what does A R Rahman mean to you? - Page 2

Originally posted by: *Woh Ajnabee*

Thanks for the topic IDji. ARR is indeed a very talented MD, and is finally get the due credit that he deserves. Although awards hold no meaning and only whatever music touches hearts and souls is considered meaningful, ARR has won on both ends. His contributions to the music industry have been numerous and all extremely prominent.

I came across these Youtube videos, and wanted to share with you. It contains ARR's "Top 20" Hindi song collection, of course these are based on someone's personal opinion, and we could definitely add/delete some based on our preferences, but its a good collection of songs.

Here are the videos, watch them if and when you have time:

ARR Top 20 Songs - Part One

ARR Top 20 Songs- Part Two

Which songs should be added the list? Which should be removed? What is your favorite ARR song?

Originally posted by: *king*

let the chosen one put it shortly in one word. NOTHING.

*king*

Originally posted by: shehzaadi91

His highness doesn't like ARR? 😕 I thought he did.

Originally posted by: Indradhanush

@surkilla/CRJ

I am as much fan of ARR as you.

There are few other instances which I am reminded of other than shehnai of swades, like flute in Chilakkama (Meenaxi), what is common in two is the understanding of the pitch and timbre of the instruments to fit them in. Regarding chilkamma flute I read some where that this flute is lost and ARR retrieved this sound back through technology.

I feel ARR's real forte is BGS of movies he would use unusual/irreverent instrumetns yet succeed. In most of the background scores one will find flute being used in lower notes for sad scenes but in Shaheed BS flautist has played it on high octave for same effect. Another instance is the RDB scene where ChandraShekhar Azad is chased in the movie and one gets to hear wild guitar strumming and not brass or drums rolling. This reminds of Basanti chase sequence in Sholay which was done by Pt Samta Prasad on tabla tarang.

Sometimes for a slow song ARR has used double paced rhythm such as in sawariya sawariya (swades) or munbe wa (where he used arpeggio to impart speed yet backed by staccato rhythm). I remember when yai re yai re was recorded for Rangeela Asha ji was herself left astounded by finished sound quality when the she heard the final product, similarly other singers have confessed ARRT brings out the best tonal quality from you. Hence every one wants to sing for him .

Originally posted by: *king*

no the king does not like ARR. his music has lost its essence off late. it appears monotonous. the king is seriously appalled by the quality of the other nominations in oscars this year considering jai ho won.

*king*

Hmm lets analyse this. The doyens of yesteryears songs would mainly focus on melody, sur and semiclassical format not giving a lot of importance to instruments arrangement and orchestration, in fact R D Burman also got some beating for same. AFAI understand Rahman's music is shockingly western, this I realised for the first time when I listened to Thiruda-Thiruda songs, it is ironical that I went to see this film in a theatre which had no subtitles in Hindi or English, because right from onset of Roja I knew some one has arrived in the music. But yet there is an Indian soul lurking behind. For example in malargale while the harmonic progression is western (of violin choir) and arpeggio providing rhythm with bass drone, singers are singing lyrics over raag Hamir kalyan.

I think a lot of feeling about being repititive is because ARR has strong singnature styles, his orchestration is unique and can't be imitated, this is why they sound same though one would certainly find some thing different inside.