This is one of the finest write-ups I have seen in a long time... Prasoon seem to be a seasoned and professional writer, who has not only a ear for great music but also highly knowledgeable in this domain...
--- In [email protected], $ Pavan Kumar $ <pawancum...@...> wrote: > > Ignore the typo errors please.. :) Very good read.. > The Week on Rahman : > We like to believe that Indians have made a fantastic breakthrough in > international cinema, thanks to publicity generated by Slumdog > Millionaire, which is not an Indian film to begin with. But what it has done > is gift A.R Rahman's genius to the world. > This modest musician has awaited a long time for universal recognition. It is > now his - Rahman is in a league of his own with no real competition, either > here or overseas. He is a genuine, gilt-edged ' valuable ' - self-made and > supreme > -----------------------------------------------------A.R RahmanOne with > MusicBy Prasoon Joshi > There are certain things in this world that cannot be defined by logic. One > of them is God, another is music. A.R Rahman touches that chord and ventures > into the zone of the undefined. As a person, he visits this transcendental > world everytime he immerses himself in God or music, very often both. > In this transcendental world, where others go to escape, Rahman is so > comfortable that he is almost at home there. But the magic of Rahman is more > than this comfort level at such an undefined plane. His real magic is his > ability to transport his listeners to that realm that defies logic. > Rahman does not believe in boxing himself by defining his work as > 'commerical' or 'devotional' or 'pure are' or anyother format. He immerses > himself completely in his art and commercial success he gets is not the > objective of his excercise. It is a byproduct. > Rahman is a rare human being who is so attuned to his craft that to separate > one from the other would be to distort the whole. That is why, very often, > when someone asks him to tinker with a composition, he simply puts aside the > original and creates a fresh one. > There are many reasons why Rahman is one of the country's most valuable > persons, and luck doesn't happen to be one of them. Rahman is defined by his > hard work. He has been practising his craft since childhood and he is a > master. But he is constantly evolving, which brings about the freshness and > uniqueness in his work. There is never any stagnation or repetition. Yet each > work is so quintessentially Rahman. > Rahman's music is rooted in Indian tradition, but he is very much influenced > by world music. That, perhaps, explains his universal appeal among the young > and the old. Old-timers connect with the warmth of traditional music in his > work, the younger ones with his experimentation. Yet, Rahman tries not to > shock his listeners. He makes his music easy to appreciate because there is a > touch of the familiar in it, in which the listener finds a comfort zone even > as her experiences some new sounds in same composition. > A musical journey with Rahman is an adventurous one, but one which ensures a > comfort level. He holds your hand and flies with you into an unknown realm. > He will never drop you into an ocean midway and expect you to swim your way > through. There is another important aspect to Rahman's work. He is one of few > musicians with an ear for not just melody, but also sound. His music is > richly layered with so many sounds that others may never have thought of as > music. > He is such a fine sound technician and is so attuned to modern technology > that he can tell the sound engineer exactly what he wants. Yet, I would never > say that it is the technology wich defines his work or that Rahman is a > product of present times. Rahman would be the same even in another age. > Electronic gadgets may only have made the work a tad easier for him, but > Rahman without his sound system is as creative. He can actually click two > stones together and end up with a repertoire of musical sounds! > I reiterate, Rahman's appeal is universal. Because, work for him is worship > and success merely incidental. Rahman has never been affected by the > trappings of stardom. There's never an entourage around him. He is a simple > man, of simple habits. Much has been writted about his humility, but it is > indeed trie. HE is very down to earth and never takes himself seriously. > Many often wonder whether Rahman has reached the pinnacle of success. I don't > think so. Pinnacles are those who rise, he is free flowing, always new, > always refreshing. If I see him as he is today, post Oscar glory, I only > think he is raring to go and come up with more surprises. When asked whether > he is overworked, I've heard him say things like, " Why should I take a break > from what I love?" or " I don't need to unwind because I never get wound up." > There's a child-like enthusiasm in him that is only going to explore, and > explore more. If you look at worldly achievements, they may be finite, but > his creativitiy is infinite. It is part of his very being. Rahman and his > music are one. > Prasoon Joshi is a poet, lyricist and advertising professional who has worked > closely with A.R Rahman on several projects. > ------------------------------------------------------ >
