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Articles on ARR from YG.

Topic started by Are Yaar (@ 203.197.141.186) on Thu Oct 10 08:44:25 EDT 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

For many days, I felt that I should have a thread to share some of the articles about ARR in desi and international press and website. I intend to start this thread and expect others also to post some articles about ARR here.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Are Yaar (@ 203.115.31.67) on: Mon Dec 9 02:03:48 EST 2002
  
  The score for the Raj Sippy movie might be given by ARR only...
  
  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?
  artid=30726446
  
  
  Raj Sippy, Amitabh to work together again
  
  FILMFARE.COM[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2002 06:31:49 AM ]
  
  Raj Sippy will direct Amitabh once again, after a gap of about two
  decades. The duo last worked together in 1980 for the blockbuster
  Satte Pe Satta.
  
  
  The Suresh Sharma film in which they will work together once again
  will co-star another film personality in the lead along with Big B,
  but that casting still remains undecided.
  
  
  Sources say that A.R. Rahman will contribute to the scores of this
  one.
  
  
  Well, it's surely as issue of nostalgia, and we hope that the cast
  and crew is able to re-live the magic they once created.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Are Yaar (@ 203.115.31.67) on: Fri Dec 13 03:25:25 EST 2002
  
  Another Awasthaiyaana review...funny
  ------------------------------------
  
  http://www.b4utv.com/music/review/sathiya.html
  
  Album : Saathiya
  
  Music : A R Rehman
  Lyrics : Gulzar
  Vocals: Various Artistes
  Label: HMV
  Rating : * * *
  
  By Kavita Awasthi
  
  A R Rehman as usual delviers the goods and gives soul stirring music.
  Starting with the title song Saathiya sung by Sonu Nigam is a trip to
  wonderland. Though the lyrics sound a bit off at times but the music
  is simply mind blowing. This will be Sonu Nigam's one of best songs.
  Chalka Chalka a song about a girl's impending marriage has a nice
  rhythm and pace but it is too south Indian for north Indian music
  lovers. Sung by Richa Sharma, Mahalaxmi, Vaishali and Shoma this song
  is easy on the ear. Adnan Sami Aye Udi Udi, which is a fun song with
  a new type of techno music that adds to the song. This one might top
  the charts. Chupke Se sung by Sadhana Sargam, Murtuza & Qadiris is a
  sad song, which is ok. O Humdum Suniyo Re sung by Kaykay, Shaan,
  Kunal and Pravin Mani is a fast paced fun number. It reminds you of
  back street boys track `back street are back' in some parts. But it
  is a great combo of music and tune. Mera Yaar Mila De sung by A R
  Rehman is a sad song about the guy looking for his love. It touches
  your heart. Sadhana Sargam and Madhushree sing Naina Milaike sounds
  like a mujra and is a an average song. Asha Bhonsle sings the item
  song Chori Pe Chori with Karthik it is fast paced and interesting.
  
  Saathiya's music is good in parts but not so happening in others.
  Specially with gulzar's lyrics and south Indian music which hamper
  the chances of the film at times.
  
  
  
• From: Are Yaar (@ 203.115.31.67) on: Fri Dec 13 03:26:36 EST 2002
  
  Blazze's Interview
  -------------------
  He is the one who wrote the Rap in BABA
  
  -----------
  hi guys
  here is a reproduction of the interview tat blaaze gave to the
  magazine RECORD... he talks abt his early years in zambia and also
  abt his work with ARR!!
  shyam
  
  
  Keepin it real ...
  
  2Pac would be proud, someone's carrying on his legacy here in India,
  Raajeish `BlaaZe' Raman, the rhythmic poet, the man who's come a
  long way since his days as a 13-year-old break dancer in Zambia.
  
  " I grew up in Zambia, dad's an architect, so we'd tour around the
  country with me doing break dance on these sets designed by dad,
  man! it was awesome"
  
  Moving from break dance and inspired by the sounds that were doing
  the rounds in Zambia, BlaaZe picked up on rap, and found his
  calling, sitting and penning rhymes was a daily occurrence at home.
  Being lucky enough to perform for president Chiluba during the
  election campaign, BlaaZe didn't stop there, less than a year later
  he produced and performed on Zambia's first ever music video "Advice
  4 Livin' with the Zambian national broadcasting corporation, this in
  his late teens.
  
  " Zambian TV then wasn't how it was here, a bit like DD in the late
  80's, on only from 5 pm till 11:00 pm, so naturally everyone was
  glued to the screen during this time, there wasn't any radio either,
  so if you made an appearance on TV then, you became an instant
  celebrity"
  
  Lots more happened since then, a couple of interviews with ZNBC - TV
  (Zambia), and Doordarshan TV - India (UK), a chart entry as a future
  hit prediction on Zimbabwe Radio, live performances for the Indian
  High Commissioner to Zambia on independence day in 1995. Cut to a
  stint with then Radio Midday as a DJ on the `Mellow Hour' and an
  exclusive New Year's performance on Zee TV. He even presented a
  musical show for the promotion of Zambian music for ZNBC in 1995 as
  well as serving as an assistant producer of a current affairs
  program called `Focus".
  
