I'm relaxed after reading our BOSS reply for this Q. And now there is news that you will be singing for Kailasa - The Band in their first film project.
Well, that's not going to happen, unfortunately. Kailash (Kher) did want me to sing, but I am not comfortable as yet with the idea of singing for someone else. I can't really explain why, but I guess I am somehow not cut out for that. Cheers, Siraj On 1/31/08, satish_srini <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Rajiv Vijayakar > In the fifteen years that he has been around, he has turned trends on > their heads and reset music parameters. This year, A.R.Rahman has > achieved the rare distinctions of winning both the Best Music and Best > Background Music trophies for Guru and also opening an unique Music > Conservatory in Chennai. In an informal chat, the elusive composer > talks of - what else? - his music > > > You launched the K.M.Conservatory on your 42nd birthday. What exactly > is the concept behind this? > Conservatories are widely known in the West and the concept comes from > the orderliness and harmonic structure of Western classical music. > When I worked abroad, it struck me that I could prepare and record > music in three days flat - and yet it sounded so beautiful. > Over here we are not so well organised., and it is extremely difficult > to find certain instruments like oboes and French horns because there > are no players. Most of today's musicians are into electronics and the > learning of instruments is neglected and music is compromised because > they cannot sustain a livelihood with them. > But in the conservatory, a young musician can learn the violin or even > a rare instrument and sustain himself by doing, say, its edit on the > computer. So he learns - but earns well too. This is a common practice > abroad where people do something else for a livelihood and also play > music. There are musicians, for example, who are also web designers, > so that they can afford a decent lifestyle. > I have extended this concept even to Indian classical and folk music. > Musicians can come here to learn different styles of music like > kirtanas and thumri. > A world-class orchestra is also our goal. Since electronics sounds > came in and their new sound was liked for its freshness, live > classical music and instruments began to lose appreciation, which was > ominous. So many Indian composers have to go abroad to find orchestras > for recording. KM Music Conservatory aims to eliminate this > shortcoming. For a modern classical musician, having knowledge of both > music performance and music technology is invaluable. Therefore, as I > said earlier, excellent music production capabilities will ensure many > more career opportunities and financial security. > > Where is this Conservatory located? > The KM Music Conservatory and Audio Media Education will be India's > first Apple-authorised training centre. Right now, it is located in a > small premises next to my studio but by the end of this year we will > shift to a proper campus just outside Chennai. We plan to have a > faculty of professors and musicians from both India and abroad and > start the first batch in 2008, when we will audition vocalists as well > as flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, > viola, cello, double bass, and percussion players. > > What will be the curriculum like? > We will have courses including Western Vocal and Instrumental, Indian > Classical Vocal, Western and Indian Music Theory, Music Appreciation, > Ear Training, Piano, Audio Engineering, an Apple-certified course in > Logic Pro, and a Digidesign-certified course in Pro Tools. We will > also have a professional KM Music Symphony Orchestra for those who > complete the programmes, and the A.R.Rahman Foundation Scholarships > for deserving students. > > A Mumbai daily stated that you are curtailing assignments, especially > in Hindi films, to give more attention to this new mission. > It was my dream to have such a conservatory for years but I held back > each time as news floated about others planning similar things. > Finally, since nothing was happening I decided to move ahead. And it's > not that I am cutting down on Hindi films. I have always been fairly > choosy, I think, and I can't do 10 films at a time here. But yes, I am > trying to choose the cream even from among them. > > Advertisement > This time you were in Mumbai a day before theScreen Awards. So why did > you not stay back? As it happened, you annexed both the Best Music and > Best Background Music trophies for Guru. > I know, I regret that I could not attend the Screen Awards show. The > problem was that I was in a whirlwind at that particular point, so I > was not even accessible as I hardly had time even to check emails and > SMS-es! Besides the launch of the Conservatory, I flew down for the > music launch of Jodhaa Akbar on the 9th, but I had to fly abroad as a > studio had been booked for two days for some background music work on > the film. > > We just spoke about classical music. In Guru, Barso re proved the most > popular song along with Tere bina. The `item' song Mayya mayya came a > third. Does that indicate a trend? > By itself, it is a very good sign, though Mayya mayya was also > popular, besides being the first song that we recorded. It is a fact > that `item' songs or electronic music does not satisfy in the long > run, unlike folk-based or raag-based songs. But Barso re was an > afterthought. We had earlier recorded a song that was based on > Gujarati folk that was to be shot with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on a > bicycle - Main chali. But then she suffered an injury and we thought > of a rain song instead and that's how Barso re happened. Tere bina was > a Sufi number and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khansaab has always been a great > inspiration for me. > > What kind of song comes easier for you? > Making any good song or tune is never easy! (Laughs) > > Speaking of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is it true that you wanted her to > sing Man Mohana in Jodhaa Akbar? > Well, Ashutosh Gowariker was very keen on Aishwaryaji singing that > song. But she had no time to rehearse. > > But the song is very demanding musically. Could an actress doing a > one-off rendition have done justice to it? > Well, there are hidden talents in people! Nicole Kidman successfully > sang abroad. > > Today, software for pitch-correction is available. On the other hand, > you have always been known to use amateur singers and maintain their > natural tones, even if they are not in immaculate sur. Why is that? > As a lover of world music, I have come to believe that it is not > necessary to have perfection when someone has a passion for music. Too > much polish can be boring sometimes! (Laughs) See this jacket that I > am wearing. It's a new jacket but there is a deliberate faded quality > at the edges. That makes it more attractive! > > You tend to do a lot of Hindi films with a period or historical > backdrop - The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, Bose - The Forgotten Hero, > Mangal Pandey - The Rising and even Lagaan and a part of Guru. How do > you approach these films' scores vis-à-vis a `normal' contemporary > assignment? > Such films make you think differently. For example, there is no catchy > groove that you can use and a certain authenticity is needed. At the > same time, there should be a contemporary appeal and quality, and I > have to see how friendly my music can be while retaining the correct > vibe. Today even kids are smart - they pick up the best and the most > interesting of songs, old or new. > > A common allegation is that you use instruments that were not present > in those eras. > Well, I try to avoid something that has too modern a sound, like a > guitar. I love acoustics anyway. But such aspects are not always > possible or necessary. And no composer has been able to be a purist in > this genre of cinema. The effect and quality of the orchestration and > background music are more important. > > Another long-standing accusation against you is that your music often > is repetitious, and this has been a personal observation too. > (Smiles) Well, I guess that's because everything I do comes from > within me, so a certain style or stamp is unavoidable. But it also has > a lot to do with the film too and my inspirational level. > > Well, we see freshness in every film of yours with say, a Mani Ratnam > or a Subhash Ghai or an Ashutosh Gowariker. But then you do films like > Lakeer, Tehzeeb… > (Shrugs) Sometimes I have done certain films for specific reasons. But > as I said I want to be even choosier than before. > > Himesh Reshammiya hopes to sing for you sometime. You used Bappi > Lahiri's vocals in Guru. And now there is news that you will be > singing for Kailasa - The Band in their first film project. > Well, that's not going to happen, unfortunately. Kailash (Kher) did > want me to sing, but I am not comfortable as yet with the idea of > singing for someone else. I can't really explain why, but I guess I am > somehow not cut out for that. > > Which are the films that you are doing now? > I am doing Aamir Khan's Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and his remake of Ghajini > and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Dilli 6.Subhashji's Yuvraaj will always > release this year. In Tamil films I am doing Shankar's Robot and also > Sultan - The Warrior.Then there is a Telugu film starring Pawan > Kalyan. Some more projects are coming up. > > http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=18770 > > >
