Thursday, March 26, 2009
After making it to the Top 20 of the US music charts, Rahman has made another appearance on the international music scene - this time in Akon's new music video 'Beautiful'.
Taken from this album 'Freedom', it features Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis, who appears on the track. Rahman's appearance in the video comes as a surprise as the music maestro is usually shy of appearing in videos and doing cameos. According to online music magazine Blender (www.blender.com), Akon met Rahman during his visit to Mumbai. During his meeting, they had discussed Akon's new album ‘Freedom’ and Rahman had even heard a few rough cuts of his tracks.
Rahman’s cameo happened when he was in the US this year promoting Slumdog Millionaire and performing on various chat night shows (The Tonight show, Oprah Winfrey, etc). Rahman appears towards the end of the video dressed in a dapper suit surrounded by the models who pose with him. The video can be found on youtube.com
A.R.Rahman is all set to compose a new tune to make a new Tamil Anthem for the world Tamil people.
Lyricist Vairamuthu said recently at an audio launch, “I will be writing the lyrics for the new Tamil anthem, which is an invocation and will reach out to all the Tamils around the globe. The music for the anthem will be composed by the double Oscar winner A.R.Rahman!”
A.R.Rahman’s first composition ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai…’ for the movie Roja was written by Vairamuthu, which had fetched both of them a national award.
According to the lyricist, Tamilians living in foreign countries will have their own Tamil anthem just like our present anthem ‘Neerarum Kadaludttha Nila Madanthai’.
It was written by famous poet Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai and based on the landscapes and boundaries of erstwhile Tamil Nadu. The need for a new anthem was brought to notice when Vairamuthu and A.R.Rahman attended a function together in Malaysia and sang the Tamil anthem in their own.
Speaking about the glorious moment when Rahman bagged the Oscar and ended his winning speech in Tamil, Vairamuthu said, “Rahman’s passion for his mother tongue was evident when he addressed an elite gathering in Tamil. Also, at a time when Tamil has been declared as a classic language by the Centre, I felt proud that Rahman chose to speak Tamil at an international stage.”
A couple of days before, AR Rahman had also confirmed what Vairamuthu said in the function.
He said, “I will compose music for the new Tamil Anthem once Vairamuthu completes his work..”
New Delhi, March 14, 2009: Aam admi, Rahman’s Jai Ho and Congress party. Congress seems to have got a perfect slogan in Jai Ho for general elections. Allah Rakkha Rahman’s success in Slumdog Millionaire in being cashed in by a political party in the forthcoming general elections.
And by the way the party has bought copyright for the super hit song Jai Ho. The song is hit and it is fresh in people’s mind and so Congress party is trying to use the song in the best way possible.
But one thing is not sure and that is as to how much the song will help the Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. During last general elections the BJP had tried to sell the idea of India shining.
But the nation refused to buy the catchword at that time. Now everyone is asking if Jai Ho will bring votes to the Congress or give a similar fate to the party that the BJP got in the last Lo Sabha elections.
In the meantime there are indications that besides Jai Ho Congress party will build up its election campaign around the aam admi (common man) but its allies in the UPA are unlikely to find place in the propaganda war against the NDA at the national level. The central theme of the campaign is the common man, said a party strategist involved in the campaign strategy.
The Congress in order to woo the electorate has made a three minute film. Set to the tune of the Oscar winning song Jai Ho, the three one-minute spot films highlight the advances made by the aam aadmi under the Congress tutelage. The films focus on the 60-year heritage of the party and its achievements over the last five years.
Monday, March 23, 2009
A R Rahman’s remixed version of Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls (PCD) has rocked the West and got rave reviews too. But surprisingly, it is now learned that lead singer Nicole Scherzinger never wanted to do this version!
Nicole, who otherwise loves everything Indian — especially dressing up in colourful bindis and dupatas, is quoted on the website Desi Hits! “I was scared, I was afraid to let people hear it, I really didn’t want to do it,” she told Anjula Achari Bath of the website.
