Re: [arr] My meeting with ARR - Formal Writeup

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 16:53:26 -0800

Hi Ajit,

That was a brilliant narration. And dont worry about it being long... I was actually worried that it got over. This is a write-up which scores of his fans would relate to. It kind of reminded me of my own meeting with the Legend, about which I posted in the group a couple of weeks ago. The extent of his humble, simple n down-to-earth nature has to be seen to believed.

When he mentioned to us, during our meeting, that former Australian Captain, Steve Waugh had come to his concert in Australia, he actually didnt know whom he was talking abt. He jus said, "Australia... captain (gesturing a cap!) had come". He didnt even know if he was still playing or no. Like you, I m equally amazed about the fact that the great man had to make so many sacrifices and he still continues to do so! More than anything, I am amazed at the way he is able to to capture the imagination of youth with songs like 'Mustafa' or even the latest one 'Paatshala' (RDB), without experiencing any of those moments in his life.

I m extremely happy for u. Hope u get to meet him again...

Regards,

Chiranjeevi


Ajit <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hello fellow ARR Fans,

Back on Nov 25th, my dream came true when I met and spent some time
with ARR.  I wrote about it briefly to you all shortly afterwards
informally.  However, I have written a formal writeup on my experience
with him that night as well as my own deep feelings about him.  My
family has encouraged me to submit this writeup to some local Indian
newspapers here in the US, such as India Abroad.  I may do this, but I
would like your feedback first.  There is some intimate information
about ARR's life which I learned, which I am not sure if some of you
already know about.  Please forgive the lengthy nature of this writeup
and I'm sorry to take so much bandwidth.  The point of this writeup is
not only to express my deep feelings about ARR, but to also hopefully
someday educate the public about him and his music.  In fact, many of
my close friends were pleasantly surprised to know about some facts of
ARR that they didn't know before and regarded him with more respect
after reading my writeup.  But, I am humble about it and I want to
share this with you.  Thanks for reading.
_________________________________________________________________________
A.R. Rahman.........
>
>Yes, we've all heard of him and most of us have heard his music.
He's been
>called "The Mozart of Madras". He's the long wavy haired Tamilian music
>director genius from Chennai who is associated with movie soundtracks
like
>Taal, Rangeela, Lagaan, Iruvar, Thiruda Thiruda, Dil Se, Roja....
Yup, you
>know him.....the shy and quiet one.  Yes, he is the one who prefers to
>compose music at night, requiring singers and other artists to adjust
their
>routines to accomodate his recording schedule, and the one who is
notorious
>for taking his own time composing, much to the impatience of the "film
>wallahs" of Mumbai and Chennai.  He is the most expensive music director.
>He has been labeled repetitive by his critics, focusing too much on
rhythm
>and "fusion".  Some accuse him of tainting the traditional North Indian
>style of film music with his brand of fusion experimentation, imbuing
>Western and South Indian musical blends.  Oh, and let's not forget the
>other
>outdated and absurd criticism of....  "Woh synthesizer aur computer se
>gaane
>karte hain na?"
>
>What else is known about A.R. Rahman?
>
>He has been awarded with the Padmashree, one of the most distinguished
>awards the Indian government gives to deserving and outstanding citizens.
>Winning countless number of filmfare, national, technical, and other
>regional awards and accolades, he has been showered with praise by Lata
>Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Amitabh Bacchan,
President
>Abdul Kalam (for whose poem he has composed music) and many other top
>artists and performers.  He has single handedly revolutionized the
face of
>Indian film music from the 1990s to today, begining with his debut
>soundtrack for "Roja" in 1992 (first in Tamil).  He somehow was able to
>bring the top most classical and film artists of the country with all
their
>egos and generate a beautiful patriotic album consisting of various vocal
>and instrumental renditions of the Indian National Anthem...."Jana Gana
>Mana" in the year 2000.  Oh yes, his patriotism.......remember his
very own
>creation celebrating India's 50th year of independence in 1997 with the
>album "Vande Mataram"? He is the number one selling artist in India,
>commercially selling more than Britney Spears and Madonna combined.  His
>music has been recognized internationally, gathering the attention and
>applause of Andrew Loyd Webber who is known for directing many famous
>Western musicals.  Their showbiz marriage gave birth to "Bombay
Dreams", an
>amalgamation of his own Hindi film songs and original Western musical
>pieces
>which showcased in London and Broadway.  He has collaborated with
violinist
>virtuoso Vanessa Mae, superstar Michael Jackson, and recently scored the
>background music for a Chinese film "Between Heaven and Earth", utilizing
>Turkish and Chinese instruments and musical styles.  And let's not forget
>his latest international venture in co-composing music for Kevin
Wallace's
>"The Lord of the Rings" stage musical, projected to be the biggest
musical
>of all times.
>
>Yes, that's the A.R. Rahman known publically.
>
>I have been a fan of his music now for several years, following his work
>closely and anticipating new music from him constantly.  As a
