The Face of Music - A R Rahman News & Updates - III

[sathya_1979]

CON gress had cleverly used their media house ibnlive to create this stir so that the MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES like CWG corruption, under-preparation etc etc are swept under the carpet.

[ajaybaskar]

Sunny,

Agreed that CWG games is the country's pride. But pls be aware the country's so called pride is already in stake, thanx to Kalmadi and co's heroics and their inability to meet the standards required for hosting an international event. A theme song is the last thing I would look into, for boosting up the lost pride.

[A.ANAND]

Lost to the world

Has India¡¯s favourite music composer moved on to a bigger, global platform?

From Internet blogs to the denizens of Delhi¡¯s South Block, everyone is splitting hair over his compositions. But the man behind it all is ensconced in his Chennai studio, unfazed by the furore around him. Like the proverbial eye of the storm.










For A R Rahman, these are the best of times, the worst of times. His art is at its most eclectic, garnering international acclaim heralding him as one of the world¡¯s best. In his own country detractors are declaring that he has lost his touch. He is buying a five-acre plot in Los Angeles to set up his production facility with sound engineer Resul Pookutty. He is also being accused of being indifferent, aloof to his Bollywood projects, delaying them and churning out music that often stumps listeners. With every milestone in the West, Rahman seems to move a step away from home.

His fiercest critics are ironically in the industry that has given him his biggest successes ¡ª until of course Slumdog. The Hindi film fraternity has always had an uneasy relationship with Rahman, who is still god down south. Many in Bollywood find it hard to accept his artistic ways ¨C he remains in Chennai, works mostly at night, has his own creative yardsticks for choosing projects and delivers only when he is ready. Some feel his best is behind him, others feel he is constantly breaking new ground.

¡°Given his style of functioning and his inaccessibility,¡± says trade expert Amod Mehra, ¡°Bollywood always had a problem working with him.¡± Rahman has never made any excuses for the way he functions. And his studio can seem forbidding, or inspiring.

¡°There is a divine energy there,¡± says Subhash Ghai, who has shared an emotional bond with the composer since his Shikhar days. ¡°It is not your usual sharaab-kebab kind of atmosphere that you encounter in most Mumbai studios.¡± Ghajini-producer Madhu Mantena, who has worked closely with Rahman since Rangeela, too says watching the maestro in his studio is like entering a very sacred space.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES
But Rahman¡¯s inaccessibility ¨C which critics say has increased post his international-success ¨C has not helped.

¡°If you are a newbie,¡± says a producer who has met the maestro and is still waiting for his verdict on his proposal. ¡°You have to make at least 10 trips to his studio to discuss your project with him. Unlike other music composers, money is no criteria for him. There is no saying why or when he will pick one project over the other,¡± the producer adds.

¡°Now he is zipping around the world,¡± rues an ad filmmaker who is still waiting for a meeting, ¡°it is almost impossible for one to get his time and consent.¡± Rubbishing these as conspiracy theories, Mantena points out that Rahman has worked with several newcomers including Abbas Tyrewala, whose Jaane Tu... he had accepted way before Aamir Khan came into the picture.

¡°Besides, he is so dedicated to his work that each song probably goes through more changes than the script itself,¡± Mantena reveals, agreeing with other insiders like Ram Gopal Varma. ¡°No matter how pressured he is, Rahman will never let a tune pass until he is happy about it.¡±

On the flip side, that can translate into nail-biting moments for the always-in-a-tearing-hurry Bollywood producer. Thus, the notion that Rahman is delaying projects.

Mantena denies the maestro kept him waiting for months for the title track for his latest, Jhootha Hi Sahi. ¡°There are nine songs and the time taken was the same as any other album,¡± the producer says.

There were also rumours that the Jodhaa Akbar music launch was delayed because the soundtrack was not ready, though the label and the production house denied it. The Commonwealth Games theme took six months, and then it was back to the drawing board after the organising committee wanted Rahman to make changes.

¡°A single failure does not bring anyone down, not at least Rahman, who still has the mass with him,¡± says Mehra, referring to the Commonwealth controversy. ¡°However, Rahman has not been showing his best elements on his recent works,¡± he adds.

¡°You cannot judge Rahman on the basis of one song,¡± says sitar maestro Pandit Kartick Kumar, who was featured in Rahman and Bharat Bala¡¯s Jana Gana Mana project. Pandit Kumar worked with Pandit Ravi Shankar during Asiad ¡¯82, when the sitar legend composed the then-hugely popular Swagatham. ¡°People have been comparing that tune to what Rahman has created. It is not fair to compare a classic with a more contemporary track,¡± Pandit Kumar says. ¡°But, yes, maybe Rahman should not have sung the song himself. Just because his Vande Mataram clicked, does not mean he can bring the same energy to every song he lends his voice to,¡± adds Kumar.

