ARR as aperson needs no introduction...he is simply genious n his muzic is superb....
Allah Rakha Rahman was born A.S.Dileep Kumar on the 6th of January in the year 1966, in Madras, to a musically affluent family.His father K.A.Sekhar was an arranger and conductor in Malayalam movies and had worked under the likes of Salil Chowdhary and Devarajan.
Dileep started learning the piano at the tender age of four.
Background
At the age of 9, his father passed away following a mysterious illness with rumours abounding that he was the victim of black magic by his rivals.
The pressure of supporting his family fell on Dileep.
At the age of 11, he joined Illaiyaraja's troupe as a keyboard player.
It was his mother Kareema Begum who encouraged him to follow his father's footsteps.
It was his mother Kareema Begum who encouraged him to follow his father's footsteps.
But all this had an adverse affect on his education.Infrequent attendance and an unaccommodative management forced him to shift schools from the prestigious Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan to the Madras Christian College and finally he dropped out of school altogether.
Religion(how a.s.dileep kumar became a.r.rahman)
In 1988, one of his sisters fell seriously ill and numerous attempts to cure her failed.Her condition progressively worsened.The family had given up all hope when they came in contact with a Muslim Pir - Sheik Abdul Qadir Jeelani or Pir Qadri as he was popularly known.With his prayers and blessings, Dileep's sister made a miraculous recovery.Rattled by the bad experience and influenced by the teachings of the Pir, the entire family converted to Islam.Thus A.S.Dileep Kumar became Allah Rakha Rahman.
Musical background
He also played on the orchestra of M.S.Vishwanathan and Ramesh Naidu and accompanied Zakir Hussain and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on world tours. All this experience enabled him to earn a scholarship to the famed Trinity College of Music at Oxford University from where he obtained a degree in Western Classical Music. After he returned he continued to be a part of various music troupes. He was also a part of local rock bands like Roots, Magic and Nemesis Avenue where he performed with his future colleagues like Ranjit Barot and Sivamani.
Career in Ads
Vizi Manuel, the lead keyboard player in Illaiyaraja's troupe, advised him to try other alternatives like advertising. Fortunately for Dileep he soon got his first break in advertising when he was asked to compose the jingle to promote Allwyn's new Trendy range of watches, in 1987. The ads were a success and Dileep's work in them was appreciated. Dileep moved full time into advertising as a few offers came his way. Thus began Dileep's 5-year saga in advertising where he went on to compose more than 300 jingles. Rahman did a lot of popular ads like those for Parry's, Leo Coffee, Boost featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev, Titan, Premier Pressure Cooker, Hero Puch and Asian Paints. The jingles that he composed for the Leo Coffee ad starring Aravind Swamy and the Asian Paints ad directed by Rajeev Menon also won him awards and recognition. He also won an award for composing the theme music of the Madras Telugu Academy's Spirit of Unity Concerts.
Studio
In 1989, he started a small studio of his own, called Panchathan Record Inn, attached to his house. This would later develop into one of India's most well equipped and advanced recording studios. In his established state of the art sound and recording studio he began experimenting in sound engineering, design and production. He also began a collection of sound samples, creating one of the most comprehensive sonic libraries in Asia. Earlier
Films
At an advertising awards function he chanced upon a young man receiving the award for the best ad jingle which he had composed for the popular Leo Coffee ad. At the party that followed the awards presentation ceremony Maniratnam was introduced to the young composer by his cousin Sharada Trilok of Trish Productions for whose company the young man had worked. Mani requested for a sample of his wares. The composer readily complied and invited the director over to his studio where he played out a tune that he had been pushed into composing by his school friend G.Bharat alias Bala who had been greatly disturbed by the Cauvery river tensions. Mani was hooked instantly. He signed on the composer to score the music for his next film which was to be produced by the veteran Tamil director K.Balachander. That film was Roja. That tune would become the song "Tamizha Tamizha". Rahman became a household name in Tamil Nadu overnight and the score of `Roja' was the first step in changing the face of Indian film music. `Roja' won every conceivable award in music that year. Rahman also got the Rajat Kamal for best music director at the National Film Awards , the first time ever by a debutante. He left ads and moved into film music full time.In the five years since Roja, he has created music for blockbuster Indian films including Roja, Pudhiya Mugam, Gentleman, Kizhaku Seemaiyilae, Duet, Kadalan, Bombay, May, Madham, Indian, Muthu kadhal Dasam, Love Birds and others. His 1995 soundtrack for Bombay crossed 5 million units and Rahman had arrived as the "King of Indian Pop" with sales of more than 40 million albums over a period of 3 years.
