A R Rahman receive award at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

A R Rahman receive award at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

A R Rahman, George Flanigen

A R Rahman receive award at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Kurt Elling, Tia Carrere, A R Rahman

Kurt Elling, A R Rahman

By Subhash K. Jha, February 1, 2010

After the Oscars and the Padma Bhushan, it's Grammy time for A R Rahman. On Sunday night, his music for Slumdog Millionaire won two Grammy awards, setting Rahman's global score even higher in 2010 than it was last year.

Reacting to the double Grammy whammy, Rahman said, "I never even dreamt about winning all these awards. I once again want to thank the Almighty, my spiritual Sufi teachers Ameen Peerullah Malik Sahib, Danny Boyle and the whole Slumdog creative team."

After the Grammy, Rahman also had a special word of thanks for his mentor Mani Ratnam and his mentors in Mumbai, Shekhar Kapur and Subhash Ghai and mentor in the West, Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Back home, Rahman is happy to have received the Padma Bhushan. But unhappy about the fact that a lot of the deserving artistes remain unrecognized by the government. "There're so many deserving candidates for National Awards, still unsung. On the other hand, I believe people with dubious records get recognized. That isn't fair. Personally speaking I'm very happy to get the Padma Bhushan. Ever since the announcement my phone hasn't stopped ringing. I think I've received more congratulations for the Padma than for the Oscars."

Rahman says he's prouder of the Padma Bhushan than the Oscar. "It definitely means more when you're recognized by your own people and country. I definitely value this award more than the Oscar or Grammy," said Rahman before flying out to Los Angeles for the Grammys. "My award comes in a category that won't be televised. So it won't be like Slumdog Millionaire where people back home could watch me."

Much has been said about the two Padma winners Rahman and sound designer Resul Pookutty's disappointing follow-up collaboration in Blue after Slumdog Millionaire. But Rahman stands by Blue. "The script was a bummer. But grant the director Anthony D'Souza for the fact that he tried something different. I enjoyed doing Blue."

Our resident Mozart is amused by premature reports in the press that his song 'Na Na' from his first Hollywood soundtrack has been nominated for and Oscar.

Says Rahman, "'Na Na' is short listed. It's one of 63 songs in the race. Not nominated yet. It's an English song."

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A.R.Rahman, Aamir, Rekha, Saif get civilian honours

A.R.Rahman, Aamir, Rekha, Saif get civilian honours (Roundup)

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Bollywood star Aamir Khan and celebrated Tamil composers A.R. Rahman and Ilayaraja were Monday named for Padma Bhushan, the nation's third highest civilian award, While actors Rekha, Saif Ali Khan, Arundhati Nag and sound engineer Resul Pokutty got Padma Shri.

Aamir, 44, who struck gold at the box office with his latest outing "3 Idiots" that grossed over Rs.375 crore worldwide, is already a recipient of the Padma Shri.

Allah Rakha Rahman, who shone at the Oscars last year with his double golden statuette win, seems to be on an award winning spree post the success of "Slumdog Millionaire".

In 2008, Rahman scored the music of Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches drama "Slumdog Millionaire" for which he won a Golden Globe. He also bagged two Oscars for the film, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so.

Apart from the Oscars, Rahman has also been awarded with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award, four National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare awards.

Tamil composer Ilayaraja has been a prominent name in the southern film industry since 1976. He debuted with "Annakkili" and is known for integrating Tamil folk lyric with Western music. He won the Indian National Film Award thrice for the movies - "Sindhu Bhairavi", "Rudraveena" and "Saagara Sangamam."

And now Ilayaraja gets the Padma Bhushan.

Bollywood diva Rekha, 55, has been selected for the Padma Shri, the fourth highest honour, after four decades in the Indian film industry.

The daughter of the late southern star Gemini Ganesan, Rekha bagged overnight success with her debut film and went on to become India's sex symbol.

Rekha has acted in over 150 films and maintained versatility in films like "Do Anjaane" (1976), "Ghar" (1978), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1978), "Khubsoorat" (1980), "Silsila" (1981), "Baseraa" (1981), "Utsav" (1984), "Khoon Bhari Maang" (1988), "Ijaazat" (1988), "Kama Sutra" (1996) and "Zubeidaa" (2001), et al.

After being awarded with the 2008 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, now Arundhati Nag, a well-known name in the theatre world, wins Padma Shri. She was recently seen in "Paa" as Amitabh Bachchan's grandmother.

