“AR’s one of the two most tech-savvy musicians in India,” he states, proudly. Who’s the other? “You wouldn’t expect this: Ilaiyaraaja.”
Did we think AR has a bit of IR and not the other way around? On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 5:40 AM, Gopal Srinivasan <catchg...@yahoo.com>wrote: > > THE INSIDERS > Font Size > Dipti Nagpaul D’Souza > Posted: Mar 15, 2009 at 1113 hrs IST > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-insiders/434152/0 > > Meet the reclusive managers, technicians and singers who make up Team > Rahman > T. SELVAKUMAR, 45, > MANAGING DIRECTOR OF > RAHMAN’S MUSIC SCHOOL > In the early 1990s, when Bollywood was just beginning to rave about a > phenomenon, A.R. Rahman > met music programmer T. Selvakumar in Chennai. Both were musicians trained > in the alchemy of > sound, both shared their hopes of setting up their own studios one day. As > Rahman’s stock rose > in filmdom, Selvakumar notched up a reputation in the Indian music industry > as a master > technician. Soon, he got into the business of supplying high-end music > technology equipment. > “That’s when our acquaintance changed to friendship,” says the man who has > helped Rahman set up > his many state-of-the-art studios. To him also goes the credit of setting > up the first and only > Apple-certified music, special effects and film editing technology training > institute in the > country. > > Selvakumar was one of the few people who knew about Rahman’s dream of > setting up a music > school. “He wanted to start a school of music technology but I insisted he > couple it with > teaching.” One day in 2007, Rahman decided that the time had come. “And > when AR wants > something, he wants it right away. He asked me if I would manage it for him > and I didn’t see > why I should refuse him,” he says. > A regular day at the school sees Selvakumar taking classes in audio and > video technology and > ironing out numerous administrative hassles. He also continues to deal in > Apple equipment. > Whenever the company launches something new, Rahman is his first client. > “AR’s one of the two > most tech-savvy musicians in India,” he states, proudly. Who’s the other? > “You wouldn’t expect > this: Ilaiyaraaja.” > > CyberTech International > The most reliable solutions for > www.cybertech-int.com > Musicians Institute > Finest contemporary music school at > www.mi.edu > A R Rahman Songs free > Only on Guruji.com Music Search. > www.guruji.com > Ads By Google > NOEL JAMES, 48, MANAGER > Over two decades ago, Noel James was playing the piano as a lounge musician > at a hotel in > Chennai when a certain jingles composer walked in. “Rahman heard me play > and asked if I was > interested in working with him.” James agreed. That was the beginning of a > partnership that has > lasted to this day. James has since grown to become Rahman’s manager and > chief public relations > officer. He occasionally assists the composer in stage shows and handles > much of his > coordination — with musicians, clients, talent and even the media. The road > to Rahman, it could > be said, goes through James. > Born and brought up in Mumbai, James got hooked to music at an early age. > After graduating from > Loyola College, Chennai, he got a degree in violin from the prestigious > Trinity College of > Music, London. “I played in a band called Jumping Jewels, handling the > vocals and guitar. That > was before I went solo,” he says. He worked part-time with Rahman initially > but became a > permanent member of the team, singing the jingles and helping him with > production. > > Being Rahman’s manager has meant that James does not get much time for his > own music—except > when he plays at church. He has no regrets though. “God sends messiahs to > earth, whether it is > Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed. It has been quite a while since He sent > someone. I believe > A.R. Rahman is such a messiah who works through his music,” says James, for > whom familiarity > has only brought more appreciation towards Rahman, the musician and the > man. > > DEEPAK GATTANIi, 46, CONCERT MANAGER > Behind every power-packed Rahman concert is Deepak Gattani and his team at > Rapport Global > Events. “We manage his live entertainment business but the relationship > isn’t a client-service > provider one,” he says. Gattani first met Rahman through singer Hariharan, > another client. > Since that meeting, he has handled all of Rahman’s tours and performances, > and more recently, > has been managing Rahman’s endorsement portfolio as well. > Whenever Rahman is in Mumbai, Gattani finds himself seated next to him. > “But being with him > doesn’t mean that he’ll talk anymore than he usually does,” he says with a > laugh. “His concerts > have to be technically high-end, with something different each time. > Working for him means > making no mistakes and planning in advance.” Gattani is dogged by > international clients’ > proposals for Rahman concerts after his Oscar win. But, as of now, his > priorities lie with > organising Rahman’s first-ever live concert in Kerala, scheduled for May. > > S. SIVAKUMAR, 41, CHIEF SOUND ENGINEER > A novice who had just finished a diploma in sound engineering in 1992, S. > Sivakumar got his > first break when he was appointed assistant audio engineer at a reputed > studio in Chennai. The > designation was deceptive. The actual work assigned to the young man was to > stand and wait in > the machine room and change tapes once each roll was over. Then Rahman > happened. “I had been > working for about six months or so when A.R. Rahman came to the studio to > do the mixing for > Puthiya Mugam. He wanted an assistant and asked my seniors if I was > interested. That was 15 > years ago and I have been with him since,” he says. A native of Thanjavur, > the rice bowl of > Tamil Nadu, Sivakumar is now one of the noted names in sound engineering in > India, the main man > behind Rahman’s AM Studio and his chief sound engineer. He has worked in > all Rahman films since > Gentleman in 1993 and was a part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Bombay > Dreams. > According to Sivakumar, Rahman’s contribution goes