Vande Mataram
In 1996, when Rahman had gone to Bombay to attend the Screen Awards ceremony, he met his childhood friend G.Bharat. During this meeting both had discussed a proposal for an album to commemorate 50 years of Indian Independence in 1997. In 1997, the International music giant, Sony Music, whose portfolio included the likes of Michael Jackson, entered the Indian market in a big way. They were looking to promote Indian artistes internationally. And the first person to be signed up by Sony Music from the Indian sub-continent was A.R.Rahman, on a 3-album contract. Rahman suggested the idea that he had discussed with Bharat to Sony Music India and was immediately accepted. Called `Vandemataram', it was a tribute to the motherland and featured songs to mark the 3 colours of the Indian Flag. `Vandemataram' was released simultaneously in 28 countries across the world under the prestigious Columbia Label of Sony Music on August 15th 1997. Rahman himself performed live at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on the eve of the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence to a packed audience that comprised of the Prime Minister of India. The album was a mega success and sold over 1.2 million copies in India and did reasonably well internationally too.In October 1999, Rahman performed a song "Ekam Satyam" in a charity concert in Munich with Michael Jackson called "MJ and friends". The meeting between Rahman and Michael Jackson was arranged by Hindujas and Bharat Bala. Rahman and his troupe performed after Michael Jackson in the concert. Melodious strains of 'Satyameva Jayate' by Rahman provided the closing to the concert by pop king Michael Jackson. In his career Rahman has received several awards in various instituted Indian film awards. He was awarded the "Padmashree" titled by the Indian Government in year 2000. He has received awards in Filmfare, Screen-Videocon, Zee Sangeet, Bollywood Music Awards, MTV-VMA awards among others. Notable in this list is the Filmfare awards. He has received 13 Filmfare awards in all. Andrew Lloyd Webber, a well known composer of musicals, was impressed with Rahman's unique style and therefore hired him to compose his maiden stage production Bombay Dreams (2002). This play was well received in England and opened him up to new vistas in Hollywood. Furthermore, Rahman, along with the Finnish folk music band Värttinä, composed the music for The Lord of the Rings theatre production, which opened in Toronto on March 23, 2006.As an individual personality, A.R. Rahman leads an extremely devote religious life and credits all his musical inspiration to ALLAH. He comes across to say, " music speaks, statements don't and none can completely be original because the notes are already there: from the notes we form a rag and from rag a tune. It's the methodology. As far as i can, to my conscience, I try to be original. The rest is upto ALLAH". In addition to influencing western audiences, Rahman also impressed eastern audiences with his music so much that he was tapped by Chinese director He Ping to compose the score and soundtrack for the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003.[2] The music of this film was very much appreciated in Asia and in India.
A R Rehman ~ Interview
A man of few words, A R Rahman has always preferred his music to do the talking. His music suggests a flamboy-ant and aggressive creator, but A.R. Rahman comes across as an extremely patient, polite-to-a-fault and completely untouched-by-fame individual. His dark locks frame his cherubic face and fall to his shoulders in total disarray. As he talks, he impatiently pushes back the strands.
A man of few words, A R Rahman has always preferred his music to do the talking. His music suggests a flamboy-ant and aggressive creator, but A.R. Rahman comes across as an extremely patient, polite-to-a-fault and completely untouched-by-fame individual. His dark locks frame his cherubic face and fall to his shoulders in total disarray. As he talks, he impatiently pushes back the strands.
Tell us about your childhood.
The only thing I remember clearly of my early childhood is, of frequent visits to hospitals. My father Sekhar, leading music player, was fequently hospitalised for stomachache. The doctors operated upon him thrice but they could not find anything wrong with him,He died when I was 9 years old. The responsibility of looking after my mother and three sisters fell on me. My studies were ended and I started playing the keyboard to earn a living. We later received some indications that my father died of black magic by jealous rivals.
Q: I heard that you like to work all night and sleep all day.
A: Mostly (laughs). When I work during the day, I get a lot of phone calls, and a lot of decisions need to be made. I have to come out of my trance. So nights are better for me. Mainly when I do overdubs and things it's during the day. My own work, whenever I write and do creative work, though, is mostly at night.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: Everything. I feel the whole world is like one. There are different cultures, but you get moved, and even when they listen to a "raag" like in "Vande Mataram" I did, or the Bombay theme or anything, they hear the "raag" and they feel they can tell what the pulse is, I can see tears sometimes and I can see joy sometimes. So it doesn't have any language.
What has been the biggest influence on your music, through the years?