keyboard and
>piano player like him, I spend a lot of time listening to his music,
>learning, getting inspired, and just being moved.  His music to me is not
>time pass, it's a cherished experience each time that never gets old.
>That's the beauty of his music.........you let it grow on you, and like
>good
>wine, it ages gracefully with more appeal.  Of course, I don't expect
>everyone to buy into his work and his music is of course subject to
>different opinions.
>
>But, people often wonder why I like him so much?  They say I am "paagal"
>about hs music and that I like anything he composes.  Yes, I am "crazy"
>about his music, but it's not true that I love everything he creates.  I
>give his music a chance, but there are many songs of his that go nowhere
>wth
>me even after letting them grow.  He's a human being afterall.
>
>What is it about this man and his music that drives me to the peak of
>passionate reverance and devotional admiration?  I don't speak for his
>other
>fans and admirers, but based on my observations, my reasons below are
>shared
>by others.  Beyond a certain popular appeal about his music that most
>people
>can identify with, I can answer this question based on what close
people to
>me know about me.  I consider myself to be open minded and tolerant
when it
>comes to human diversity in all forms.  Actually, I celebrate
diversity and
>a lot of that impetus comes from my own life experience of having a
>cultural
>blend of Indian and Western values and world views and choosing the
best of
>both worlds.  For me, Rahman's music celebrates diversity in all its
>vibrant
>and beautiful colors.  Like a coherent mozaic, his music breaks across
>artificial barriers and speaks about the threads that bind us.  And the
>word
>"fusion" is really not appropriate to describe his approach and
style.   He
>somehow manages to blend various musical styles from around the world and
>yet retain a sound and feel that is totally and completely Indian in
most
>of
>his Indian film compositions.  I honestly don't know any other musical
>artist with a bigger musical range and repertoir than him; incorporating
>Western classical, symphony, Hindustani and Carnatic classical, jazz and
>smooth jazz, thumris, bhajans, Qawalis, ghazals, sufi, new age, dance,
>techno, Latin, Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, Ska, Rock, etc. etc.  His
music is
>simply all emcompassing.  As a person devoted to Sufi Islam and
coming from
>Tamil Nadu, his ability and willingness to compose North Indian style
music
>and world music catering and appealing to different languages, cultures,
>and
>religions is simply astounding. To that effect, he is not just a music
>director of Indian film music.  He is a true cross over artist and a
world
>music composer.
>
>The other aspect about his music that resonates so intimately with me is
>the
>underlying spiritualness and emotional depth of many of his compositions,
>which I will elaborate further when speaking about him as a person.  As a
>psychologist, a musician, and a deeply spiritual and emotional person
>myself, his ability to communicate complex emotions through his music
on a
>spiritual platform of innovative soundscapes has impacted me in profound
>ways that I just cannot describe in words.  Indeed, I find a strong
>connection between sound, spirituality, and emotional _expression_ in his
>music that for me personally, has been very therapeutic and uplifting.
>Despite my lack of understanding of Hindi and Tamil lyrics, his music
>speaks
>volumes to me more than words could ever dare.  His compositions have
gone
>way beyond the typical romantic love ballads of Indian film music, while
>also catering to those who appreciate those types of songs as well
when the
>film or situation requires it.
>
>From all his awards, accomplishments, accolades, distinctions, and from
>what
>I described above, one can gain a firm understanding about this man's
vast
>musical aptitude and sheer genius.  That in and of itself deserves
>recognition, which has been granted.  But, what is less obvious and
sadly,
>often neglected in the public's eye is what his music and the
>expressiveness
>and dedication behind it says about him as a pesron, which I only
inferred
>and observed before actually meeting him in person.
>
>Before meeting him in Toronto on November 25, 2005, thanks to my new
friend
>and A.R. Rahman fan who arranged the meeting, I had an impression of
him as
>a shy and socially anxious person who communicated more through his music
>than words.  Through his stated interviews, press statements, and
>involvements with various charitable causes, including being the UN
global
>ambassador for the fight against TB, I also understood him to be down to
>earth, humble, and generous.  His latest involvement in a musical project
>addressing issues related to poverty and human rights, for which he
>composed
>an anti-poverty anthem, was another indicator of this man's
compassion and
>sensitivity.  As we entered his studio, we were directed to a door
which we
>thought was a waiting room, when it was in fact the studio in which
Rahman
>was busily composing the background score of his latest Hindi film
>soundtrack for "Rang De Basanti".  We opened the door, and much to our
>astonishment, there he was, in person, just as surprised as we were
to see
>us as we were to see him!  He of course knew we were coming to the
studio
>to
>meet him, but I don't think he expected us to just walk into his
recording
>room!  After we apologized profusely, he smiled, came out and told us to
>please sit in the actual waiting room.  No frown, no sign of irritation,
>but
>just pure hospitality.
>
