Thanks, Ram for your thoughts...very insightful and in depth. I am an emotional, right brain kind of person by nature, placing value on holistic approaches and gestaltic frameworks, hence the over-arching considerations when I think about ARR and his music. You made some great points below! Thanks again.
--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Ram Motipally <ram.motipa...@...> wrote: > > AJ, very interesting thought process and I too go through the same. Some of > my thoughts below which might help evolve this discussion. In your case I > think it is obvious that your admiration of the person is feeding into your > love of his music. Also, I dont think you are an average fan of ARR also, > you are probably a highly advanced, highly educated and highly influenced > fan :-) Same logic that might apply to average fans who just hear ARR music > and forget it in a few months might not apply to you. > > But I dont think this logic is linear or works always or even in the > reverse. > > For example, if all the personal traits of ARR remain as is, but his music > was average, I dont think we would be having this discussion or forum. In > ARR's case it is a deadly combo of both. On the other hand, if the music is > brilliant, but the musician (any one or in this case ARR) does not have the > best of personal traits, would we enjoy the music any less ? I dont think > so.... > > Part of this is also cultural. In eastern cultures (including India) we tend > to adulate our artists and sportspeople, we put them on a pedestal and > expect them to be the best of human beings. That explains the large cutouts, > temples of film stars etc. Nothing wrong with it, just how we are as a > people. From this tends to flow our admiration of qualities like simplicity, > humility etc. Whereas in the western world there is a general separation > between a person and his/her craft. Due to the sheer admiration in the > western world of "individual freedom", people tend to not worry much about > how the people are in real life. Yes, there is tremendous curiosity or > gossip interest in celebrities which tends to drive paparazzi to chase > britney spears, angelina jolie etc. Nothing wrong with that either, just how > the western world behaves. > > Another example is Sachin Vs Ricky Ponting. Indians adulate Sachin including > me. Most indians including myself dont like Ponting - reason is simple, he > is brash, arrogant and mostly abrasive. But ask an Australian and he will > have no value for Sachin's humility or simplicity, they just believe that > Ponting is the epitome of sports aggression and admire that quality in him. > If you look at their cricketing skills, they are pretty much equal, just > cold logic. But for me any day, Sachin is miles ahead, purely emotional > decision ! > > To conclude, I think the answer to your question only lies deep inside you. > It depends on how much you emotionally relate to ARR, the higher the more > you will be influenced. Also, the same applies to each individual, once you > admire someone's craft (like in this case ARR's music) and also emotionally > feel you connect with the person or admire the qualities he/she possesses, > the more will be your attachment, love, admiration and adulation for the > person. > > Cheers ! > Ram > > > > On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 8:17 PM, AJ <purev...@...> wrote: > > > > > > > Was wondering recently that if I wasn't so impressed and amazed with AR as > > a person....his cool personality, humility, simplicity, compassion, > > integrity, wit, etc. etc., would I still love his music as much as I do now? > > But, then again, I further thought that perhaps without those exceptional > > personal qualities, his music wouldn't be as pure, sincere, honest, potent, > > and overall likeable as we hear it now. When I hear Rahman's music, I also > > hear his personality, and all the good qualities I described above. Maybe > > because I'm so intensely interested in his life, his career......so devoted > > to him, that the man and music are one for me, not able to separate easily > > as 2 distinct entities. But, I also feel very strongly that Rahman is > > exceptionally talented in bringing the deep qualities of his inner self to > > the fore through his music, which is why his music is so emotionally > > concentrated and loved so widely. This is surely a type of emotional > > intelligence. > > > > Surely, art.....and music being an art, is an expression of a person's most > > inner world......the imagination, creativity......all of that comes from the > > deepest of wells within an artist. When we see, feel, or hear an artistic > > expression, we are bearing witness at some level to a person's core self > > uninhibited by the masked persona that we all are so pressured to give out > > to the public world due to our various roles in life. Artistic expression is > > really the self in its pure, naked form, which surely invites some degree of > > stark exposure and vulnerability at some level. > > > > On the flip side, when I hear music from a composer who I don't > > particularly like as a person gathered from comments, interviews, remarks, > > etc. (the likes of Anu Malik, Ismail Durbar, Nadeem Saifi, Jagjit Singh, > > etc.).....you know......the arrogant, egotistical, loudmouthed, self > > aggrandizing types, it is unfortunate for me that those undesirable personal > > qualities do have an effect on to what extent I can truly enjoy their > > musical expressions, despite my best attempts to attune to the benefit of > > the doubt that these are not inherently "bad" people, and the fact that > > their beautiful creations are a sure testament to qualities of goodness > > contained. But, in the end, the taint is felt......something that I wish I > > could be ignorant about on some level. Recent example, after hearing Jagjit > > Singh's bitter tirade towards ARR's achievements, his ghazals simply did not > > sound as sweet as they used to be for me. And again, I admit that as > > something personal to me, not an objective stance. > > > > The package of AR Rahman binds so many shades and levels of him as a person > > and his artistic intentions. I feel completely grateful, on this end of the > > spectrum, to be able to be sensitive to this bound, all in one expression > > that combines the person and the creation within its symbiotic shell. > > > > > > >