The sexy singer was hesitant not because she didn’t like the song, but because the song was already amazing. “I didn’t want to recreate Rahman’s work,” said Nicole, who was inspired by the film and emotionally touched by the track.
Music producer Jimmy Iovine brought the idea of remixing Jai Ho to Nicole. After giving it a lot of thought and after talking things over with him, she thought it would be a great opportunity to put her own English translation into the song. She knew this was a difficult task as she highly respected the original track. “I prayed every night to do this right,” she said. She was so moved by the film that she wanted to be sure to incorporate themes from Slumdog Millionaire such as destiny and love into the song.
Nicole has never been to India but now wants to do charity work here. “I know Jessica (Jessica Sutta, another member of PCD) has already been to Rishikesh and is strongly involved with a charity that works towards improving the lives of children there and I want to go to the orphanages of India,” she said.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Bollywood actor and former beauty queen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said that she has always been a fan of double-Oscar winner AR Rahman, and feels fortunate that maximum of her films featured maestro’s music. “Working with Rahman has been an absolute pleasure. It's not just from Taal to Guru, but it''s from Iruvar till Ravana. The Bollywood actress, who was in Kolkata for the shooting of her upcoming flick Ravana, said she was elated at Rahman’s double win at the Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire. Rai added, though Rahman was very much celebrated in India but winning Oscar meant the global recognition, which was special. Talking about Hollywood flick The Pink Panther 2, Rai said the experience of working with actor Steve Martin has been enriching. “Working with Steve Martin was a good experience since he is the institution of comedy. We grew up watching his movies. So when it came to working with him and since he had already worked in Pink Panther before, so you know the kind of film you are going to be a part of. I am very happy that I got a chance to work with all these great actors because I feel experience is the greatest teacher of all,” the Bollywood star said. Comparing her character in Ravana with the one in hardcore Hollywood flick, Pink Panther, the former Miss World said her characters in both the films were quite challenging. “These are very different. One is Mani Ratnam and the other Pink Panther. So you can assume what the audience can expect. Those who watch English movie know about Pink Panther. Mani Ratnam is the kind of filmmaker we know he is, so he will present that kind of cinema only,” Rai opined.
In fact, maximum of my films have enjoyed the music of Rahman and as a music lover and fan, I have always admired his music and he is a gifted musician,” Rai said, while addressing a press conference in Kolkata.
Mumbai, Mar 04: More accolades are coming across music maestro AR Rahman’s way! Small wonder, as the magic musician has made the nation proud by bagging two Oscars for his melodious creations in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
The reticent, media shy, affable, and down-to-earth composer will be awarded an honorary doctorate by the prestigious Anna University, Chennai, in recognition of his exemplary achievements.
Apart from the composer, space scientist Mayilsamy Annadurai and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin will also be awarded the doctorates at the convocation. The special convocation is to be held towards March-end.
On return from the Oscars, Rahman had said, “It’s a starting point for a lot in my career.” We agree, and we hope that God keeps our favourite ‘Allah Rakha’ in his grace!
A.R.Rahman became Airtel’s brand ambassador in 2002. The brand campaign for Airtel in 2002 featuring AR Rahman was the first time he had appeared in a television commercial. When Rahman composed the tune, Airtel has two million customers. Today Airtel has over 90 million customers and the Airtel signature tune composed by A R Rahman is world’s most downloaded piece of mobile music in the world with over 60 million downloads.
Incidentally, this tune has made its appearance in several forms including car reverse music. A R Rahman also composed an exclusive soundtrack to commemorate the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2008.
The National Centre for Performing Arts is presenting “An Evening of Classical Music & Dance” with Buddhadev Dasgupta (Sarod), Sunayana Hazarilal (Kathak), and Zakir Hussain (Tabla) at Tata Theatre on March 2 in collaboration with Natawari.
