10. > > "Every time we work together it is like our first film. We understand each > other perfectly", Ratnam quips. > > *Music is life* > > An otherwise shy Rahman lives, eats and sleeps music. The wizard who has > made a record sale of 200 million cassettes worldwide is not bothered about > the quantity, but the quality and the satisfaction that he derives out of > his work. > > Rahman's personal studio, Panchathan Record Inn, which he started in 1989, > was the centre of his learning and experimentation with different kinds of > sounds. The studio was put out of use in 2005, after which he shifted to his > new studio named as A M Studio. The new studio is considered to be the most > developed, equipped and high tech studio of Asia. Rahman also launched his > own music label, KM Musiq in 2006. > > Known for recording at night, when the world sleeps, he is dedicated yet > doesn't fuss like other music directors. Rahman takes his own sweet time to > compose songs and prefers recording in his Madras studio, which is a major > hassle for Bollywood producers. Nevertheless the results are worth the > trouble. > > The people who have worked with the genius have all praises for his sheer > genius. Vairamuthu, the lyricist, with whom Rahman shares a special bond, > said, "Rahman has some God given gift in him. He is like a rare pearl in > ocean of music. When one composes a song he is always worried as to whether > the song will click or not. But Rahman is one composer who does not care > about the commercial success of the song. He is always confident that if a > number is composed with a good heart and self-confidence it will be a big > hit." > > *From Bollywood to Broadway* > > The maestro, who has created many an unending spells, holds a special > place in the hearts of music aficionados across the world. Rahman got > international acclaim in 2002, when he composed his maiden stage production > Bombay Dreams, produced by Andrew Llyod Weber. He also composed the music > for The Lord of the Rings theatre production along with the Finnish folk > music band Värttinä. He has composed the piece "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa > Mae's album Choreography. > > Rahman also composed the score for the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and > Earth in 2003. He composed the music of Shekhar Kapur's sequel to Elizabeth, > Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) alongwith Craig Armstrong. > > Taking time out from his hectic lifestyle, Rahman has set up the 'A R > Rahman Foundation' to eradicate poverty. This includes setting up and > partnering with educational institutions across India to provide education > to children who do not have easy access to schools or funds. > > *Awards and Recognitions* > > With a career spanning 16 years, Rahman has nearly 100 movies to his > credit as a music director. He was conferred Padma Shri in the year 2000. He > also has four National Awards for music directions, apart from other > numerous awards conferred on him. > > > Link : > > http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=416810&sid=ZNS > > > > <http://www.mymailsignature.com/> > > > > > > > > <http://www.mymailsignature.com/?partner=ZGzeb001> > > ------------------------------ > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > now.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51733/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ+> > >
