Re: [arr] ARR SHARJAH CONCERT

2008-04-14 Thread anthony jewelson
hi all 
 dont know whether this has been posted earlier or not. i saw an ad regarding 
sharjah concert in asia net TV saturday night. they displayed the venue name 
timing and the sposors name 

regards
Anthony 

Shamil Sharif <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 

  A Night to RememberBy Jyoti Kalsi, Gulf News Report 
Published: April 13, 2008, 00:15
Five years ago he presented an enthralling concert in Dubai. Since then, 
A.R. Rahman has further enhanced his impressive repertoire with award-winning 
compositions for Bollywood films such as Rang De Basanti, Guru and Jodhaa Akbar 
and south Indian movies such as Sivaji: The Boss. The composer, who has 
redefined contemporary Indian music and put it on the world stage, also worked 
on the soundtrack of Hollywood film Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Chinese movie 
Warriors of Heaven and Earth, the stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and 
released his first English single, Pray For Me Brother, under his own music 
label. 

Now music lovers in the UAE can look forward to another memorable evening at 
his upcoming concert titled A.R. Rahman: Live in Concert, to be held at the 
Sharjah Cricket Stadium on April 18. Rahman was in Dubai recently to announce 
details of the show at a press conference held at the Grand Hyatt. 

"I felt the time was  right for another concert here because I now have a good 
body of new work to present,” he said. 
Later, in a chat with tabloid! the soft- spoken and reticent music maestro 
spoke about his recent projects and his plans for the future. 

What kind of research was involved in creating the music for Jodhaa Akbar, 
Elizabeth and Lord of the Rings, which all belong to different eras and genres? 

The process began with discussions with the directors, who gave me various 
references to use in the music. Working with great teams who took care of the 
details made my job easier on these projects. For the Jodhaa Akbar title 
number, I took words from old books and references to construct the song. But 
the fact is that when you have a great melody it always fits in because  the 
emotions are universal and beyond any period or situation. So, if you have a 
melody that appeals to everyone you can get away with it.  

Your compositions are complex and layered. How long does it typically take you 
to create a number? And is it true that you work mostly at night? 

It varies. Sometimes it takes just three minutes to create a song. I like to 
work at night because it gives me a sense of 
peace. But I am composing all the time. 

With international projects, your music conservatory and your own label, will 
you still do Bollywood films? 

Movies provide great exposure and the success of my Bollywood music gives me 
the power to do other things. I do not want to lose that, but I will only take 
on films that excite me. My forthcoming films include Ghajini, Delhi 6, Yuvraj, 
Adaa and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. 

What is the aim of the A.R. Rahman Foundation? 

We want to help eradicate hunger and poverty by providing the underprivileged 
with education and skills to earn a living. But  our  main aim is to create 
bridges between people and to make them understand that there are greater aims 
in life than the petty issues that we are fighting over and senseless human 
divisions. 

Which is your favourite instrument of the many you play? 

The best instrument is the voice, which offers many different creative 
possibilities. 

How do you feel about the many awards you have won?

Recognition for my work is like a blessing, but it is not my ultimate goal. I 
will feel fulfilled if my songs influence 
people and change their lives for the better. 

Why do you often trust your complex compositions to new singers? 

I constantly want to give something new and using new voices is like an 
energiser for my audience and me. I believe that every talented singer should 
be given an opportunity and I always keep my mind and arms open. 

Time magazine listed  Roja in their top ten all-time best movie soundtracks of 
the world and the UK's The Guardian listed your music for Bombay in the 1,000 
albums to listen to before you die. If you made such a list, what would be 
number one? 

I need to think about this. 

What is your view of world music? 

I like the concept of world music because it breaks through the monopoly of 
commercial music and gives an opportunity to extraordinary musicians who do not 
sing in mainstream languages. It creates an interest in their cultures and 
helps to create bridges between diverse people. 

How did it feel to be offered Lord of the Rings? How different was it from 
doing film music? 