  From then on doors opened, an opening act for Sasha, featuring on
  the soundtrack for the Femina Miss India `96 pageant. Being
  unaccredited as the rapper on "East or West, India is the best' from
  the movie `Judwaa', marking his entry into the big bad world of
  Bollywood. He then opened for acts like Shaggy and C&C Music Factory
  here in India, on the Rap video version of Ooh La La directed by Ken
  Ghosh and music by A.R. Rehman and also Dj'd on Radio Midday as a
  special feature presentation on the legacy of 2Pac.
  
  "2Pac's my guardian angel, I'm inspired by him, his work, the way he
  lived, everything'
  
  Moving to California in January 1998 BlaaZe enrolled at Columbia
  College - Hollywood pursuing a BA Cinema degree. There he performed
  on a show called hip-hop vibes broadcasted in California, along with
  that, being introduced to members of a car club called `The
  Majestics', through his closest friend and former bodyguard to Magic
  Johnson, Vennie Saul. , Over there he also did something really
  adventurous... "I was in the heart of L.A, staying 2 blocks away from
  Hollywood Boulevard, when I realized that everything was right here,
  if I wanted to make it big, I had to be noticed and this was where
  television ruled, so I went and stood outside the NBC studios to get
  tickets for the Jay Leno show. The show's free, so you can imagine
  the amount of people waiting over there to get the tickets, it's a
  first come, first serve thing. Finally I got my tickets, went home,
  washed up, got together a package with my demo tape and the other
  essentials and addressed it to Kevin Eubanks, I figured if not Jay,
  then Kevin would be the person to meet. In the evening, Nandini (his
  wife, then his girlfriend) and me made it over to the studios, cause
  It's shot in the evening, I walked up to all the security guards
  asking them to deliver the package to Kevin but they all refused. So
  anyway we went in for the show, perched right up in one of the
  topmost rows, as soon as Jay made his entrance, I called out to him,
  so he looked all the way up there squinting, and asked me if I had
  anything to say. So I told him who I was, that I'd come all the way
  from India, and that I wanted him and Kevin to check my package out.
  Man was I scared, and then Jay goes, "well since you've come such a
  long way from India, I guess it wouldn't hurt you to walk down these
  stairs and get up here on stage." Wow, it was like crazy, so we made
  out way down there, he opened up the pack, looked and me and
  went "oh, so you're a musician, you must be pretty big there in
  India" probably taking a crack at the lengths that I had to go to
  get the package to him. "You know, the amount of people who would
  give anything to sit in these chairs? But since you're here, lets
  take this one step further, sit down", so we sat and talked for
  about 5 minutes, and all that time there was this smile plastered on
  my face, then he got on with the show and we walked back up to our
  seats, mission accomplished!"
  
  That one was one of the highlights in his career, the other being
  working with A.R. Rehman. After coming back to India, he was snapped
  up by MTV, working there for over 2 years as a producer and director
  of various shows like "MTV Classics, World Chart Express, Megamix,
  Chillout, and MTV Select" also assisting director Aditya
  Bhattacharya on filming Lucky ALI `s `Kitni Haseen Zindagi' in
  between and opening for the artist in Mumbai.
  
  He then switched to presenting shows like `The Big Drive Home'
  and `Rebel Yell' on Radio City 91fm. He's been documented by the BBC
  for the hip-hop show `Ghetto Fabulous', performed a hip-hop version
  of `Subterranean Homesick Blues' for the Bob Dylan tribute arranged
  by jazz legend Louis Banks, featured as the Rapper on the album '36
  Foot Stompers Vol.1' released by TIPS Music.
  
  Then A.R Rehman happened. " I always wanted to meet him, and maybe
  work with him, who doesn't? So I told Sivamani about it, one night I
  get a call from Sivamani telling me that Rehman was here in Mumbai
  for the night and was leaving in the morning, this was my one
  chance, I took it. I reached to the studio, went up to him, gave him
  my tapes and told him to listen to it"
  
  Months later he got the call ... "I was at his studio in chennai to
  work on a duet with Vasundara Das for the Tamil movie `Boys',
  directed by Shankar. I thought i would do my English rapping on the
  track and that would be it. But, being a tamilian by birth, I always
  knew how to speak and talk in Tamil, however I had never sung or
  rapped in Tamil before, and never knew I had the potential in me to
  do it. A. R. Rehman recognized this in me. The next thing you know,
  the song has me singing and rapping in Tamil, with a lil English as
  well. It turned out beautiful and set me thinking on how special a
  music director is, if he has this magical ability to get sooo much
  from his artist. Meanwhile, there was Rajnikanth's BABA film that
  was almost ready and only the background score was left for Rehman
  to complete. Having heard my rapping, he suggested I write something
  for BABA. I tried it out the same night, and then left for Mumbai. A
  week later, I was told Rajnikanth's heard what i did, loved it, and
  hence the BABA RAP became the theme of the moviel. The next time I
  went back to chennai to record was for a Hindi movie
  called `Saathiya', starring vivek oberoi and guest appearance by VJ
  Maria, for a song that was also ready...but needed spicing up, and
  hence Rehman insisted I do some high speed raps for it. It worked
  out well, the director approved, and the song will be out this
  October"
  
  He's working on an album due to be released next year, the sounds of
  which will be hip-hop with an Indian feel. Working along with him is
  Neil Banks, the son of the legendary Louis Banks. The guy's down to
  earth, in touch with his roots and that's what inspires him to write.
  
