Music with passion, dedication
- Calcuttas love moves A.R. Rahman to draw up major plans PRIYANKA ROY
Music maestro A.R. Rahman during a shooting break at Technicians
Studio. Picture by Aranya Sen Five years and two months have passed, but A.R.
Rahman can still hear the cheers from the Salt Lake stadium. The love and
response that I got from Calcutta are still fresh in my memory. It was
overwhelming, said the music maestro on Thursday.
Overwhelming enough for him to plan a return to the city stage, with an even
bigger concert, by the end of the year. And also to keep Calcutta on the list
of probable venues for his second music conservatory after Chennai.
The February 2003 concert, held in association with The Telegraph, was his
first in the country and remains one of the biggest ever, according to
Rahman, who breezed through town as the guest judge for the shoot of the season
finale of Airtel Bandwagon, a TV reality show promoting new music bands.
Calcuttas music has an extremely youthful vibe. It has a certain passion
and dedication. The people here are honest to their music, said Rahman,
looking to promote regional talent on a national stage.
I explored Baul music in Mangal Pandey. I am open to discovering new talents
and sounds from Bengal, smiled Rahman, battling a touch of fever, but keen to
talk about Calcutta and his keyboard.
The man with the Midas touch, who counts Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty and Ustad
Rashid Khan among his favourites (I have listened to them to a great extent),
said he did not get to see Calcutta as often as Chennai or Mumbai, but hoped
to discover new things about the city, especially its music.
At Technicians Studio on Thursday afternoon, dressed in a maroon kurta and
jeans, Rahman was all encouragement for the young musicians.
There is no dearth of talent here. In my opinion, bands will work big time
on the national music scene in the near future, he said.
The man who has redefined Bollywood film music with the likes of Roja,
Bombay, Dil Se, Lagaan, Taal, Rang De Basanti, Guru and now Jodhaa-Akbar is
tuned into his music conservatory where national musicians will be trained in
western classical music.
Chennai throws open its doors in June, and the options are open for the
second destination.
Such a project requires a great deal of time and effort, but I am open to
such a venture in Calcutta, smiled Rahman, who is also plotting an album 10
years after the super success of Vande Mataram.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080404/jsp/calcutta/story_9091258.jsp
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