o my god when i opened the newspaper section of life style i saw a huge picture of rahman, i was so happy and surprised, of ocurse i knew it was for the pan asian music festival. sorry to say im not going, it makes me really sad, but just seeing a whole article about rahman in SAN JOSE"S NEWSPAPER makes me so damn proud. im never throwing it away. i wish so bad that i could go. even though he is not performing or anything, just to see him, oh my god. damn. well this article made my day today.
--- In [email protected], Gopal Srinivasan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > music A FRESH APPROACH TO TRADITION COMPOSER A.R. RAHMAN REACHES OUT ACROSS CULTURES WITH HIS TAKE ON INDIAN MUSIC By Glenn Lovell Mercury News A triple-threat artist who combines the popularity of Elton John and the prodigious output of film composer John Williams, India's A.R. Rahman must check the mirror constantly to see which hat he's wearing. > This afternoon, he's composing for the musical theater, rushing to complete arrangements for a Toronto production of ``The Lord of the Rings.'' Tuesday, he'll be feted by Stanford's Pan-Asian Music Festival, where excerpts from his hit CD ``Vande Mataram'' will be played along with his rain song from the Indian film ``Lagaan.'' Rahman won't be performing himself but will be onstage to take questions about his work. > Then, it's back on tour as singer-keyboardist. In this incarnation, he leads an exuberant, Vangelis-like fusion of sitar, synthesizer and traditional Sufi music. Saturday, Rahman the pop star will be in Hong Kong. > If he could pursue only one of those disciplines, which would it be? > ``I like the way I'm going -- a bit of this, a bit of that,'' Rahman, 39, replies. > ``It's very satisfying doing all three. Film has its charm, but so too does the stage. My CD and video for `Vande Mataram' allowed me to reach out to a much younger audience in a very personal, spiritual way. I'd love to do another album like that.'' > ``Vande Mataram,'' Hindi for ``Hail to the Mother,'' commemorated the 50th anniversary of Indian independence. Rahman's take on the national anthem, at first considered risky, even disrespectful, wound up on pop charts, selling in the millions. > ``I was at first skeptical that it would reach out,'' Rahman recalls. ``But it went well beyond the city to the country, and became popular with Muslims, Hindu and Christians. Those who were not listening to my music started listening to my music.'' > His ``Bombay Theme'' was used in the Nicolas Cage movie ``Lord of War.'' In March, another Rahman song will be featured on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's ``Inside Man'' starring Denzel Washington. > ``Although his music is rooted in traditional Indian classics, it borrows from other cultures and reflects his European training,'' notes Jindong Cai, founder and artistic director of the Pan-Asian festival and director of orchestral studies at Stanford. ``This makes the music very fresh, very compelling, especially to young people.'' > Rahman stands out among the festival lineup, which includes sitarist Kartik Seshadri (billed as ``foremost disciple of Ravi Shankar'') and, today, the Farid Ayaz Qawwali Ensemble from Pakistan. > ``We're getting many calls from people, especially in the Indian community,'' reports Cai. ``They can't believe Rahman is coming here.'' > Cai and his co-organizers are surprised themselves. During a brainstorming session for the festival, Cai suggested they go more mainstream and invite someone who reflects popular new trends. > ``We have to look at the bigger picture in South Asian music, the traditional as well as the contemporary,'' he reminded the committee. > He then dropped the B-word: ``Bollywood.'' > And that led to composer Rahman, who sets his prodigious output at ``75 to 100'' movie scores. > But how to nab the superstar? The assumption was that his asking price would be more than the festival's entire $30,000 budget. > ``But he surprised us,'' Cai says. ``He was excited about coming. You know, he's a very profound person who often dedicates his music to Allah. He's also down-to-earth. Besides air fare and lodging, he doesn't ask for anything.'' > Rahman says he's excited about the Stanford tribute, which will include film clips and performances by campus groups. He is also looking forward to setting the audience straight on the breadth and richness of Indian music. > ``There is much more to our music than sitars and tabla drums,'' he stresses. ``If you listen, you will see there is so much happening. I want to go beyond traditional music -- but without only writing for the here and now. You must also be true to what is within you, the spiritual side.'' > > http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/13854163.htm > > Thanks to Krishna for the tip-off on the article - Gopal. > Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] BGM fest and Potters contest From arsaregama Log on to http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arsaregama Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
