padma shri is not india's highest civilian award --- Gopal Srinivasan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/04/12/talkasia.rahman.script/index.html > > --- In [email protected], "Roshan" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > another great quote from ARR > > > > AR: What I understand of music is -- it doesn't > need a language. When > > I listen to western classical, or when I listen to > African zulu music > > or I listen to Islamic music -- or anything. It's > not the words which > > matter, it's the words combining with music and > getting another > > dimension to it, another kind of spirit which > comes out of it. That's > > more important I think. > > > > > > > > > > > > AR Rahman Full Transcript > > > > > > > > Wednesday, April 12, 2006 Posted: 0820 GMT (1620 > HKT) > > > > LH: Lorraine Hahn > > AR: AR Rahman > > > > LH: Hello and welcome to Talk Asia, I'm Lorraine > Hahn. My guest today > > has been described as the greatest Indian composer > of his generation- > > A.R. Rahman. > > > > Born in India in 1966, Rahman was heavily > influenced as a child by his > > father, a musical arranger. By the age of 4 he > could play tunes on the > > harmonium, and by 11 he was working as a > professional musician, > > financially supporting his family after his > fathers death. In 1991 a > > chance meeting with director Mani Ratnam led to an > opportunity to > > write the score for the film Roja. Both the movie > and the soundtrack > > were such hits that it catapulted Rahman to > stardom overnight. > > > > Since then he has scored more than 50 movies and > released a series of > > successful albums. So revered is he in India, that > he was bestowed the > > Padma Shri title in 2002, India 's highest > civilian award. > > > > Block A > > > > LH: Mr. Rahman thank you very much for spending > some time with us. I > > wanted to ask you about yr new musical -- The Lord > of the rings, > > adaptation of the J.R. Tolkien famous book: How > did you get involved > > with this? > > > > AR: Well, you know about my Bombay Dreams venture > with Andrew Lloyd > > Webber, it happened in 2002, and it had this whole > team -- like Chris > > Webber Nightingale was the music supervisor on > that and Kevin Wallace > > was with Andrew Lloyd Webber, who's the producer > for Lord of the > > Rings. I think suddenly they realized that, they > had signed Värttinä > > the Finnish band to write the score, and then they > said it would be > > nice to have AR for the score too. And then I got > a call and I said > > 'Ok lets join them' and that's how I came into > that. > > > > LH: Is it going to be another huge production, > like Bombay Dreams -- > > or what can we expect? > > > > AR: It's probably 10 times more than Bombay > Dreams! (LH: Oh my God!) > > You have like 18 hydraulics moving on stage, you > have a three and a > > half hour...amazing stuff! > > > > LH: Right. Again, you are no stranger to > international musicals -- you > > mentioned Bombay dreams. Did that, Bombay -- did > that play, that > > musical take your career to the one step further > internationally? > > > > AR: I think so! I think it's a big step for me -- > it's a big step > > because, of course lot of Asians around the world > love my music -- and > > they've introduced my music to other people but a > normal European or > > American who don't know my music, this is one of > the biggest step, and > > I think now after doing it's 2 years in London and > 8 months in New > > York, in Broadway, I think its going to tour now > -- I'm looking > > forward to that. (LH: Yeah that's so exciting) It > is. > > > > LH: What is it like to work with someone like > Andrew Lloyd Webber? > > > > AR: Well, it's two different cultures totally -- I > used to have a room > > in his apartment, in one of the apartments he > gave, and he used to > > come, and he used to take off his shoes before > coming in, that's the > > type of respect he gave for my culture, which is > amazing, yeah. > > > > LH: I mean, is he a tough person to please? > > > > AR: No, he is a very sweet person, and he was very > encouraging to me, > > and he's done quite a lot of stuff for me > actually. > > > > LH: And you've learnt a lot from him, I presume? > > > > AR: Yes, I was a big fan -- I am a fan too. And > from that, I think he > > was the one who picked most of the numbers which I > had already done -- > > like Chaya Chaya and Taal . I said 'these were my > favorites, and this > > has to be your musical', and that's the reason all > my old stuff came > > into the thing. Apart from "The Journey Home", and > all the other > > numbers which are new were written with Don Black. > > > > LH: How different an experience was it for you to > compare, lets say, > > working on Bombay Dreams, with any other project > you have done in the > > past? > > > > AR: The biggest thing to break ice, in Bombay > Dreams, was to do > > something in English. Because I've never done an > English song, I mean > > a proper English song in any film. And for me, I > said 'is it going to > > work in English, is it going to sound too corny > with Asian influence > > and stuff?'. But everything became -- I started > getting acquainted > > with Don Black -- he was the writer for that, and > then he made it very > > easy for me and gave me all these titles for me > like 'Journey Home' > > and stuff, and then it all fell into it naturally. > > > > LH: Right. Bombay Dreams obviously popularized > your name international > > into western household, but it also popularized > Indian culture, Indian > > music. How important was that for you? > > > > AR: It's something which was never intended! > Exactly, when I used to > > meet Asians in the flight they used to say 'Oh, > now we can just lift > > our collars and go man, you made us do that!' And > that is very moving > > for me, you know? Being a musician and the sort of > hatred around the > > world, and me coming from Islam -- a Muslim, I > think it was a big > > thing for me. I got very touched by all the > statements which came from > > Americans, Europeans and Asians and all those > people. > > > > LH - You've scored a number of wonderful movies, > Indian films -- like > > Lagaan. Do you have a favorite? > > > > AR: Yes of course -- I think that Lagaan was a > very === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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