Hey Group, I have posted some really close up shots of ARR at the Stanford festival to our photos section. In one of the pics u shud see ARR's autograph on the new ipod that I bought just before the show at Apple's headquarters. Now its my most valueable possession. The indiawest article covered most of the evening's events. Yet missed these few points from the interview ...here it is ARR doesnt know about the Mahabaratha by Bobby Bedi ... Chaiyaa Chaiyaa was not originally intended for Dil se . Nusrat Fateh Ali khan was included in Vande mataram to celebrate Pakistan's 50 th year of freedom. Lukha chuppi is ARR's current favorite song. Although I think he was forced to choose a song when a small kid pestered him for his fav composition Bye
karthyST <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: A great read!!Thanks Karthik.--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Karthik S" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:>>http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=showfull&id=1140722059&archive=&start_from=&ucat=7> > A Look Inside the Mind and Soul of Composer A.R. Rahman> > By LISA TSERING> India-West Staff Reporter> > PALO ALTO, Calif. - The superstar was down-to-earth, with an easy> laugh, self-deprecating air, and an ingratiating willingness to speak> from the heart. A.R. Rahman traced his career from pre-Roja to> post-Rang De Basanti in an intimate, satisfying
onstage chat at> Stanford University's Dinkelspiel Auditorium Feb. 14 during the> school's Pan-Asian Music Festival.> > Visiting ethnomusicology professor Natalie Sarrazin prefaced the> conversation by tracing the history of what film music was like before> a 25-year-old Rahman burst on the scene in 1991 with Roja.> > Sarrazin offered a fascinating look at the history of Hindi film music> with its penchant for absorbing international influences and its> unwritten rules. Each example was illuminated with a charming snippet> of video, from films such as Shree 420, Sholay and Dilwale Dulhaniya> Le Jayenge.> > "There are certain 'codes' - iconic sound images - that recur in> Indian film music," she said. "The timbre of the Indian female voice> is quite prominent, you hear large orchestras and soaring violins, and> a wall of sound ... rising violins are a code for a love
song."> > Rahman turned it all upside down, she explained.> > "The first thing he did was to take the orchestral introduction and> completely get rid of it." Cueing a scene from the Tamil film> Gentleman (Rahman's Tamil compositions were not overlooked during the> evening), she demonstrated how Rahman brought in one instrument at a> time, creating musical tension. To cheers and shouts from the> audience, Sarrazin moved on to musical scenes from Rahman's scores> that have become icons themselves: Mani Ratnam's Roja (the witty> "Rukmani Rukmani"), Bombay ("Tu Hi Re"), the Hindi version of Yuva and> Dil Se ("Chhaiyya Chhaiyya"); Tehzeeb and Saathiya.> > "He often puts two incongruous styles together that somehow seem to> work," Sarrazin observed, with a clip from Lagaan's English/Hindi song> "O Re Chori" and Sushmita Sen's jittery "Shakalaka Baby" (Nayak),> which was
one of his hit songs reworked to great effect in "Bombay> Dreams."> > As much as his fans and fellow artists love his music, Rahman is> notorious for taking his time on each project. "I have a nice> relationship with all directors, but I drive the producers crazy," he> joked. "Mani [Ratnam] tells me the story that he told me for Roja, 'I> need five songs, and I need them yesterday.' I was gone for threemonths."> > Working with lyricists, too, has its quirks. "Sometimes Gulzar-sahib> or Javed-sahib will give me just a title. Other times, they want the> tune first, then they'll give the lyrics."> > One of the reasons Roja was such a departure from the style of music> at the time was the way it was recorded, explained Rahman. "At the> time, there were these huge recording halls, with 50 violins," he> said. "But I was doing commercials in my own studio. When Mani
wanted> me to do the music, I said, 'Let's do it at my place.'> > "I called my musician friends to come for the session, but at the last> minute they all ditched me! I think they had all been offered more> money somewhere that day," he said, laughing along with the audience.> > "But my mother said, 'God will provide.' I ended up recording [the> instrumental version of ]'Choti Si Asha' by myself, on a keyboard and> sequencer. I thought I'd need to bring in 50 violins, but Mani said> 'No, just be yourself. Follow your instincts.'"> > Since he got his start writing ad jingles, wasn't it intimidating to> take on the soundtrack to an entire three-hour film, asked Sarrazin.> "I was terrified in the beginning," replied Rahman. "But then I> learned that if I could write a piece of music that was 30 seconds> long, then all I'd have to do is repeat it!"> > He's not
afraid to repeat what works. Rahman's haunting, cello-heavy> Bombay theme, used to poignant effect in t