My first reaction was to decline because I knew it would take a lot of time. 
But it was a great experience. In a film you can 
always make the music work by adding rhythm or a chorus but a stage production 
is more  challenging because it must work on 
stage with live singers. We were constantly improvising til

[arr] ARR SHARJAH CONCERT

2008-04-13 Thread Shamil Sharif
A Night to Remember 
By Jyoti Kalsi, Gulf News Report 
Published: April 13, 2008, 00:15
Five years ago he presented an enthralling concert in Dubai. Since then, A.R. 
Rahman has further enhanced his impressive repertoire with award-winning 
compositions for Bollywood films such as Rang De Basanti, Guru and Jodhaa Akbar 
and south Indian movies such as Sivaji: The Boss. The composer, who has 
redefined contemporary Indian music and put it on the world stage, also worked 
on the soundtrack of Hollywood film Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Chinese movie 
Warriors of Heaven and Earth, the stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and 
released his first English single, Pray For Me Brother, under his own music 
label. 

Now music lovers in the UAE can look forward to another memorable evening at 
his upcoming concert titled A.R. Rahman: Live in Concert, to be held at the 
Sharjah Cricket Stadium on April 18. Rahman was in Dubai recently to announce 
details of the show at a press conference held at the Grand Hyatt. 

"I felt the time was right for another concert here because I now have a good 
body of new work to present,” he said. 
Later, in a chat with tabloid! the soft- spoken and reticent music maestro 
spoke about his recent projects and his plans for the future. 

What kind of research was involved in creating the music for Jodhaa Akbar, 
Elizabeth and Lord of the Rings, which all belong to different eras and genres? 

The process began with discussions with the directors, who gave me various 
references to use in the music. Working with great teams who took care of the 
details made my job easier on these projects. For the Jodhaa Akbar title 
number, I took words from old books and references to construct the song. But 
the fact is that when you have a great melody it always fits in because  the 
emotions are universal and beyond any period or situation. So, if you have a 
melody that appeals to everyone you can get away with it. 

Your compositions are complex and layered. How long does it typically take you 
to create a number? And is it true that you work mostly at night? 

It varies. Sometimes it takes just three minutes to create a song. I like to 
work at night because it gives me a sense of 
peace. But I am composing all the time. 

With international projects, your music conservatory and your own label, will 
you still do Bollywood films? 

Movies provide great exposure and the success of my Bollywood music gives me 
the power to do other things. I do not want to lose that, but I will only take 
on films that excite me. My forthcoming films include Ghajini, Delhi 6, Yuvraj, 
Adaa and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. 

What is the aim of the A.R. Rahman Foundation? 

We want to help eradicate hunger and poverty by providing the underprivileged 
with education and skills to earn a living. But  our main aim is to create 
bridges between people and to make them understand that there are greater aims 
in life than the petty issues that we are fighting over and senseless human 
divisions. 

Which is your favourite instrument of the many you play? 

The best instrument is the voice, which offers many different creative 
possibilities. 

How do you feel about the many awards you have won?

Recognition for my work is like a blessing, but it is not my ultimate goal. I 
will feel fulfilled if my songs influence 
people and change their lives for the better. 

Why do you often trust your complex compositions to new singers? 

I constantly want to give something new and using new voices is like an 
energiser for my audience and me. I believe that every talented singer should 
be given an opportunity and I always keep my mind and arms open. 

Time magazine listed Roja in their top ten all-time best movie soundtracks of 
the world and the UK's The Guardian listed your music for Bombay in the 1,000 
albums to listen to before you die. If you made such a list, what would be 
number one? 

I need to think about this. 

What is your view of world music? 

I like the concept of world music because it breaks through the monopoly of 
commercial music and gives an opportunity to extraordinary musicians who do not 
sing in mainstream languages. It creates an interest in their cultures and 
helps to create bridges between diverse people. 

How did it feel to be offered Lord of the Rings? How different was it from 
doing film music? 

My first reaction was to decline because I knew it would take a lot of time. 
But it was a great experience. In a film you can 
always make the music work by adding rhythm or a chorus but a stage production 
is more challenging because it must work on 
stage with live singers. We were constantly improvising till the last show in 
Toronto and we added a new number for the 
performances in London. 

What has been the most satisfying moment in your career so far? 

I am never satisfied and always hungry for more. 

Why did you refuse Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om? 

It was due to a silly reason called publish