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On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 05:56, Anil Nair <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Cheers to all of us :-) > Proud to be a Rahmaniac .... > -A > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/in-his-footsteps/470886/ > > In his footsteps > > Font Size > -A+A > > Dipti Nagpaul D’Souza > > Posted: Jun 04, 2009 at 0115 hrs IST > Print Email To Editor Post Comments > It was a hot Sunday afternoon in Pune and we found ourselves in the midst of > nearly two dozen youngsters from all over India. Brimming with excitement, > the group is Rahman’s very own barmy army, in Pune specially to attend a > Rahman show. > > Every time the maestro plans a concert, this group of boys — and a handful > of girls— converge at the host city. While this may sound like a regular fan > club, the members insist it isn’t. “We are almost like an official fan club. > Rahman recognises most of us and that adds credibility to our group,” says > 22-year-old Nazeef Mohammed from Bangalore. But it took nearly a decade to > attain this almost official fan club status. > > “In the mid-1990s, during Roja, I became a huge fan of Rahman. The Internet > wasn’t so big and information on him was scarce. At that time, I would read > everything possible I could find about him. I used to think I’m his biggest > fan,” says Gopal Shrinivasan, a Hyderabad-based financial consultant. But as > the network opened up, I realised I was wrong and that there are many people > who revere him.” On January 1, 1999, Shrinivasan started a group fan club > online with a handful of members to start with. But over time, it gained > popularity to log in thousands of registered members including several from > Delhi. > > Though active online, the group didn’t witness any activity of consequence > till 2005. “Rahman had announced his Bangalore concert and we all knew we > had to be a part of this somehow,” recounts Shrinivasan who is also the > group moderator. “About 20 of us converged from all over the country and for > four days we did voluntary work for the concert organizers. That is when we > all really bonded for the first time.” > > Ever since, the group has been hosting regular meets in Mumbai. “We try to > meet once a month to jam and enjoy Rahman’s music at my place in Andheri,” > adds Swapnil Mistry, a professional singer. > > In the background, excited chatter and conversation flows easily. What’s > surprising is that the group — though a melting pot of cultures — uses Tamil > as their first language. “Many of us learnt how to read, write and talk in > Tamil because of Rahman’s music,” says 29 -year-old Anand Swamy, a > Mumbaikar, who has a peculiar superstition before a Rahman concert. “Every > time I attend his concert I shave my head,” he confesses, a tad sheepishly. > It’s easy to believe that as moderator of the group, Shrinivasan is probably > the most level-headed till the group spills the beans on him. “Gopal buys a > copy of every cassette and CD with AR Rahman written on it. He has eight CDs > of Bombay just because the album was launched with different jacket covers,” > laughs Mistry. > > The stories are endless — at times hilarious and at times moving — but their > passion for the maestro’s music evokes respect. “Every time we ask him what > he wants for his birthday, he says we should help the needy on that day,” > says 31-year-old Vithur who distributes food to the poor every Sunday in > Chennai on behalf of the group. No wonder some people say that Rahman’s so > down-to-Earth, he has a hunch. > > -- > -A > http://viewsnmuse.blogspot.com > > ------------------------------------ Are you searching for a reason, to be kind? <b> Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [email protected] To Subscribe: [email protected] To Unsubscribe: [email protected]! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
