A.R.Rahman (Fan Club) - Page 101

Entertainment : Rahman takes Bollywood to Hollywood - and rocks

Los Angeles, July 19 (IANS) Hollywood studios like Warner Bros, Fox and Universal were so impressed by a recent A.R. Rahman concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl that they may be actually contemplating giving a Bollywood touch to the next Oscars night.

"The American audience was completely blown away by the show. They had never seen anything like it. Many Americans came dressed in Indian outfits and danced enthusiastically. People were saying 'move over Britney Spears and J-Lo, Bollywood rocks'," said Sheeraz Hasan, founder of www.hollywood.tv.

Hasan attended the concert Sunday with his friends from Warner Bros, Fox and Universal Studios and said they were totally bowled over.

There were more American fans (70 percent) than Asians (30 percent) to hear the music maestro at the show titled "Bollywood Night with A.R. Rahman", organised by the KCRW World Festival at Hollywood Bowl on Sunday here, said a press release.

Tom Schnabel, who is the programme director of World Music, hosted the show.

Rahman opened the show by telling the audience: "When I left Chennai for London several years ago to work on the musical 'Bombay Dreams', everyone congratulated me for going to Hollywood. I tried to explain that I was going to London, not Hollywood, but they didn't understand. So those people who misinterpreted London for Hollywood, would be very happy to see me here today."

Several Indian artistes have performed here in the past, but this was Hollywood Bowl's first night completely dedicated to the music and culture of India.

The Rahman extravaganza with its arsenal of instruments, synthesisers, guitars, dholaks, keyboards and inspired singing transcended musical boundaries.

Other artistes like Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree, Musafir and Anisha Nagarajan performed along with Rahman.

The most popular song of the evening was "Chaiyya chaiyya" performed by Sukhvinder Singh.

"Popular entertainers, including Cher, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Judy Garland and Jimi Hendrix, have all performed at the Hollywood Bowl in the past, and it was truly a historic night as Bollywood came to Hollywood in great style," said Hasan.

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Music director A.R. Rahman, who gave splendid music in films like "Dil Se", "Saathiya", "Taal", "Swades" and "Rang De Basanti", says period movies give a music director an opportunity to learn and experiment.

"It also depends a lot on the director whether he wants the music of his movie according to the corresponding era or he is open to experimenting. Several musical instruments present today were absent in the past. But still we can use them for making music for a historical provided it sounds good," Rahman told the entertainment portal bollywoodcountry.com.

Rahman has plenty of international projects in his kitty, including Shekhar Kapur's "Elizabeth II" and "Lord Of The Rings Musical".

Excerpts from the interview:

What are your forthcoming releases'

Well, I am looking forward to Mani Ratnam's "Guru", as I have put in a lot of hard work in the project. Moreover, it is great working with Mani and Gulzar. We make a good team and are coming back together after a gap of two years.

With "Jodha Akbar" you add another period movie to your list. Any personal reasons for signing period movies'

Nothing like that. It's just that directors approach me with good projects.

How is it composing music for period movies'

Period movies give you a chance to learn and experiment. It also depends a lot on the director too - whether he wants the music of his movie according to the corresponding era or he is open to experimentation.

Several musical instruments present today were absent in the past. But still we can use them for making music for a historical provided it sounds good. For example - the music in "Moulin Rouge" used drums and it sounded good. But, as I said, a lot depends on the director.

It is heard that you have signed Bappi Lahiri to sing a song in "Guru"'

Yes, Bappi Lahiri has sung a song for "Guru". I heard him sing at an award function and asked him to sing for "Guru". Moreover, the song is a Bengali number and Bappi sounds good in it.

Is it true that you are a fan of new music sensation Himesh Reshammiya'

Yes, I like one of his songs. The one called "Aashiq banaya aapne".

Recently you composed music for several commercials.

See, I started my career composing for commercials and then moved on to films. Now I am back again composing music for commercials. So I think my life has come full circle.

What is more challenging - composing for commercials or films'

For me it is equally challenging because it takes the same amount of dedication, energy and time.

You were famous for your weird working hours - from midnight till morning. Are you still continuing the same'

(laughs...) Ya, I am very much the same with the same working hours.

So when do you sleep'

I sleep from 9 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon.

