Hi all, This is from the TOI supplement (dt: 7th Aug).. I found it only today as I was not in town... Searched the group archives, couldn't find this being posted, so posting it now...... Excuse me if this has been posted before... (This can be accessed on Times of India Epaper - Chennai edition - 7th Aug - pg 36 - has nice pics of ARR)
FOR THE RAH-MANIAC! THE FOLLOWING IS AN ODE TO HIS EXPONENTIALLY GROWING POPULARITY AND HIS MUSICAL GENIUS. READ ON… SUDHIR SRINIVASAN It is not difficult to figure who to write about, when one has to write about a popular personality from Chennai. Popularity doesn't become any higher for a Chennaiite than when his musical album gets listed in the TIME's "Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time" (2005). January 6, 1966 witnessed the birth of this musical virtuoso. Often credited with having single-handedly revolutionised the standards of film music composition in India, he has now sold over a hundred million records of his compositions, worldwide. For danger of running out of space if the statistics get continued, we mention his name. Allah Rakha Rahman. The man that introduced The Times of India to Chennai with a once-in-a-lifetime concert. Born as Dileep Kumar in Chennai, Rahman is arguably, presently, the most popular Indian musician, worldwide. It is popular knowledge that Rahman, when he arrived, brought with him the eagerness and the enthusiasm to mix technology into film music. Technology, of course, has become an indispensable part of music now. It wasn't so easy before he arrived. When one runs various music directors in one's mind, it is quite easy to associate them with a particular track. With Rahman, it isn't as easy. When one thinks Rahman, one gets reminded of at least fifty tracks, off the top of one's head. It is understandable though, as he has composed music for over a hundred films till date. Other music directors have too. But the hit-percentage, as one will find with Rahman movies, far surpass others'. Credited with having introduced a variety of talented singers, Rahman has brought in fresh talent and often, nurtured it. Singers that have thrived after Rahman's advent include Shahul Hameed, Karthik, Blaaze, Srinivas, Shankar Mahadevan, Harini, Anupama, Dominique, Shubha, Febi, Unnikrishnan, Bombay Jayashri, Nithyashree Mahadevan…. The list is endless. Having won the National award for his debut composition Roja, Rahman has not looked back. For lack of space again, we do not begin with the endless list of awards that the maestro has won. His musical ingeniousness is known world-over. What is not as well-known is his philanthropic inclinations. "I want to remove poverty from India, and change the immunity that we have developed towards it," he says. And how exactly does he propose to do it? He has set up the A R Rahman Foundation in view of that objective. He has also founded the K M Music Conservatory that seeks to change the face of music in India by teaching those who are musically inclined. Musical compositions, charity work, talent-nurturning… He continues to enthrall us and will - Hang on. Sakkarakatti, his latest Tamil album, I hear, is now available in the stores. I'm gone. Cheers, Aravind http://arrahmaniac.blogspot.com Download Rahmania show interviews at http://rahmania.4shared.com