The veteran sitar exponent puts it down to an unfortunate error of judgement by an otherwise superlative production designer and musician.

CRITICS VS LOYALISTS
Rahman¡¯s world is divided into critics and loyalists. ¡°It is every filmmaker¡¯s dream to work with Rahman,¡± says director Anthony D¡¯ Souza, who has graciously accepted all the brickbats for the mega-budget disaster called Blue. Critics flayed Blue¡¯s Chiggy Wiggy, in which Rahman worked with one of the world¡¯s biggest pop stars, Kylie Minogue. ¡°I am willing to do anything to have Rahman agree to my next,¡± D¡¯Souza maintains.

Rahman loyalists say you cannot judge a Rahman tune instantly; it¡¯s not fast food, it¡¯s gourmet cuisine. Others seriously question whether he takes any real interest in the Bollywood projects any more.

Ram Gopal Varma, who gave Rahman his first Hindi break with his 1995-hit Rangeela, wrote in his blog about the making of the soundtrack: ¡®...the compositions he came up with used to surprise me, though not always pleasantly. That is because his tunes were so original in his interpretation of the emotion of a situation that a conventional ear will take time to let it sink in.¡¯
Mantena too believes Rahman¡¯s style is so ¡®different¡¯ that it shocks you the first time. ¡°It depends a lot on what you have been used to listening to,¡± adds the producer.

¡°Rahman has always maintained he cares less about how the music is received and more about being true to the project,¡± says Mehra. ¡°And while in the past his musical instincts have served him well, something seems to be going wrong now.¡±
The evolution of Rahman from the man who made hummable, instantly likeable tunes to someone who makes stylised and challenging music that often leaves you scratching your head on first listen, has coincided with his exposure to the best in the West. Sagar Desai, composer, sound designer of Quickgun Murugan-fame, has an explanation: ¡°May be Rahman does not feel obliged to make tunes that appeal to the humble rickshawwallah anymore, but is more interested in staying true to his artistic core, no matter what the consequences.¡±

There¡¯s no denying Rahman is one of the world¡¯s busiest musicians. He has toured across continents ¨C including trying to put up a Michael Jackson-esque show in his last aborted US tour ¨C worked on some of the world¡¯s biggest projects, with the world¡¯s biggest names. He has also delivered at least 60 soundtracks (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, you name it), with a hit or three in every one of them. But increasingly, the misses have piled up. Has Rahman ¡ª who once admitted to being bad at multitasking ¡ª spread himself too thin?

¡°When Rahman was working for Taal,¡± says Ghai, ¡°he was completely immersed in the craft of composing. But while working with him on Yuvraaj, I realised he was probably having trouble focusing with so much on his plate these days. You cannot blame him. He is an explorer who is hungry for more and wants to discover new sounds and new techniques. You have to allow him to grow. May be there are not enough challenges for him here.¡±

One of Rahman¡¯s biggest contributions to the Indian music industry is the way he has treated musicians, who often feel short-changed by most composers.

¡°What makes him stand apart from the others is his ability to understand a musician and his comfort zone,¡± says Neil Mukherjee, who has played guitar for Rahman over seven years on several projects. ¡°He will never make you feel uncomfortable.¡± And this quality of empathy, feels Mukherjee, is also tied to the maestro¡¯s strong spiritual leanings.

But in the chop and change world of Indian film music, you cannot survive on spirituality. ¡°He is extremely spiritual and sharp at the same time,¡± says Ghai. ¡°He is like Lord Krishna.¡±

Rahman¡¯s demanding the lion¡¯s share of the music publishing rights for his films has not earned him too many well-wishers in the industry. The Om Shanti Om music composer shift (from Rahman to Vishal-Shekhar) was because Rahman wanted part of the music royalty rights. ¡°Any change is frowned at,¡± he said then, ¡°I am standing up for what I think is right.¡±

Ghai also says Rahman has become tech savvy, worldly wise over the years: ¡°I have seen him update his gadgets and consoles after every six months, and 2001 onwards [post-Lagaan], I have seen him get increasingly clued into what is happening across the world. He is the best we have. Sometimes the artiste becomes much bigger than his art. You can¡¯t help it.¡±

Recent Rahman

CWG Anthem
Only for Rahmaniacs

Robot
Hit in south, crashing elsewhere

Raavan
Confusing

Blue
Mixed, mostly negative

Slumdog Millionaire
Global phenomenon, but perplexing at home

Delhi 6
Acclaimed

Jaane Tu...
Pappu made India dance

Yuvvraj
Better than the film

Ghajini
Mixed response

Jodhaa Akbar
Esoteric, classy

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/artic...the-world.html

[A.ANAND]

A.R. Rahman Brand Ambassador For Radio DesiBeat

http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=12293

[Sanjeevi]

he just said its something beyond that - when he was repeatedly asked abt waka waka song.......really, comparing waka waka to AR's works is a shame - its just a dance number.....