Saif Ali Khan, one of the top notch actors in Hindi film industry, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. He became a sought after name after the success of "Dil Chahta Hai" (2001). After that there has been no looking back for the actor who also bagged the National Film Awards for his performance in "Hum Tum".

Sound engineer Resul Pokutty, who won Oscar last year for his work in "Slumdog Millionaire", is honoured with the fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri.

A R Rahman Iliyaraja get Padma Bhushan Rekha Padma Shri

Rahman, Iliyaraja get Padma Bhushan, Rekha Padma Shri

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Composers A.R. Rahman, who shone at the Oscars last year with his double golden statuette win, and Iliyaraja have been honoured with the Padma Bhushan, the nation's third highest civilian award, on the eve of Republic Day.

Rahman, who started his career in 1992 with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film "Roja", made his debut in Bollywood with the hit soundtrack in Ram Gopal Varma's blockbuster movie "Rangeela".

Some of his hit numbers are "Chaiyyan Chaiyyan", "Roobaroo", "Tere bina", "Jai ho" and "Masakali" and "Kabhi kabhi Aditi".

In a career spanning almost two decades, Rahman who has his own music label called KM Music, achieved many milestones.

In 2008, Rahman scored the music of Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches drama "Slumdog Millionaire" for which he won a Golden Globe. He also bagged two Oscars the same, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so.

Apart from the Oscars, Rahman has also been awarded with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award, four National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare awards.

The 44-year-old musician has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards, the results of which will be announced Jan 31.

While Time magazine referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras", in 2009, the magazine placed him in their 100 list of "World's Most Influential People".

Iliyaraja has been a prominent composer in the southern film industry since 1976. He debuted with "Annakkili" and is known for integrating Tamil folk lyric with Western music. He won the Indian National Film Award thrice for the movies - "Sindhu Bhairavi", "Rudraveena" and "Saagara Sangamam.

Bollywood veteran Rekha, 55, has been conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth highest honour, after four decades in the Indian film industry.

The daughter of late southern star Gemini Ganesan, Rekha bagged overnight success with her debut film and went on to become India's sex symbol.

Rekha has acted in over 150 films and maintained versatility in films like "Do Anjaane" (1976), "Ghar" (1978), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1978), "Khubsoorat" (1980), "Silsila" (1981), "Baseraa" (1981), "Utsav" (1984), "Khoon Bhari Maang" (1988), "Ijaazat" (1988), "Kama Sutra" (1996) and "Zubeidaa" (2001), et al.

It was Muzaffar Ali's period drama "Umrao Jaan" that catapulted Rekha to unprecedented success and even won her a National Award.

A R Rahman releasing his latest Hollywood film Couples Retreat

Music Maestro A R Rahman releasing his latest Hollywood film ' Couples Retreat ' soundtrack at a function, in Chennai.

A R Rahman's song in Oscar race again!

A R Rahman's song in Oscar race again!

The musician who created history by becoming the first Indian to win two Oscars is in the running for the coveted prize for the second consecutive year. Last year, A R Rahman took the trophy for both 'Best Original Song' and the 'Best Soundtrack'

MUSICIAN A R Rahman is in the Oscar shortlist yet again for 'Best Original Song' thanks to his first Hollywood film 'Couple's Retreat’. The Tamil song 'Na Na' from this movie has been short listed for nomination in the original song category for the 82nd Academy Awards. 'Couples Retreat' a film by Emmy nominated Peter Billingsley revolves around four couples trying to rekindle the magic through a tropical-island vacation.

The song will be in competition with 62 other tracks from eligible feature-length motion pictures. The nominations will be announced on February 2 according to the official Academy awards website.

This will be Rahman’s second run for the coveted prize. He created history by becoming the first Indian to win two Oscars. Last year his compositions in Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire' won him the award for 'Best Soundtrack' while the score 'Jai Ho' got him the trophy for 'Best Original Song' .

रहमान का गाना ऑस्कर की रेस में

एआर रहमान के संगीत से सजी हॉलीवुड फ़िल्म 'कपल्स रिट्रीट' के एक गाने ‘ना ना’ को ऑस्कर पुरस्कारों के लिए चयनित सूची में शामिल किया गया है. इस गाने को 'बेस्ट ऑरिजिनल सॉन्ग' श्रेणी में चयनित किया गया है.

यहां ये गीत 62 अन्य गानों से साथ ऑस्कर नामांकन पाने के लिए संघर्ष करेगा. ऑस्कर पुरस्कारों के नामांकन का ऐलान दो फ़रवरी को किया जाएगा.

