dude i was laughing like crazy when he made this remark. he has a great sense of humor.
--- In [email protected], "Bharath Venkatesan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > IIRC, he said "I told my Sound Engineer that I can't perform with such a > nasal voice", not his doctor. But who cares, I loved the dig :D > > -- > :: Bharath > http://singingphotons.net > > > On 6/7/07, Gopal Srinivasan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Rahman even showed his comic side when he made a thinly veiled barb at pop > > music phenomenon Himesh Reshammiya. Telling the audience that he'd been > > working and traveling a lot lately and had caught a cold, Rahman said he > > told his doctor that he was concerned that he couldn't perform with such a > > nasal voice. > > > > "The doctor said not to worry - that's the 'in' thing," said Rahman. > > > > > > :-) > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: Anil Nair <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Friday, June 8, 2007 4:08:23 AM > > Subject: [arr] Oakland concert : Fan Frenzy Greets A.R. Rahman at Bay Area > > Show > > > > > > http://www.indiawes t.com/view. php? <http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?> > > subaction=showfull& id=1181237002& archive=& start_from= &ucat=7 > > > > ------------ - > > > > By LISA TSERING > > India-West Staff Reporter > > > > OAKLAND, Calif. - Halfway through a lively show at the Oracle Arena > > June 2, A.R. Rahman put on the brakes, and took a moment to ask the > > audience to pause in their revelry. > > > > "You are all in high spirits right now," the composer said > > softly. "But think about those who are in hunger, or living in > > poverty." Seated at a grand piano, he started to play the > > gentle "Pray for Me Brother," inspiring thousands of fans to wave > > their lighted cell phones in the dark, swaying to the music. > > > > It was just one of many memorable moments during a three-hour concert > > that saw the sold-out crowd leap to their feet for his greatest hits > > from "Dil Se," "Taal," "Roja" and "Bombay," and newer, but just as > > distinctive, songs from "Rang De Basanti," "Water" and "Guru." > > > > The show wasn't all Bollywood - when Rahman performed "Vaaji vaaji en > > jeevan si sivaji" and "Athiradee" from "Sivaji," the hotly > > anticipated Rajnikanth starrer due out June 15, his South Indian fans > > erupted in hysteria, gyrating in the aisles and screaming, "Sivaji! > > Sivaji!" A performance of the film's "Sahaana saaral" by Chitra and a > > young male singer got an equally enthusiastic response. > > > > From the beginning of the concert, when the maestro appeared on a > > high riser at the back of the stage greeted by a fireworks display, > > to the ending strains of "Vande Mataram," his signature closing > > piece, A.R. Rahman led an unforced program that veered between the > > extremes of his prolific catalog, from haunting ballads to infectious > > rockers. Some of his musicians told India-West backstage that the > > song list hadn't been put together until the last minute, which lent > > an air of spontaneity to the show. > > > > Rahman is an unlikely megastar. Softspoken, humble and completely > > dedicated to his music, he spent most of his time onstage behind a > > large bank of keyboards, out of the spotlight, as his longtime > > musical director, K. Srinivas Murthy, led a group of Indian and > > Western musicians and percussionists. > > > > The composer has always been willing to cede attention to his guest > > stars, who included ace guitarist Rashid Ali and University of South > > Florida music student Patrick Hernly, a gifted young percussionist > > who blew the crowd away with a virtuoso centerstage display of tabla > > bol. > > > > Vocalists Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Chitra, Madhushree, Sadhana > > Sargam, Blaaze, Naresh Iyer and other talented voices, along with > > scene-stealing drummer Sivamani, got some of the best response with > > songs from "Guru," including sizzling versions of "Tere bina" > > and "Barso re." > > > > But one of the major discoveries of the evening was Neeti Mohan, an > > extraordinary young vocalist who added sparkle to a version > > of "Guru's" "Mayya mayya" when she appeared onstage wrapped in a > > huge, voluminous, bright red length of silk. As she slowly turned, > > dancers unwrapped her to reveal a saucy belly-dancing costume, and > > Mohan, accompanied by two more belly dancers, writhed to the item > > number's Middle Eastern beat. Mohan, who is a trained dancer, singer > > and actress with a spot on "Coke [V] Popstars 2" and a role in the > > Sunny Deol production "Socha Na Tha" to her credit, is also the lead > > singer in a Mumbai pop band called Aasma. > > > > "Rang De Basanti" produced some of the most exciting scenes of the > > night as Naresh Iyer teamed with rapper/lyricist Blaaze on the rock > > anthem "Paathshala/ Be a rebel," and Sivamani tore up the drums > > on "Khalbali" as dancers in shiny white bodysuits moved around the > > stage. > > > > Hariharan, accompanied by Sadhana Sargam, lent a delicate touch > > to "Sapnay's" "Chanda re" and - since no Rahman show would be > > complete without it - turned in a haunting version of "Roja" in Hindi. > > > > Sukhwinder excelled on "Ramta jogi" and his usual marathon version > > of "Chhaiya chhaiya," and was joined by Stanford University's > > talented a cappella troupe Raagapella on "Chan chan" from Deepa > > Mehta's Oscar-nominated film, "Water." > > > > Naresh Iyer, too, got plenty of stage time on songs > > like "RDB's" "Roobaroo," performing a duet with Rahman on vocals. > > > > Fans hoping for songs from "Lagaan," "Bombay Dreams" or "Jillendru > > Oru Kadhal," one of 2006's biggest Tamil soundtracks, will have to > > wait until Rahman's next show, as he deliberately left them out this > > time around. > > > > Rahman's between-song patter was economical, at one time giving a > > brief mention to the fact that several of "Water's" songs had been > > shortlisted for a Best Song Oscar nomination. > > > > He also mentioned his efforts to help bring the Taj Mahal to > > international prominence with a new campaign to add it to an official > > list of the New Seven Wonders of the World (as India-West readers > > know, Rahman has agreed to compose a song to spread awareness of > > New7Wonders. com, the New Seven Wonders voting campaign on the > > Internet). "Officially, the Taj is not a Wonder of the World," he > > said. "That's a fact. Ask your friends to vote for it on the Net." > > > > Rahman even showed his comic side when he made a thinly veiled barb > > at pop music phenomenon Himesh Reshammiya. Telling the audience that > > he'd been working and traveling a lot lately and had caught a cold, > > Rahman said he told his doctor that he was concerned that he couldn't > > perform with such a nasal voice. > > > > "The doctor said not to worry - that's the 'in' thing," said Rahman. > > > > Rahman seemed genuinely touched when he learned that the City of > > Oakland had proclaimed June 2 as "A.R. Rahman Day" in the city, and > > warmly accepted a plaque from a representative of Oakland City > > Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. > > > > This show was quite different in tone from Rahman's most recent > > California shows. His Hollywood Bowl performance last July (the first > > Indian concert in the venue's history) focused on more of a crossover > > international sound, with music from "Bombay Dreams" and the Chinese > > epic "Warriors of Heaven and Earth"; while Rahman's 2001 and 2003 > > shows featured marquee names such as Udit Narayan and were more > > emotionally resonant, tending more toward romantic material and more > > sensitive solos at the piano than 2007's largely high energy rock > > focus. > > > > Deepak Mehta of Mehta Entertainment, making his debut as an > > international promoter with this tour, and his brother, promoter > > Vinod Mehta, made special concessions to VIP ticketholders by laying > > down a red carpet in the VIP section, where guests sipped > > complimentary champagne. > > > > "I feel proud of the show," Deepak Mehta told India-West > > afterward. "It was an excellent show, and to put this kind of thing > > on is not a small thing." > > > > Mehta also mentioned that he will be bringing top-selling qawaali > > artist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to Chabot College in Hayward, Calif., > > June 30. See www.MehtaEntertainm ent.com for details. > > :by indiawest > > > > > > > > -A > > > > > > > > >