I think working with Mani Rathnam. Starting with him uplifted my energies because whenever I work with him he wants the best and something international, so you don't sleep for days. It's the same tension when I work with Subhash Ghai. He also wants something original, classy and international.
Looking back now, who would you say were the early or key musical influences in your life? Was it your father?
My father and most of the composers that I have worked with. I think I'd listen to Mr. R D Burman and Naushad. Later, I started listening to the other great legends.
It's the keyboard in which you have developed great expertise. How did that happen?
My father had left a lot of equipment, and I had to use it. In fact, I was more interested in the guitar. But since we had such costly equipment at home, my mother asked me to learn and make use of it.
How does life look to you?
Life is always a struggle. I feel I'm just starting out. I can't afford to get lazy at 40. Lots of things have changed. Lots of young people love music, and that's a good thing. But music doesn't sell, and that's a bad thing.
How would you define your kind of music?
How can I define my music? It is a reflection of how I began my life, the good and bad things that happened. I can't say this is my life and this is how I intended it to be. It came naturally. I don't plan anything.When we started Roja we wanted to create something people had never heard before, at the same time maintaining a standard in lyrics and melody. Something told me it would become a big success; I was travelling in the same boat as Mani Ratnam and the music would be noticed. That it was accepted was a blessing. Mani Ratnam opened up a big thing for me and I owe it to him. There is a lot of freedom when I work with Mani.
Have you become more confident of your music?
No, I am never confident. Sometimes it takes me two or three days, sometimes three months, to get the sound right. Sometimes things go wrong always. But once it is fixed then it's fine.
What triggers the creative process in you?
When I am mentally disturbed I pray. Before starting a session that gives me a vacuum to start with, rather than having something predetermined which might misguide me. It is almost like starting from square one. But it makes my job interesting and when I sit there something gets triggered off inside me.I belive that every individual, even an atom, can move only with the will of God. I don't take credit for doing all this. If I did, then I would fall flat.
Don't external factors like family affect your concentration?
Yeah, they do. But when it comes to music you forget everything. The magic of music and prayer. You are almost on another trip. Only when you finish do you get back.
You sound very level-headed for a man who has earned so much fame and money so quickly?
It is balance... well, it is almost contradictory. You want fame, but once you get it you lose your head. So just leave it to God and carry on with your work. It makes it all easy. If I put it in my head that I did it, then I fall flat because I can't take the next step.
Why did you convert?
(A long pause.) My dad went through a lot of problems. He was sick, my childhood was a disaster. I spent most of my childhood in hospitals. There came a stage when the family was almost down. We met a pir sahab at that time. It is inexplicable. It just happened. My idea of God coincided with all this. I thought, 'Okay, this was something that was bound to happen.
'You have never regretted it?
See, there are a lot of things involved. God and religion are very personal. Now it has become politics. I don't think I want to talk any more on it. (Laughs.)
What about the controversy over Vande Mataram?
It depends on how you take it. Vande Mataram is about a mother and the message is peace be upon you. The mother is the country and when you say peace be upon you it goes beyond politics. That is the way I take it.When one makes something there is always the good and the bad. You just take the good. In the album I have put not only this, but a nicer version of it in a more serene way. It is not as if it will replace anything. The main reasons for doing it were my friends Bharat Bala and Kanika. We wanted to give something to the youth. We felt there was nothing, no song that this MTV generation could relate to, something they could identify with.
Tell us about your family and the kind of support they offer you.
I have two daughters. My wife doesn't work. My wife and mother listen to my music and give me feedback.
Do you get time to spend with them?
I work from my house. So it helps.How do you relax?It comes naturally. When you push yourself hard for 2 or 3 months, then you have to take a break. I go out with my family.
Why is black your favourite colour?
You also wear your hair long...I thought both suit me. (Laughs heartily.)
What were you doing at that age?
Setting up music equipment for others. At 13, I started playing music. At 19, I started composing jingles. I simultaneously learned Carnatic music with a tutor. I learnt from most of the music composers I worked with. Each song was a learning experience.
How much of your early influences have you retained in your music today?
Actually, I'm inspired any time I watch a good musician playing. When I'm programming my music on my own, I always think of some great drummer or some great bass guitarist. When I'm playing on the keyboards, I think of how beautifully another musician plays the instrument. And that inspires me to play. Otherwise I may end up playing like a cheesy upstart.
How would you describe A.R.Rahman in your own words?
A.R.Rahman is a failure and slowly he is trying to reach something
After becoming popular, what have you gained and what have you lost?
'The problem is too much of expectations.If you do some good work they will immediately see that.If we do 'X' amount of work they will think as '10X'.There is no limits for imaginations.That is too scary.Even now it is scary
