Dear Mr. Srinivasa krishnan, Hello. I listened to your talk in Rahmania show, and have even recorded it . I just jotted down some of the salient points that you discussed abt your troupe and about what you had said on ARR here .
Dear Rahmaniacs, Srinivas Krishnan, artistic director of the Global Rhythms Ensemble was present in the Rahmania show on Great Fans Day today. He is a Professor & Mentor in the Honours & scholars program at Miami University. 1. When did you first listen to A.R.Rahman Music ? When I first saw Roja, it made a very big impression on me , from the standpoint of the film itself . You need to have a good film, to give good music, and in the view point of the narrator also. After many years, in 2000, I was very very impressed in ARR 's work in Lagaan. When I started teaching Chale Chalo song , the children used to stand on their chairs and start singing for the song. Global Rhthyms started in 1997 with four people. One was a senior student by name Jasin Cones , and everybody else were just high school students. They all know about 38 songs of ARR till date. Its not memorization, but they will be able to enjoy that and the feeling is expressed in their faces. Its because of this music, they started liking all about India . ( Indian food, Indian jewellery, Indian Music , Indians etc ) Last year, The Consul General from the US Consulate called Rahman and me with all students, and it was a great moment. The students themselves call me and ask me what song next of ARR ????? Every Monday night , they spend 3 hrs enjoying ARR music. I never forget the moment when we started playing Lagaan . They said " hey man. This piece has a very cool Raaga touch". Then continued with Ramta Jogi, Raasathi. For them , there was no lanuguage. They started liking the song, and started to learn by heart by mere listening to these songs. In November 2002, I was upgraded on a British Airways Flight to First Class in London . There I saw a gentleman walking with a Black Pant and Black Shirt , and I got a chance to sit next to him. That was ARR. He was returning from London to India. *And whenever ARR meets me he says " Hey Man. Do you remember. We met in the Skies". * In March 2003, there was a concert of Unity of Light, and immediately, he invited our group of 70 students. The whole plane was filled with our students from Detroit to New York. That tour sowed the seed for a long term relationship with ARR. Those students without knowing the language , sang the songs with just the feel of ARR. That was a memorable situation for me. My next project would be to make them get the feel of Jodha Akbar. when Kannathil Muttamittal got released, I wanted my students to see the film. So took them to the theatre in the US, with my students. When i came here, got the DVD of the Film, and fortunately at my hotel, I saw maniratnam and got it autographed by him , and later took them to Rahman 's place , and got it autographed by him too. what happens is that there is a big fraternity of American students who started loving ARR music, and it spreads through word of mouth. There is a student by name Bryan who is 6ft 5 inches tall. He was the one who pointed to me " Srini. ARR has incorporated these elements from Afro Cuban ". When one heard Pachai Nirame from alaipayudhey, one student ( Parker Youston ) asked me " Hey. has Rahman been influenced by Keltic music ". Then I replied " Of course.. he is influenced by all sorts of music". There is an Indian raaga underlying that keltic music of ARR, and thats his speciality. Even Beatles music are influenced by Indian raagas. Continue listening to good music. Thats the best thing that you can do to yourself. It can be ARR, Bismillah Khan Saheb or anybody. -- regards, Vithur A.R.RAHMAN - MY BREATH & LIFE FORCE