That is what they were expecting from ARR, I guess. Though CWG theme song is good and nice it lacks some dappanguthu standard

[muzammil_fr]

waka waka original
hahahha everyone praise for a copy song and critics for original song, ARR always is best in Original.

[A.ANAND]

thalaivar at vairamuthu son wedding

http://i.imgur.com/9HPSp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BKzu2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/R5wy5.jpg

http://www.images.behindwoods.com/ph...edding-87.html

http://www.images.behindwoods.com/ph...edding-92.html

[music man]

Here's that stupid article from IBN Live..Good comedy article...Its as stupid as saying ARR's Swagatham was a dud....

Swagatham fiasco:
Rahman's top 10 duds
ibnlive.com
Posted on Sep 03, 2010 at 11:24 | Updated Sep 03, 2010 at 11:52

The verdict is in. 'Swagatham', A R Rahman’s anthem for the Commonwealth Games, has received anything but rapturous welcome.

People who have heard it are cool, downloads are flat, music professionals are looking away – even politicians are denouncing the song.

The slow-paced number, sung by Rahman himself, has got everyone wondering whether this is what the Games deserves.

Worse, Rahman’s own claim that the song would be hotter than Shakira’s World Cup 2010 anthem 'Waka-Waka' has fallen flatter than some of his notes.

While everyone may wonder what went wrong, it’s worth remembering that Rahman, for all his apparent Midas touch with melody, has had his share of duds. Unfortunately, the tune that the nation was looking forward to has turned out to be one of them.

Some of the songs Rahman composed in his early years for Malayalam and Telugu films have remained unpopular.

Fans who have grown used to the trademark Rahman style over the years have also complained the composer is repeating himself.

Towering expectations of the man dubbed “Mozart of Madras” of repeating the legendary success of ‘Roja’ in every film may have also led to a slump in quality in some soundtracks.

“I’ve heard better from Rahman,” was the common sentiment on the streets when “Jai Ho” received international acclaim.

Here, then, are Rahman’s top 10 dud soundtracks from a musical career spanning almost 20 years – songs that have either bombed at the charts or simply faded from memory for lack of fizz:

1. 'Swagatham': A nation, eagerly awaiting its own ‘Waka Waka’ from its trusted composer, is bitterly disappointed at the outcome of the Commonwealth Games anthem. Critics call it a “cacophony” while fans find the punch missing.


2. 'Raavan': The music of Raavan is dark and appeals to specific audiences. One of the most anticipated films of 2010, Rahman brings in contemporary techno and marries it off to Punjabi folk creating tracks like ‘Thok de killi’ that lack the hummability of ‘Behne de’ or its staying power.

3. 'Fire': Rahman composed the background score for Deepa Mehta's Fire. It had the appeal of any Rahman classic but failed to leave a mark in India as the soundtrack was available only through mail order from a German company.

4. 'Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya': Rahman’s Tamil album comes after a hiatus of two years and disappointed fans say the songs lack character.

5. 'Parasuram': Rahman tries to experiment with lyrics in ‘Jack and Jill’ and the effect is disastrous. Fans trash the music of this 2003 starrer and ‘Dolna Dolna’ is the only song that leaves a mark in an album that has songs sung by Hariharan.

6. 'Jeans': After a decade, ‘Ajooba’ sang by Hariharan is the only Jeans soundtrack that sticks with audiences. Beautiful lyrics by Javed Akhtar and Hariharan’s lilting vocals failed to move traditional Rahman fans looking for more than just instrumental fusions and contemporary background score.

7. 'Mr. Romeo': This Prabhu Deva starrer had songs such as “Mona Lisa” composed by Rahman that faded with the film.

8. 'Yodha': An off beat Malyalam film that had Buddhist music in it, shifting away from the usual Rahman style.

9. 'Lovebirds': ‘No Problem’ – perhaps the only song that has outstayed the film’s shelf life – is part of a collection put together by Rahman that is mostly forgettable.

10. 'Kadhal Desam': Rahman sang some of the tracks of the 1996 Tabbu starrer. While Mustafa Mustafa went on to become a hit with several versions being replicated on the internet by budding artists, numbers such as 'Hello Doctor' never caught on.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/swagatham...3.html?from=tn

[music man]

Here's that stupid article from IBN Live..Good comedy article...Its as stupid as saying ARR's Swagatham was a dud....

Swagatham fiasco:
Rahman's top 10 duds
ibnlive.com
Posted on Sep 03, 2010 at 11:24 | Updated Sep 03, 2010 at 11:52

The verdict is in. 'Swagatham', A R Rahman’s anthem for the Commonwealth Games, has received anything but rapturous welcome.

