http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKDEL20931520070313
India's Rahman hopes to create Oscar-winning music
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Top Bollywood musician A.R. Rahman said on Tuesday he
was working to create music that strikes a chord with Western audiences so
that Indian film music could one day win an Oscar award.
Three of Rahman's compositions were shortlisted for an Academy award this
year, but none of them eventually made it to the final Best Original Song
category.
The 41-year-old composer blames this on the failure to create music that
western audiences could identify with.
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"We have to give something which they are accustomed to and then the chances
of bagging the award increases," Rahman, known for experimenting with new
instruments and sound, said on the sidelines of a news conference.
"We have to create music which is popular there."
Rahman was chosen by composer Andrew Llyod Webber to compose music for his
stage production "Bombay Dreams" in 2002, a runaway success which brought
the Indian composer international fame.
Though happy with his songs just being shortlisted for the Oscars, the
stocky, reclusive musician, who first found Bollywood fame in 1992 and has
since created hit music for several films, said Indian film music was not
good enough to catch the western ear.
"We have to understand that the song we create here, the popular song, is
alien to the western audience."
--
shaheen a khayoom
+91-98959 49464
