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Rahman's AVMAX interview....

Topic started by reporter (@ 209.197.174.19) on Fri Mar 16 00:09:39 EST 2001.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi everybody. I have taken the pain of typing up this very long and very good interview of Rahman's that came on AVMAX on their first ever issue this month. It's a cover story(interview) on Rahman and he has given some really great answers. Read the interview!

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: :-) (@ 64.104.128.15) on: Thu Mar 22 09:45:10 EST 2001
  
  karthik,
  u may want to ask Mr. Sundar
  sundar.babu@sisl.co.in
  
  I personally haven't listened to it, But sundar
  doesn't lie :-)
  
  
• From: sabesan (@ 12.47.56.111) on: Thu Mar 22 13:06:13 EST 2001
  
  UVII..... by any chance is the song u r mentioning is "Changathil Padatha KavithaI" in Tamil (film Auto Raja, sung by IR and SJ) ?
  
  
• From: doubter (@ 208.142.210.36) on: Thu Mar 22 14:38:38 EST 2001
  
  sabesan
  
  You are right. The tune is same. In fact, when 'OLangaL' was dubbed into tamil as 'kaNNE kalaimAnE', the same song appeared as 'neerveezhchi theemoottuthE'.
  
  Kartik
  
  AEPK was a remake of Balu's first movie, Gokila, which was originally made in Kannada. Our 'mike' Mohan acted and hence is known as 'Gokila' Mohan in Karnataka.
  
  Another tamil song used with Western beats was 'pothi vechcha malligai mottu' (maN vAsanai).
  
  But I can't understand why Balu and IR took so much pains in making them understood in Hindi. What do they gain by getting acceptance in Hindi?
  
  
• From: UVII (@ 166.90.248.158) on: Thu Mar 22 14:58:13 EST 2001
  
  Sabesan,
  Yes, I am talking abt the same song which has come in different versions.
  1. Sangathil Paadatha - sung by IR
  2. Thumbi Vaa - sung by SJ - Olangal
  3. NEervizchi theemootuthe - Sung by SH -Kanne Kalaimane
  4. Sunday Ko - Aur Ek Prem Kahani
  
  
• From: UVII (@ 166.90.248.158) on: Thu Mar 22 15:01:45 EST 2001
  
  Actually I did not like the way the song "Sunday Ko' was used in AEPK. Thumbi Vaa was simply great.
  
  
• From: sabesan (@ 12.47.56.111) on: Thu Mar 22 16:21:07 EST 2001
  
  and one interesting thing about the Auto Raja movie - i think the MD for this movie were many...... there was one song - "malaraeee enneenaa kooolam, edhanaal en meedhu kobaaam" sung by SPB (a supurb one), and the MD was Sankar-Ganesh..... and this song "Sangathil" was MDed by IR..... not sure why this song took so many Avatar's ?
  
  
• From: Observer (@ 144.92.164.198) on: Thu Mar 22 16:29:13 EST 2001
  
  This song has another avatar in Telugu.
  
  It must be one of IR's favourites. Its one of mine too.
  
  
• From: UVII (@ 63.76.3.20) on: Thu Mar 22 16:41:10 EST 2001
  
  It is becos IR is an Avathara Purushan :-))
  
  
• From: reporter (@ 209.197.170.170) on: Thu Mar 29 14:42:58 EST 2001
  
  Your music is popular outside India as it is in India. Do you see yourself as an ambassador for popular Indian music globally?
  
  
  Hey, don't burden me with titles[laughs]. Yeah, but it is nice to that one's work is appreciated globally. Before I started work on 'Roja', I was unhappy with the situation Indian music found itself in. It was hugely popular among Indians everywhere, but no one else seemed to care. I always wondered why this is so. There was so much of money and talent involved in making film music, and frankly, I that it was being exploited enough. One of the reasones for this, I felt was perhaps that the essence of Indian film music could be understood only by Indians. There was nothing in it for the world community.
  
  While composing for 'Roja', I decided to incorporate as many global influences as I could into it. So you'll find a bit of reggae, a bit of world music and a bit of everything in 'Roja'. As a result, even foreigners could relate to the music, and I suppose that's how it grew. In fact, whenever I do a concert in the US, I try and address the cult that's forming there.
  
  So it is a Rahman-cult now, is it?
  
  I don't know if it is that, but this is a crowd that listens to mainstream indian music and appreciates it.
  
  Is Andrew Lloyd Webber part of this cult thing, too?
  
  I don't htink you can put Andrew Lloyd Webber in the cult category. I think he spotted the sound, liked what he heard and decided that he had to work with me. We were introduced by Shekhar Kapur, and Andrew suggested that we work on a musial. He thought an Indain composer working on a musical would be a novel experience for hte Western audience.
  
  What kind of music do you listen to?
  
  I like all kinds of music and would want to listen to a lot of it. I tend to buy a lot of CDs when I travel, but I never get around to listening to all of it because I simply don't seem to get the time. And even when I get around to listeningto them, I find some of the stuff too heavy for my liking. Come to think of it, I'm only now unpacking some of the stuff I bought a couple of years ago.
  
  But what are listening to right now?
  One is so much into his own music; I mean I am listening to my own mixes and overdubs and other things, that it tends to get a bit too much ast times. Sometimes all I want to do is withdraw into a vacuum and be with myself.
  
  For someone with such a keen sense of sound, what kind of audio set-up do you own?
  
  My home listening system is actually very low-end, not high-end. I presently own a Mackie 24-bit digital mixer, and I keep changing my systems every six months because the obsolescence reate is very high in the digital industry.
  