Tell us about your international projects'

I would be working on Shekar Kapur's "Elizabeth II", "Lord Of The Rings Musical" and there are plans to collaborate with a very big international guitarist whose name I cannot divulge right now.

Are you happy with the state of music in India'

In India, people just listen to film music. I think that attitude needs to be changed. We should be open to all forms of music.

Any dream project'

I don't have any dream project. Even the little success I have till now seems like a dream to me.

Music director A R Rahman's nephew G V Prakash Kumar is in charge of music. He is just 18 years old. He had sung a few lines in his younger days in 'Chikku Bukku Rayile' (Gentleman), 'Kuchi Kuchi Raakamma' (Mumbai), 'Paalakaadu Machaan' and 'Madras Suthi Paarkka Poren' (May Maadham), 'Shock Adikkuthu Sona' (Aasai), 'Thirudaa Thirudaa' (Thirudaa Thirudaa), 'Azhagaana Raakshasiye' (Mudhalvan) and 'Kaadhal Yaanai' (Anniyan). He also worked on the keyboard for Rahman in 'Swadesh', 'Krishna', 'Mangal Pandey', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Subash Chandrabose' in Hindi and for 'Anbe Aaruyire' in Tamil.

WORLD MUSIC REVIEW
It's Bollywood, no doubt about it
Hollywood Bowl program has true Indian sounds and sights, complete with laser effects and snowfalls.


World music at the Hollywood Bowl has been a roller-coaster ride in the last few years. High points, such as the annual Brazilian events and last summer's Hawaiian and Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road programs, have contrasted with frequent evenings dedicated to contemporary pop music from various countries.

On Sunday, "Bollywood Night" tapped into Western sounds and rhythms (including rap), but its roots in Indian culture were ever present. The appropriately titled program focused on film music, India's most widely popular genre, specifically showcasing the work of A.R. Rahman, its most successful composer. ("Bollywood," commonly used to describe Hindi-language films, combines the words Hollywood and Bombay — the former name of Mumbai.)

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Rahman led a live production enhanced with video projections, laser effects and snowfalls(!), simulating the big, effervescent performances typical of Bollywood musicals. The mood of the compositions was almost consistently upbeat and rhythmic. Backbeat accents were frequent, interspersed with percussion groupings combining North and South Indian timbres, and there were passages, especially when the full orchestra and the Global Rhythms choir were playing together, in which brass riffs and surging percussion produced a surprisingly jazz-like sense of swing.

The singers — Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree and Anisha Nagarajan — added the most distinctively Indian sounds to the evening, performing with the penetrating head tones and free-flowing melismas characteristic of the subcontinent's various musical forms.

Dancers from Bollywood Step Dance and the Sher Foundation topped off the presentation with styles ranging from elegant classical movements to raucous hip-hop.

Opening the concert, the eclectic ensemble Musafir explored traditional music, Arabic rhythms, Indian classical and pop sounds, combining them into an appealing hybrid, enhanced by the tabla playing of Hameed Khan, the dancing and castanet work of Rekha and the amazing Jew's harp sounds of Chugge Khan.

Although "Bollywood Night" is only the second entry in KCRW-FM's 2006 World Festival at the Bowl, it is one of the last that can be identified, in the traditional sense, as a program of culture-specific, international music. Upcoming programs feature a great deal of indie rock, trip-hop, electronica, reggae and (curiously) Willie Nelson. Maybe that title should be revised to World Pop Music Festival.

Originally posted by: Sudha_rn

ok dolly..No one posting the question..
So, i m posting the question here..sorry fabi&sam..

What is ARR's first movie under ManiRatnam's Direction??

Roja I think😕........good to have u back sudha😃

thanks for the articles madhu..esp the one with ARR"s interview!!

Originally posted by: infiniteattract

Roja I think😕........good to have u back sudha😃

yeah i think it definitely has to be Roja..or maybe it could be Thiruda thiruda..but i think Roja is the right answer!!

arey roja
ARR's 1st ever, so ofcourse with Maniratnam's 😕

Originally posted by: Sudha_rn

ok dolly..No one posting the question..
So, i m posting the question here..sorry fabi&sam..

What is ARR's first movie under ManiRatnam's Direction??

arey sudha, i had already lost my chance, it was fabi's turn😆

like its now madhu's turn to post the next question😃

Thanks for the articles Madhu 😊