Kudos to Gopal, vijay and Everyone in this group..
--- In [email protected], "Srinivasa Krishnan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Cheers to Gopal and Vijay !!! > > - Srinivasa Krishnan > > On 5/5/08, kaissiom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Congratulations to everyone for making the group proud!! > > > > --- In [email protected] <arrahmanfans% 40yahoogroups.com>, > > Gomzy <gomtesh.upadhye@> wrote: > > > > > > The times of India, Blore edition. page 21 > > > > > > Mad about Rahman, dil se These fans live and breathe A R Rahman's music, > > > finds > > > Sharmishta Koushik > > > > > > It was the year 1992. The film Roja was released and with it, a new > > > music sensation blossomed in the Indian film industry, attracting > > droves of > > > fans, mesmerized by his melodies. Their chotti si asha is simply to > > have the > > > pleasure of listening to A R Rahman's music and perhaps, watching him > > > perform live, and if they were really lucky, say a few words to the > > musical > > > genius in person. Meet the A R Rahman Fans. > > > What started off as an e-group, set up by Gopal Srinivasan, a > > > Bangalore-based consultant, is, today, a veritable database of all > > things > > > Rahman. From several media interviews to rare recordings of his > > tracks and > > > the inside information on when a new album will be released, these > > die-hard > > > fans are truly connoisseurs of Rahman's art. "The intent behind > > establishing > > > this group was straightforward to use the power of the internet to > > network > > > with Rahman's fans around the world so that we could share the joy of > > > listening to his music. In many ways, it is Rahman himself who is > > > responsible for the popularity of this group his music and his appeal > > > cutting across barriers. I am guilty of initially under- estimating the > > > global reach of his music little did we realize that we would have > > people > > > from so many countries across the world joining in," says Gopal > > Srinivasan. And > > > indeed, today, the e-group has over 13,000 members. > > > On a rather sultry Sunday evening, a few members of the group in > > > Bangalore gathered in front of the rose garden in Cubbon Park to > > talk about > > > their passion. Quite befitting, considering that for most of them, their > > > love affair with A R Rahman's music began with the film Roja (rose), and > > > like his music, their devotion to his talent has only increased from > > > strength to strength. Says Kangan Upadhyay, who works in a software > > company, > > > "We heard the songs of Roja before they were officially released. And > > > although I didn't know the language, I could relate to those songs.'' > > > And she gives credit to the music director for her superb scores > > in her > > > II PU exam. "At that time, the music of Alaipayuthe was released, > > and I kept > > > listening to it all the time while studying. I scored 99% in Maths. > > I kept > > > humming the songs in my mind even as I was writing the paper,'' she > > recalls > > > with excitement. > > > The way Rahman's compositions revolutionized Indian film music is > > > something the fans immensely respect. "He brought in a whiff of > > freshness,'' > > > says Balaji Rajagopal, a chartered accountant. "He brought to Indian > > films a > > > sound which was, until then, only heard in jingles,'' says > > Chandrashekhar > > > Ganesh, a techie. "Earlier, viewers would walk > > > out of the theatre for a smoke when the songs would come on. > > Rahman's music > > > changed all that,'' says Gomtesh Upadhyay aka Gomzy, a techie. > > > "He's even a good singer,'' says Vithun Kumar, a BE student. Adds > > > Shahnawaz Gaffoor, a techie, "His music is international.'' > > > Not surprisingly, Rahman's concerts are always a grand event, > > akin to > > > international acts performing in India. And these fans ensure they > > are there > > > to watch Rahman live. Most of them took off to Chennai recently, > > when Rahman > > > performed there for a concert organized by The Times of India. In > > fact, it > > > was during the 2005 concert in Bangalore when the city's fans met > > each other > > > in person. They volunteered backstage and even had T-shirts created > > > especially for the event. > > > Rehearsals are when they get to interact with the maestro. Some > > of the > > > members have even met him at his residence in Chennai. "Once, I went > > to meet > > > him at his place. As he was busy he told me to come the next day. He > > asked > > > me if I was a non-vegetarian. Since I wasn't, he ensured that vegetarian > > > food was ordered for me,'' says Prabhu Krishnamurthy, a techie. > > > During the 2005 concert, they even gifted Rahman a montage of > > all his > > > album covers, about 94 both film and non-film scores. It now > > adorns a wall > > > in his studio. And needless to say, if a fan wants to meet him at the > > > studio, those from this e-group are allowed right in. Rahman has even > > > dedicated a colouring book for children, released during the Pray For Me > > > Brother tour, to the e-group in November, 2007. > > > The members definitely deserve such a token of appreciation, > > considering > > > they have taken pains to count the number of musical genres he has > > explored. > > > According to them, his music spans about 36-38 genres. > > > The Bangalore-based fans meet up from time to time, if someone > > gets hold > > > of the latest copy of Rahman's album or a rare DVD of his work. They > > > recently met to watch a behind-the-scenes DVD of the musical Bombay > > Dreams, > > > which shows Rahman actually composing some of the tunes. > > > "We upload rare tracks on to the website. But it's strictly for > > > non-commercial and private use. We always buy the original CDs of his > > > albums,'' says Prabhu. "And, of course, we would be the first ones > > to buy > > > those albums on day one,'' says S Radhakrishnan, a techie. At times, > > members > > > have heated debates. An unresolved one is about whether Rahman was > > the first > > > music director to use a bass guitar in his compositions. > > > What sustains their immense passion is not just Rahman's music > > but also > > > the person he is. As Radhakrishnan puts it, "He has never let us down.'' > > > > > > > > > > > > RAHMANIACS: These fans are devoted not just to his music but also > > the man > > > behind it > > > > > > > > > >
