Good write up.. And yeah, the last thing AR would want is to be recognised when he takes a walk on the streets of LA. :D
On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM, ichord <[email protected]> wrote: > > > As ARR fans, we are of course pleased that ARR was allowed to showcase osme > of his talents in a very exclusive atmosphere at the White House State > Dinner, the first one under the Obama administration. The larger picture of > this struck me when I read a FB post of another ARR fan who mentioned its > significance. > > Was ARR the logical/default choice of a performer given the Indian/American > partnership being celebrated at The White House? One could argue that. But, > I think the fact that ARR was selected alongside a list of very popular and > distinguished artists highlights his overall esteemed status in the West > post Slumdog, largely because of Slumdog, but not just because of Slumdog. > > ARR is now a brand name, exclusivity personified when it comes to high > quality popular Indian music, and recently his musical entrance into > hollywood with Couple's Retreat being met with overall praise and > appreciation by both East and West only adds to his towering resume. In > India, he has always been a celebrity since Roja, but now, even in the West, > he has achieved celebrity status through his accolades and efforts, which > will continue to be appreciated as he continues to build on his hollywood > career. While he is not a household name in the US and will likely never > reach public celebrity status like superstar pop musicians (which to me is a > good thing!), the global respect and admiration for his work is right up > there amongst the musical elite around the world. No other MD in India has > achieved this before. > > How fitting that India's Mozart be recognized world wide, but to me, it's > not a given that he would achieve this. While I had always hoped and prayed > that his talents would be recognized outside of India, I was very cautious > about my hopes, since it's not talent alone that achieves this, but the > right timing, smart decision making, marketing, personal relationship > skills, attitude, contacts, and little bit of good ol good luck. > > I hope that the Obamas get a chance to delve into ARR's music beyond > Slumdog and uncover more musical riches. > > >