रहमान ने इस गाने के ऑस्कर सूची में आने पर कहा, “ मुझे नहीं मालूम इस गाने को नामांकन मिलेगा या नहीं क्योंकि हमने इस गाने का कोई प्रचार तो किया नहीं है.”

दिलचस्प बात ये है कि ‘ना ना’ गाने में रहमान ने अपने साढ़े छह साल के बेटे आलिम से भी कुछ बोल गवाए हैं.

'कपल्स रिट्रीट'

'कपल्स रिट्रीट' का संगीत भारत में भी रिलीज़ किया गया है.

मैं उन दिनों काफ़ी तमिल संगीत सुन रहा था और मैं पिछले साल कोई तमिल फ़िल्म भी नहीं कर रहा था. मैं कुछ ऐसा करना चाहता था जो थोड़ा अलग-सा हो. जब ‘कुरु कुरु’ तैयार हुआ तो उन्हें पसंद आया

एआर रहमान

इस एल्बम में ‘कुरु कुरु’ नाम का तमिल गाना भी है जिसे रहमान ने लिखा भी है. इसके अलावा 'कपल्स रिट्रीट' की एल्बम में संस्कृत, स्पेनिश और हिंदी में भी गीत हैं.

‘कुरु कुरु’ के बारे में बात करते हुए रहमान ने कहा, “मैं उन दिनों काफ़ी तमिल संगीत सुन रहा था और मैं पिछले साल कोई तमिल फ़िल्म भी नहीं कर रहा था. मैं कुछ ऐसा करना चाहता था जो थोड़ा अलग-सा हो. जब ‘कुरु कुरु’ तैयार हुआ तो उन्हें पसंद आया.”

ए आर रहमान ने कहा, “स्लमडॉग मिलेनियर को मिली अपार सफलता के बाद, वो मुझसे कुछ ख़ास चाहते थे लेकिन साथ ही कुछ ऐसा जो फ़िल्म के साथ चल सके.”

रहमान ने कहा उन्हें 'कपल्स रिट्रीट' के लिए काम करने में मज़ा आया क्योंकि उन्हें संगीत रचने के लिए पूरी स्वतंत्रता मिली थी.

Not all attacks in Australia are racist says Rahman

Not all attacks in Australia are racist, says Rahman

Sydney, Jan 14 (IANS) Not all attacks on Indians in Australia are racist in nature, says music maestro A.R. Rahman, now here for a free concert in a bid to bridge relations between India and Australia.

The Indian Oscar winner urged the media not to go overboard.

"We need a more responsible media. Media is a great tool but it can also be misused and provoke people. Just one wrong can kill thousands of people. That's happened in the past, and we need to be extremely careful and strict about what we are - the truth," Rahman told a press conference here Thursday.

"I was speaking to a lot of people. They were saying that some of them (attacks) are racial killings, some are not. But everything gets painted in the same colour, and we have to be very careful on that," he added.

Rahman's remarks came after a string of attacks on Indians, mainly students, in the country, the latest being a fire at a Melbourne gurdwara.

Rahman is slated to perform Saturday at the Parramatta Park as part of the Festival of Sydney, and he says it is a step forward to bridge the gap between the two countries.

"This country is reaffirming the friendship, and I hope that this concert brings that and I'm sure it will, hopefully," said the 44-year-old.

"Australia has taken this first step, they called me. I think any art form, whether it's a movie or whether it's a concert, you see all kinds of people in one," he added.

Rahman, who is known internationally for composing the song "Jai Ho" from Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire", also gave safety tips to people.

"Regarding safety, I would advise not to go anywhere at night, especially in shady places where there are a lot of drug addicts and alcoholics. Be careful because they are going to be the main reason for any trouble," he said.

Media needs to be more responsible: A.R. Rahman

Media needs to be more responsible: A.R. Rahman

Sydney, Jan 14 (IANS) Referring to the news reports of recent attacks on Indians in Australia, music maestro A.R. Rahman, who is in Sydney for a free concert to bridge relations between India and Australia, says the media should act responsibly.

"We need more responsible media. Media's a great tool, but it can also be misused and provoke people and just one wrong can kill thousands of people. And that's happened in the past and we need to be extremely careful and strict about what we are - the truth," said Rahman at a press conference here Thursday.

"I was speaking to a lot of people, they were saying that some of them are racial killings, some of them are not. But everything gets painted in the same colour and we have to be very careful on that," he added.