  "I write about my life, its not like America where it's basically
  street music, with rhymes about crime, oppression and racism. Hip-
  hop surpasses that, that's where I come in, I write about India,
  Zambia, poverty and anything else that moves me so much that I need
  to pen a few words down. When I was returning from my first
  recording session in Chennai with Rehman, I was so overwhelmed by
  the whole encounter that I wrote down lots of stuff on the plane,
  that's me, that's my music"
  
  That's BlaaZe all right, warm, chilled out, and pretty easy to chat
  with, and if his music's anything like him, then it's going to be
  great. 2Pac would most definitely be proud, BlaaZe's keepin it real...
  ...
  Quotes
  
  On A.R. Rehman: "A true genius! The ability to take an artist and
  get the best from within and to be able to see the REAL potential is
  what fascinated me whilst workin with Rehman."
  
  Inspirations: " when I heard Will Smith at the 88 Grammies sayin `to
  all the people out there, believe in yourself, go ahead and make it
  happen"
  
  
  On Stage: Everyone has his/her place in the universe. Mine is to be
  an entertainer. As a musician, my place in this universe is on a
  stage, with a mic and just doin' my thang. Gettin your message
  across in an instant is what is truly amazing. On the mic I feel a
  rush. It's THE MOMENT. It's FOREVER.
  
  5 influential albums;
  
  2Pac - Me Against The World
  NWA - Straight Outta Compton
  Ice - T - Original Gangsta
  Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five - Beat Street Breakdown
  Aradhana
  
  
  Rhymes
  
  I'm not too black to be a Zambian, no/ I'm not too brown to be an
  Indian, no/ I gotta piece of each and every colour in my life/ and I
  pray I stay colourful till the day I die.
  
  Words of wisdom, words are true / Yo my mama taught me all of that
  and more too / sayin' what is to happen, it will happen / Dear son,
  don't look back, just keep on rappin' / and if it's all good and
  you're keepin' it true / this whole wide world will recognise you...
  
  
  
  
• From: Are Yaar (@ 203.115.31.67) on: Sat Dec 14 02:06:34 EST 2002
  
  http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/dec/13rah.htm
  
  Rahman will score for Shekhar Kapur's Paani
  70 per cent of his compositions these last two years never saw light
  of day!
  
  
  Subhash K Jha
  
  A R Rahman will compose the score for Shekhar Kapur's Paani. The
  film, set in a Mumbai 20 years from now, will be scripted by Andrew
  Niccol who wrote Peter Weir's Jim Carrey starrer, The Truman Show.
  
  Paani will mark Kapur's second collaboration with Rahman after Andrew
  Lloyd Webber's hit musical, Bombay Dreams. That show -- Kapur
  suggested Rahman as composer to Webber -- recently crossed the 10
  million pounds mark in London and staged its 200th performance on
  December 11.
  
  After Bandit Queen and Elizabeth, Kapur briefly made waves last
  September with The Four Feathers. The film was not a box office
  success.
  
  
  
  Rahman reveals that Webber wants to work with him again. This time on
  an opera, "though I have no clue what he wants," he chuckles.
  
  The affable composer is riding high with his score for debutante
  director Shaad Ali's Saathiya. "After Taal all my music, like Lagaan,
  Zubeidaa and The Legend Of Bhagat Singh was period-specific. After a
  long time, a soundtrack of mine has been liberated from a specific
  situation. That is why Saathiya has been liked."
  
  "A lot of Saathiya's music is from its Tamil original Alai Payuthey,"
  he continues. "That is because it is the same story. When I heard the
  story, it immediately conjured a specific set of ideas in my mind.
  When I had to do the same thing again in Hindi, I could not revise
  those images. There were two tunes from the original Tamil that did
  not work in Hindi . So I composed two new ones, Banjar hai and Naina
  milaike."
  
  In a startling revelation, Rahman says 70 per cent of his
  compositions in the last two years never saw the light of
  day. "Between 2000 and 2002, nine of my projects in Hindi and a
  couple in Tamil never took off. So 70 per cent of my output during
  this period never came out. It was very frustrating. There are so
  many people waiting to work with me. I had to turn them down to do
  work that never got released. But I can't complain. I know what the
  film industry is going through. I am hoping something like my work in
  Deepa Mehta's Water gets released."
  
  He is off to London again which, he says, has become his cultural
  centre, midway between India and the US. This time, he will compose
  his first-ever English set of songs for musician Karen David.
  
  
  

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