  What about at home?
  
  Well, there is only a Sony television. I really don't get time to listen to music at home.
  
  What would you say has been your greatest achievement yet?
  
  I don't htink I have achieved very much yet. Life is one big journey and you are never sure if you have reached your destination. I'm still trying to find that destination. But the thing is, once you reach that destination, you don't need to survive.
  
  And your greatest regret?
  
  Hmm...none really, becasue if you start regretting, there is no end to it. So it is better to be happy with what God has given me. Maybe the fact that I don't have as many shortcomings and misfortunes that plaque a lot of people is a boon in itself. Life has made me what I am now, and I am thankful for its blessings.
  
  
  
  
  Rahman At a Glance
  
  Name: Allah Rahka Rahman aka AR Rahman
  Given name: AS Dileep Kumar
  Paternal Info: Father RK Shekhar, was an arranger, conductor and music director in Malayalam films and assisted Salil Choudary, Devrajan and others. He died when Rahman was nine.
  
  First Musical Lession: Learning the piano when he was four.
  
  Dileep's First Job: Keyboard accompanist at the age of 11.
  
  Dileep's Formal Education: Padma Seshadri Bal Bhawan, Madras Christian College School, Trinity college of Music with scholarship.
  
  Dileep worked under: Music directors Ramesh Naidu, MS Vishwanathan and Illayaraja. Musicians Dileep accompanied before he became Rahman: Zakhir Hussain and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on their world tours.
  
  Bands that Dileep played for: Roots, Magic and Nemesis Avenue where he performed with his future colleagues like Ranjit Barot and Sivamani.
  
  Why Dileep became Rahman: In 1988, one of his sisters fell sreiously ill and numberous attempts to cure her failed. Her condition progressively worsened. The family ahd given up all hope with they came in contact with a Muslim Peer - Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani or Peer Qadri as he was popularly known. With his prayers and blessings, Dileep's sister made a miraculaous recovery. Rattled by the bad experience and influenced by the teachings of the Peer, the entire family converted to Islam. Thus, AS
  Dileep Kumar, became AR Rahman.
  
  Year when Rahman decided to set up his studio: 1989
  
  What is it called: Panchathan Inn
  
  Jingles Rahman composed: Over 300 jingles over five years starting in 1987. They included Allwyn's new Trendy range of watches, Parry's toffees, Leo Coffee, Boost(featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev), Titan, Premier Pressure Cooker, Hero Puch and Asian Paints. The jingles that he composed for Leo Coffee starred Arvind Swamy, and the Asian Paints ad were directed by Rajeev Menon.
  
  His first cinematc break: Roja
  
  Present Tally: 54 original film scores, 9 non-film scores and 8 singles.
  
  Persons Rahman Credits for Rahman becoming Rahman: His mother and Peer Qadri , his spiritual guru.
  Current Status: India's best known music composer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227) on: Thu Mar 29 15:33:09 EST 2001
  
  Reporter,
  
  Thanks a lot.I understand how difficult it is to type out everything.When you get time please type the remaining(if any)part too.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 208.24.179.207) on: Thu Mar 29 16:27:54 EST 2001
  
  Reporter: Thanks for reporting a good interview. As in any interview, this leads to some fresh questions/comments but overall it is quite balanced.
  
  
• From: doubter (@ 208.142.210.36) on: Thu Mar 29 16:46:07 EST 2001
  
  rajaG
  
  One such question which comes to my mind is ARR's 'longing' that Indian music was not global, whatever that means. What were his efforts to make it 'global', apart from using Recording and Arranging techniques introduced by westerners?
  
  This is like R.K.Narayan writing a novel in English and saying that he has globalised Indian writing.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.222.2) on: Thu Mar 29 17:49:23 EST 2001
  
  The thing that was a little disturbing was this from the earlier part of the interview:
  
  What about diction? You have used Sukwinder Singh and Udit Narayan extensively in Tamil songs and people have accepted them without reservation?
  Here again I go by what I like. I reason that while people listen to Khaled and not understand a word other than "didi, didi" - does that make it a song in praise of your dear sister?(laughs)- people sitll liked the tune. I guess people liked the happiness in his voice and in listening to the song, they themselves felt happy. Udit was my Khaled to teh Tmail industry. And once that clicked in 'Kadhalan', I was encouraged to use him more and more. Once people like the tune, they forgive small transgressions in diction and pronunciation.
  
  
  So, what he means is that as long as he is able to churn out catchy tunes he wont give a damn about pronunciation or diction??
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 207.43.195.201) on: Thu Mar 29 18:40:43 EST 2001
  
  I don't blame ARR for using Udit Nararayan continuously. I want to find the guy who told him that the Udit Narayan experiment was a success/hit and skin that basta*d alive (and with a blunt razor).
  
  Vijay: You and I know that ARR does not care about pronunciation. Because, that is not something which he is aware of, his own thamizh being "mutruppulliyE":-)
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.26.123) on: Thu Mar 29 18:52:30 EST 2001
  
  RajaG:)) Its not as much as the ignorance of the language as its the attitude that irks me..catchy tunes podara varaikkum naama pronunciation enna sodhappinaalum makkal kandukkamaattaanga appadeengara attitude..
  
  ". I want to find the guy who told him that the Udit Narayan experiment was a success/hit and skin that basta*d alive (and with a blunt razor). "
  
  You might have to skin all of us for making that song a hit.. after all it is US(TFM audience) that dont care about pronunciation and other things anymore and make all these songs hits by buying his cassettes :-))
  
  

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