Rahman's remarks came amid a string of attacks on Indians and Indian symbols in the country, the latest being a fire at a Melbourne gurdwara.

The Indian Oscar winner is slated to perform at the Parramatta Park as part of the Festival of Sydney, Saturday and he says it is a step forward to bridge the gaps.

"This country is re-affirming the friendship and I hope that this concert brings that and I'm sure it will, hopefully," said the 44-year-old.

"Australia has taken this first step, they called me. I think any art form, whether it's a movie or whether it's a concert, you see all kinds of people in one," he added.

Rahman, who is known internationally for composing the song "Jai Ho" from Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire", also gave safety tips to people.

"Regarding safety, I would advise not to go anywhere at night, especially in shady places where there are a lot of drug addicts and alcoholics and be careful, because they are going to be the main reason for any trouble in the future," he said.

Ebony & Ivory AR Rahman strikes the right chords

AR Rahman is consumed with passion to bring together Western and Eastern musical forms

Danny Boyle almost botched it. The Welsh director had bottled the mad razzle of Mumbai quite brilliantly in Slumdog Millionaire. He just had to cap it well. As Jamal meets Latika at the Churchgate station in a climax that was inevitably Mumbai, everything was perfect – the release of tension, atmosphere of jubilation – except for the sound of joy. “Rahman heard the song that I had put and said ‘Don’t use this song. I have another song for you. Use it’ and I said What!!!” Boyle recalled in an interview to a Web site. Actually, it wasn’t even a song; just a danceable instrumental piece. But he agreed to listen to the song that Allah Rakha Rahman had in mind. Looking back, Jai Ho is what defines the climax. Hell, it is the climax.

Critics don’t consider Jai Ho as his best work but they are barking up the tree and missing the woods. The reality is that Jai Ho is important for a variety of reasons that make Rahman one of the most influential musicians on the planet. And most of the reasons are in that song. The song itself can be thought of as a Rahman glide note that joins three worlds: music of the West, East and computer technology. The rousing victory song set in A Minor reminds many people of Mozart’s 40th Symphony but the melodic line of Jai Ho runs closer to the Austrian Legend’s Piano Sonata 8. One is tempted to think of it as a subconscious hat-tip from the Mozart of Madras to the Dear Departed.

Beyond the hat-tip though, it is Rahman’s interpretation of the euphoric mood of the moment. The song loops in the enthusiasm of disco, rawness of world music, slick synthesizer runs and all of these buoy the soaring vocals. Superb sound engineering is the final touch that creates a song that is as much at home in an Indian music competition as much as it is in an Oscar ceremony.

The success of Slumdog may have left everyone surprised but it is the result of a concerted effort. Rahman did the music for a Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003. Then, he did the musical Bombay Dreams with Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2004. He did the score for Lord of the Rings in 2007 and he did Raga’s Dance for the violinist Vanessa Mae in 2008. In 2009, he did the music for a Hollywood film Couple’s Retreat.

If this was merely another Indian composer trying to make it in the West it wouldn’t be a big deal. It is much bigger. Rahman is trying to create sound that fuses the music of East and West. To do this, he has started his own KM music conservatory, a school of music as it were. He also has his own label KM Musiq to produce the sort of music that he thinks should be out there. “I want to think like an entrepreneur not an employee. Attempts to create a synthesis of the music of West and the East were made in the past but did not last because that form wasn’t institutionalised. I want to do that,” says Rahman. The tea leaves augur well. “Rahman has been trying to do this East-West bridge for a very long time. Bombay Dreams was the first time he made such an attempt. If anyone can, he can,” says Atul Churamani, vice president at SaReGaMa.

Rahman was destined to cross boundaries. He was a child prodigy. A Tehelka article on him talks about one such instance. When Rahman was a kid, his father took him to a music director called Sudarshan. “I hear your child can play anything. Let’s see if you can play this,” he said and played a challening piece. He then covered the harmonium keys with a veshti and gave it to the child. Rahman played the composition pitch perfect. An overwhelmed Sudarshan embraced the boy.

Maybe Rahman could have become a great Carnatic musician, maybe a great western classical virtuoso. A world of possibilities ended when his father passed away and the family went through some very hard times. He had to record music for a fee to help feed his family. He played for television shows. He travelled with different music troupes all over South India. The genius could have remained a journeyman. A scholarship to Trinity College of Music at Oxford in changed everything. In 1987, he returned from Oxford and by 1992, he had stunned the world with the soundtrack of Roja.