--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Aravind AM <aravind...@...> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > here are this week's scans... pls scroll down for translation... > > Week 05 Part 01 > http://www.flickr.com/photos/aravind_am/3511326791/ > Week 05 Part 02 > http://www.flickr.com/photos/aravind_am/3512141268/ > > > Week 5 > > > > > > Dileep used to take musical instruments to recording > studios and rent them out. Among those instruments was a keyboard, his dad got > from Singapore, which attracted him. > The digital sound produced by it was so fresh. Dileep would anxiously > discuss with friends on why such reproduce that sharp sound couldnât be > reproduced in recordings here. That was the time when a revolution was > happening in âsoundâ in the west. > >  > > In those days, Bangalore was the > place for music shops. Whenever they could find time, Rahman and his friends > went to Bangalore to get their favourite western songs recorded on cassettes. > >  > > That was when 12year old Dileep > got interested in digital music and audiography. Actually, he never had an > intention of becoming a composer. His ambition was to become a good sound > engineer. > >  > > âFor me, in those days, music was > just a profession and way to earn money the family. I was not crazy about > music. I was interested only in technology. I couldnât remove my eyes from > the > keyboard. That looked like a magical toy for meâ, says Rahman. > >  > > Dileep didnât just stop with playing > the keyboard. He opened it up and understood how each sound was produced â" > all > on his own. âDo you know who is Indiaâs prime minister? Go out of music a > bit, > and learn other things tooâ, Guitarist John Anotny once told Rahman with > love. > And Rahmanâs reply for that â" just a smile! > >  > > In those days, Dileep considered > keyboard as something which brought together music and modern technology. This > magical toy was what took him to incredible heights! > >  > > A musician named Raghavan, used > to be someone who could answer any question and clarify any doubt regarding > the > keyboard. He was also a hardware engineer. If Dileep couldnât sort out any > issue with his keyboard, it was Raghavan he would rush to, late at night, > because Raghavan worked only in the nights. (Rahmanâs style of working at > nights could have been because of Raghavanâs influence too!) Rahman was > fascinated with a new instrument called the Rhythm box, which Raghavan had. He > was stunned by the fresh new sounds that the Rhythm box produces. > >  > > Apart from Guitar, Dileep was > trained in Guitar too. âWhen I come back home from school, loud sounds of > electric guitar and keyboard could be heard from our house. Dileep would be > playing beautifully. I wouldnât even change from my uniform, and would stand > there listening to him. He would put headphones on to my ears and say > âListen > to it now. It would be even betterâ. He would play hit songs like the funky > Popcorn > and songs from Lakshmikant-Pyarelalâs movie Heroâ, says Raihanah. > >  > > The family slowly came out of the > deep sorrow of Shekarâs death. As Dileep gradually became proficient with > the > keyboard, he was invited to play for the band named Aristocrat. That was > a band started by children. Dileep started to play for that band, in several > programs. Raihanah, too, was there in the band. Rahmanâs keyboard program > was a > part of school annual day functions and weddings. âOur mom would quip âYou > canât earn much in these shows. There would hardly be anything left, if you > consider > the expensesâ, and we would just smile it off!â, adds Raihanah. > >  > > After that, Dileep got a chance > to perform on TV. Many of you could recollect young Dileep with dense curly > hair, playing keyboard on the 80âs hit show Wonder Balloon on > Doordarshan. After that, Dileep joined a band called Roots. That was the > next stage of his musical journey. > >  > > His childhood friend from those > days, is none other than the drummer who goes on world tours and rocks the > entire world, Sivamani. > >  > > Sivamani who is now rocking the > stadiums in South Africa, as the official drummer of Chennai Super Kings IPL > team, remembers those beautiful days. âWhen we were kids, I and my friends > Dileep, John Antony, Jojo and Raja, formed a band called Roots. We would > experiment with anything from western classical to the music of our land. > >  > > Melody is normally referred to as > laya, and beats as Taala. Rahman was a master in both, even from > those days. Sorry, he was Dileep then! Iâm now renowned world over only > because > of the opening that he gave me. Iâve played for many songs for many famous > composers like MS Viswanathan and Ilayaraja. But the movie titles and cassette > covers never had my name. Rahman was the first to do it. He is very generous > with honouring and crediting fellow musiciansâ, says Sivamani. > >  > > Working with musicians like > Sivamani, was a new experience for Rahman too. Gradually, his interest in > composing began to grow. Through friends in Roots, he became exposed to > genres like Rock, Pop, Jazz and RAP. Slowly, the popularity of Roots > started spreading in music circles. One day, Dileep got a call from > world-renowned violinist, L. Shankar - âCan you play backup for my band, > Epidemics?â > Dileep was elated that such a luminary was inviting him, and immediately > accepted the offer. > >  > > Dileep played keyboards for L.Shankar in stage-shows in > Chennai and Bangalore. All these, proved to be great new experiences for him. > The shows were a big success. Later, L.Shankar told Dileep, âI know you from > when you were a small kid. Your house was next to mine, in Mylapore. All this > was incredible for Dileep, everything was like a dream! > >  > > Though Roots experimented > and tried out new things, they could not sustain financially, and the band was > dissolved. In this scenario, Dileep had to still earn to sustain his family. > Since, Dileepâs keyboard prowess was well known in the film music industry, > he > started getting offers immediately from film composer. He grabbed those > opportunities and drowned himself into his new job. For the next nine years, > Dileep spent all his time playing for film music recordings and concerts. > >  > > âWe didnât have advanced > technology in those days. All of us in the orchestra would play together. Even > if one person makes a mistake, all of us have to play everything right from > the > start. Iâm a fan of legends like MS Viswanathan and KV Mahadevan. They often > say, âOld wine is always betterâ. So, we will wait until the new wine (of > today) too matures and becomes old wineâ, says Rahman with a chuckle. > >  > > An idea struck Rahman that he > should independently set up a hi-tech recording studio on par with those in > the > west. This required loads of money. And to earn that, required non-stop > effort. > >  > > In those days, drugs ruled most > of the musicians worldwide. Several wonderful musicians like John Cash, Freddy > Mercury and the band Beatles were caught in the clasp of drugs and lost it > out. > > >  > > âDoes music get created only in > an intoxicated mindset? I used to wonder if good music canât be created > without > getting âhighâ. But, right before my eyes, was a composer. He gave great > music, > but didnât have any drug habits. Instead, he was deeply rooted to > spirituality. > I decided then, that I should follow his footstepsâ, says Rahman. > >  > > Whoâs that composer? > > Who else? Maestro Ilayaraja. > >  > > (to be continued) > > > Cheers, > Aravind > > My Blog: http://arrahmaniac.blogspot.com > Rahmania show interviews: http://rahmania.4shared.com > > > > > Now surf faster and smarter ! Check out the new Firefox 3 - Yahoo! > Edition http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/firefox/?fr=om_email_firefox >
Million thanx aravind bro!!! :-) Yu truly rock.. :) Yu'r our treasure..Keep going bro!