Barasat Rang, Dhrupad and Khayal Compositions on Holi sung by Ram Deshpande and Sanjeev Abhayankar will be presented at the Experimental Theatre on March 6. The concert celebrates Holi.
Nad Ninad: From Our Archives will be a Guided Listening Session on Vilayat Khan at the Experimental Theatre on March 13 in collaboration with the Indian Musicological Society.
This is a programme that makes available to lovers of Hindustani classical music some of NCPA’s archival recordings. This month, it’s the music of the late sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan of the Imdadkhani-Etawah gharana. This session will be conducted by the sitar maestro Arvind Parikh.
The Vienna Chamber Orchestra with its Artistic Director Stefan Vladar and Conductor Joji Hattori will present a Western Music Concert at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre on April 15 in collaboration with Embassy of Austria and Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
The Vienna Chamber Orchestra has performed earlier to rapturous acclaim at the NCPA under the baton of Associate Conductor Joji Hattori, who has held that position since 2003.
Living Traditions: A Rajasthani Extravaganza, a folk Dance and Music Performance will be held at the Experimental Theatre on March 20 and 2 in partnership with Jaipur Virasat Foundation.
Over two evenings, the best of the Rajasthan region in an explosion of performing arts forms will see over 60 artistes and a variety of folk dances, traditional musicians and instruments. On March 20, those featured will include Bhanwari Devi from Shekhawati who sings with strength and soul in the bhopa/ bhopi tradition, Suguna, a musician from the Kalbeliya community from Marwar-Jodhpur, Parveen Mirza from the Maand tradition of the royal house of Shahapura, Jaipur gharana; the colourful dances, the Tehra Taali of the Kamad ‘jaati’ of Pali and the Chakri dance of the Kanjar community from Chachhoda, Baran. These are among the best from a variety of traditional forms that are exclusively performed by women.
On the 21st, an evening with Rajasthan’s best known traditional musicians and dancers. Padmaramji, one of the senior-most singers from the Meghwal community of Kundal, Jaisalmer, sings bhajans by poets in the Nirguna tradition, such as Ravidas, Surdas, Kabir and Meerabai. He will use the tandoora as accompaniment. There will also be featured the sons of the Langa and Manganiyar community elders from the villages near Barmer and Jodhpur, boys who have honed their own talent by accompanying their fathers to vocal performances for their patrons. Jumma Khan ‘jogi’ and his Bhapang party are from the Mev community from Alwar (Mewat region) who are a significant name in the Jogi (or Yogi) tradition of singers who still compose songs with a contemporary social and political relevance. The evening ends with two unusual dance forms of the state, one with a group of deru players and dancers from the Churu region in Shekhawati and a fast-paced finale by the traditional male dancers from Tonk, Jaipur, performed to the mellifluous notes of the traditional instrument, the algoza.
Arties Festival India - March 2009 will present a Chamber Music Festival at the Experimental Theatre on March 26 and at the Tata Theatre on March 28 and 29.
Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue says she was thrilled to work with Oscar winning music director AR Rahman in Bollywood film Blue. The 40-year-old singer plays herself in the film, and also performs a set-piece song-and-dance routine in the underwater thriller starring Akshay Kumar , Sanjay Dutt and Katrina Kaif.
to be part of Bollywood for a while and it was great opportunity that came by," she added.Congress Party has got copyright for AR Rahman’s Jai Ho song. The song has become extremely popular not only in India but across the world.
The song also gave AR Rahman an Oscar this year. He won another Oscar too this year.
The party has bought the rights to A.R. Rahman’s song from Danny Boyle’s film and the tune from music company T-Series, said a senior Congress leader. The Congress plans to use the song to convey the message that the Congress-led government has been a saga of hope for the common man.
Earlier the Congress party had used the song from Shah Rukh Khan’s movie Chak De! India. It was a song that was on everyone’s lips.
Shreya Goshal