>Half an hour later, he gave us his break time and sat down with us.
>Unassuming, gentle, shy, but yet showing interest in us and asking us
>questions, my wife and I were very excited to be meeting him, but I in
>particular, felt quite overwhelemed being in the actual presence of a man
>who I have admired and practically worshipped for all these years.  A
total
>dream come true.  He made us feel so comfortable and related to us
like we
>were his friends, never airing his status as a superstar, and never
talking
>about himself or his music.  He was so relaxed with us, making witty
>remarks, giggling,  and being at ease, we almost felt like we've
known him
>personally for a while. He defied our expectations of him being very shy
>and
>reserved, which perhaps would have been the case in a crowd or if our
>common
>friend wasn't there.  Regardless, he gave us his break time despite not
>having slept the night before and dealing with the work pressure of
>handling
>so many huge Hindi and Tamil film soundtracks and The Lord of the Rings
>musical.  Despite being in a foreign country, he welcomed us with as much
>hospitality as if that studio were his home.  This was exemplified
the most
>when he wished us a good journey home and asked us caringly by saying,
>"Khana?" while motioning his hand towards his mouth.  He and his group of
>musicians were looking for food in the fridge and despite appearing
to not
>have many options, he still offered us dinner.
>
>His simple and humble personality combined with his strong spiritual
nature
>left a big impact on us, despite being with him for only 15-20
minutes.  Of
>course for me, being it a dream come true, I was quite overwhelemed
by the
>experience. However, beyond that, we felt touched by this man's
>compassionate and gentle humanity.  A true philanthropist, we learned
from
>that despite all the fame and success he has earned, he does not use
money
>for self indulgence.  He uses only what he needs and generously gives to
>the
>less fortunate in India.  As we sat and chatted, a basketball game was
>happening on TV in front of us. Rahman remarked that he doesn't
understand
>what's going on when he sees these games. After a pause, he stated, "I
>don't
>even know cricket".  Only later we came to understand the significance of
>this remark and how personal it is for Rahman.
>
>At a tender age of 9, his father, a well known musician himself in Tamil
>Nadu, succumbed to illness and passed on.  Known then as Dileep Kumar, he
>bore the burden of having to support his family and deal with the
grief of
>his father's sudden absence. As a result, he dropped out of school and
>eventually took up his first job carrying musical instruments for other
>musicians.  He sacrified his childhood to support his family and
eventually
>became more involved with music as time went on.  He suffered tremendous
>hardship during those years. One of his regrets and a source of great
>sadness for him is never getting an opportunity to understand and
develop
>an
>interest in the game of cricket due to being so bogged down during his
>childhood.  As we know, the sport of cricket is India's pride and joy,
>loved
>and watched and played by so many. Thus, a painful void in his life, so
>apparent and real, but unknown except to those very close to him. He also
>compares himself unfavorably with others with regards to dropping out of
>school early and not having achieved a desired level of education,
despite
>his status and success in life thus far.
>
>These painful emotional wounds from his past along with tremendous
love and
>support from his family served to drive his strong sense of values,
>simplicity, faith, spirituality, compassion, humility, sense of duty, and
>love for diversity.  A true modern day rennaissance man and
philanthropist,
>his creative work is a broad but powerful reflection of his life
experience
>and has served time and time again to deepen his faith and committment to
>hard work and helping others. I often sensed that in many of his
>compositions, there is a touch of sorrow interwoven like a thread, a
quiet
>but profound commentary on the pangs of humanity.  But, yet, there is
also
>celebration, joy, folk festivity, and just plain rocking
entertainment when
>the mood demands it.  His popularity and commercial success prove that he
>can entertain like no other when he wants to.  His ability to communicate
>such a rich emotional and spiritual landscape through his music most
>certainly reflects a true investment of his heart and soul and his
dreams,
>as well as the wounds that have been inflicted on them by life.  This
>emotional depth and spiritual dimension that I sense through his creative
>expressions are what resonate within me so intensely.  He expresses his
>spirituality through the beautiful use of Indian raagas, which appeal
to me
>on a classical sense.  His music is so enriched with emotional depth and
>dimension, which sadly, has often gone unappreciated by the masses
who are
>more interested in entertainment than art.  After meeting him and
catching
>a
>glimpse of his personality for real, my esteem, devotion, and love
for this
>man is even higher.  I am and forever will be his student and fan.
>
>The pureness of A.R. Rahman and his music will be with me forever. I feel
>very fortunate and grateful to have met him and I hope that I can
meet him
>again some day.  I expressed many of my thoughts written above to him
in a
>letter that my friend gave to him before meeting me.  For a man whose
only
>dream was to compose for one film during his jingle ad composing
days, who
>he is today and what he has accomplished is much more than a dream come
>true.
>






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