beyond just transforming > film music in > India. He was also the first composer to include the names of all those who > worked on the > project on the audiotape/CD jackets — an acknowledgement of many backroom > operators like > Sivakumar, who would otherwise be invisible to the world outside studio > walls. > > K.J. SINGH, 47, SOUND ENGINEER > He doesn’t sound his age and Rahman thinks the sound engineer’s voice bears > a hint of a > European accent. “He keeps teasing me that he’ll soon find me a voice-over > project overseas,” > says Singh with a laugh. But the camaraderie between the two took time to > develop. Singh says > when he first met Rahman five years ago during a concert, the composer > would just stand next to > him without saying a word. “He’s shy and doesn’t waste words. There have > been times when I > would turn to find him standing behind me for 10 minutes! It felt strange, > but later realised > that’s how he is,” says Singh. “But once he gets to know you better, there > are no reservations. > You’re family and he’s open to sharing all his knowledge.” > > The technician has done numerous Rahman concerts and films, starting with > Rang De Basanti and > recently Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and Delhi-6. The two were first introduced > by the latter’s > chief sound engineer, the late H. Sridhar. Rahman noticed the two friends > shared a good > wavelength and often brought them together for his projects. “I think AR > noticed how seamlessly > we both worked. If both Sridhar and I had handled a project, one could not > make out whether a > track was managed by him or me. Rahman made good use of that.” Based in > Mumbai for a decade > now, the sound engineer likes to explore new talent and, at the same time, > work with the old. > His clientele boasts of names like Hariharan, Indian Ocean, Rabbi Shergill > and G.V. Prakash, > Rahman’s nephew. Singh is most looking forward to his trip to Chennai next > week. He is > determined to make the maestro throw a party for each award he has won for > Slumdog Millionaire. > “He can space out the parties but he can’t escape them,” he says with a > wink. > > SRINIVAS, 49, SINGER > In 1988, a chemical engineer travelled to Chennai from Coimbatore for a day > so that he could > sing for Ilaiyaraaja. It broke Srinivas’s heart that he had to lost the > opportunity to a throat > infection. But another southern genius’s success gave him hope and he > approached Rahman soon > after the success of Roja. Rahman took a liking to Srinivas and asked him > to move to Chennai. > In 1994, Srinivas shifted base and started lending his voice to > advertisement jingles and > devotional albums. It was only in 1996, that he gained recognition with the > song Manna Madurai > from Rahman’s Minsaara Kanavu. Then came En uyire in Mani Ratnam’s Uyire > (the Tamil version of > Dil Se), which was his first big hit. > > Now a big name down south, Srinivas has since worked closely with the > composer. “I never knew I > could compose, but watching A.R. inspired me. He’s in a different world > altogether when he > works. And to him, work on a song only begins once he’s composed it. From > there, it evolves > with his many editions and improvisations,” he says. Of late, due to his > busy schedules, Rahman > has entrusted Srinivas with the responsibility of supervising the vocals > during recordings. > “Many would find it strange and menial but it’s an honour to help him out,” > says the singer who > has to take out time from his packed schedule of recordings and reality > shows. “But AR is > always a priority over others.” > > RAQEEB ALAM, 38, SINGER AND LYRICIST > His story is straight out of a Bollywood flick: playback singer and > lyricist Raqeeb Alam was > born into a family of teachers in Bihar but books held no charm for him. > Instead, he spent all > his waking hours listening to music or singing. While in college in > Chennai, he became a > part-time singer. It was during a show that he met lyricist P K Mishra, who > liked him and > introduced him to AR in 2002. But when he met the musician, he got so > nervous, he “couldn’t > sing beyond a line.” The two, however, kept in touch. > > Once, Rahman was scheduled to meet Deepa Mehta for a session for Water. > Sukhwinder Singh, who > was supposed to write and sing a song for the film, had left for Varanasi > because of an > emergency. Desperate for a replacement, Rahman called Alam. “I wrote 10 > mukhdas of which they > selected one and then I wrote the whole song,” he says. After its > recording, political > controversy delayed Water by four years. “But the patience paid off. The > song got good reviews > when the film released and was later nominated for an Oscar. I didn’t win > the award but had won > AR’s confidence.” Alam has since written and sung many songs for Rahman, > primarily the Hindi > translations of his Tamil albums. His most memorable is Ek mohabbat, which > Rahman sang for the > campaign to include Taj Mahal in the Seven Wonders Of The World project. > The latest feather in > his cap is Ringa Ringa, which he wrote for Slumdog Millionaire. > > VIJAY MOHAN IYER, 32, LABEL MANAGER > It requires some amount of prodding to get him talking. Vijay Mohan Iyer, > who manages Rahman’s > K M Musiq label, prefers to remain behind his idol’s shadow. “I’m sure you > can skip writing > about me. Why not write about AR?” he repeats after every question. But > here’s the story: The > Mumbai boy first met Rahman on his 18th birthday in Chennai. “But nothing > worked out in terms > of music. I returned, got back to studies and took up a job. One day, eight > years ago, I found > myself seated next to my idol on an eight-hour flight to London,” he says. > They got chatting > and struck up a friendship. “The desire, of course, was to work with him in > some way or the > other. I guess persistence pays. One day, he just asked me to meet up and > briefed me about a > project he had in mind; and that was the K M Musiq label.” Iyer has held > his dream job for > three years and he didn’t mind uprooting his life from Mumbai to a laidback > Chennai. “I missed > the city but AR’s is a different world.” > >