People who have heard it are cool, downloads are flat, music professionals are looking away – even politicians are denouncing the song.

The slow-paced number, sung by Rahman himself, has got everyone wondering whether this is what the Games deserves.

Worse, Rahman’s own claim that the song would be hotter than Shakira’s World Cup 2010 anthem 'Waka-Waka' has fallen flatter than some of his notes.

While everyone may wonder what went wrong, it’s worth remembering that Rahman, for all his apparent Midas touch with melody, has had his share of duds. Unfortunately, the tune that the nation was looking forward to has turned out to be one of them.

Some of the songs Rahman composed in his early years for Malayalam and Telugu films have remained unpopular.

Fans who have grown used to the trademark Rahman style over the years have also complained the composer is repeating himself.

Towering expectations of the man dubbed “Mozart of Madras” of repeating the legendary success of ‘Roja’ in every film may have also led to a slump in quality in some soundtracks.

“I’ve heard better from Rahman,” was the common sentiment on the streets when “Jai Ho” received international acclaim.

Here, then, are Rahman’s top 10 dud soundtracks from a musical career spanning almost 20 years – songs that have either bombed at the charts or simply faded from memory for lack of fizz:

1. 'Swagatham': A nation, eagerly awaiting its own ‘Waka Waka’ from its trusted composer, is bitterly disappointed at the outcome of the Commonwealth Games anthem. Critics call it a “cacophony” while fans find the punch missing.


2. 'Raavan': The music of Raavan is dark and appeals to specific audiences. One of the most anticipated films of 2010, Rahman brings in contemporary techno and marries it off to Punjabi folk creating tracks like ‘Thok de killi’ that lack the hummability of ‘Behne de’ or its staying power.

3. 'Fire': Rahman composed the background score for Deepa Mehta's Fire. It had the appeal of any Rahman classic but failed to leave a mark in India as the soundtrack was available only through mail order from a German company.

4. 'Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya': Rahman’s Tamil album comes after a hiatus of two years and disappointed fans say the songs lack character.

5. 'Parasuram': Rahman tries to experiment with lyrics in ‘Jack and Jill’ and the effect is disastrous. Fans trash the music of this 2003 starrer and ‘Dolna Dolna’ is the only song that leaves a mark in an album that has songs sung by Hariharan.

6. 'Jeans': After a decade, ‘Ajooba’ sang by Hariharan is the only Jeans soundtrack that sticks with audiences. Beautiful lyrics by Javed Akhtar and Hariharan’s lilting vocals failed to move traditional Rahman fans looking for more than just instrumental fusions and contemporary background score.

7. 'Mr. Romeo': This Prabhu Deva starrer had songs such as “Mona Lisa” composed by Rahman that faded with the film.

8. 'Yodha': An off beat Malyalam film that had Buddhist music in it, shifting away from the usual Rahman style.

9. 'Lovebirds': ‘No Problem’ – perhaps the only song that has outstayed the film’s shelf life – is part of a collection put together by Rahman that is mostly forgettable.

10. 'Kadhal Desam': Rahman sang some of the tracks of the 1996 Tabbu starrer. While Mustafa Mustafa went on to become a hit with several versions being replicated on the internet by budding artists, numbers such as 'Hello Doctor' never caught on.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/swagatham...3.html?from=tn

My thoughts are:

1) Swagatham is a much better track and i liked it instantly...It grew on me when i listened...ARR's singing was top notch...I dunno hindi..so cannot comment on the lyrics..

2) Raavan had great music....the melodious Kalvare, Usure Pogudhey,stunning Naan Varuven,bombastic Khodu Pottaa and joyful Khatta Khatta,Veera and Ranja Ranja...

3) VTV was a much monstrous hit in recent times..

4) Parasuram was a decent album...Had the melodious "Muppathu Nimidam (adapted from May Madham BGM), beautiful Kaadhal Vettukili, catchy Dolna Dolna, and good tracks like Chittu Kuruvi and Kadhakali(ARR's old style)

5) Jeans was a great album.

6) Mr.Romeo was a decent hit...The movie was utter flop and it carried the songs down..But it had a beautiful BGM...It had a classy Romeo Attam Pottal, melodic Mellisaye and Thannerai Kadhalikkum..

7) Yodha had great melodic songs...

8) Love Birds again was a flop but had great songs like No Problem, Malargale, Nallai Ulagam etc..

9) Kadhal Desam was a great hit.....Hello Doctor, Ennai Kaanavillaye, Thendrale, Oh Vennila, Mustafa, Kaloori Salai were all evergreen hits....

[A.ANAND]

MusicMan sir,

intha article film section-la pothumaana alavukku namma aalungga thuppu thuppu innu thuppi aachu! too late!