very nice interview, have already got the audio version. thanks for sharing the text version.
--- In [email protected], Vithur <vith...@...> wrote: > > Exclusive Interview- AR Rahman on the SouthSide Show 63 February 25 2009 > 18:40 PST > > Our very own Ashanti OMkar got an exclusive interview with the man of the > moment, AR Rahman<http://www.desihits.com/radio/show/southside-show- 63-exclusive-ar-rahman-interview>, > Oscar-winning composer of the "Slumdog > Millionaire<http://www.desihits.com/movies/view/slumdog+millionaire>" > soundtrack. Read the interview below: > > *AO: If you had to pick a ideal acceptance speech because I know you have > the Golden Globes one and the BAFTA Awards which was very short, what would > be your ideal acceptance speech when you chilled out in saying it, without > millions of eyes on you?* > > AR: There's no ideal acceptance speech. You forget something always. When > you have a piece of paper, it looks ugly. Normally I would just say "All > Praises To God" and escape, but now I need to say things about people that > worked hard, like, you know, "Sam Schwartz is my agent in Hollywood and the > PR people, Hindi PR, and I have to say all the people who have given > extraordinary opportunity for me to do music in India which became a bridge > for me to do... um, go to the West, to get the love from the audience, and > all the people who have given good suggestions, you know, all the singers, > all the recording engineers, all the musicians, all the lyricists are very > important, all the people who acted all of the lovely ladies and the guys in > the action movies," so there's no end actually. > > *AO: So there's a long list then, actually? > * > > AR: I can't hold any of my own awards. I can just represent all of them and > get...(laughs). > > *AO: And you know one of the sad things that has happened recently is H. > Sridhar (Rahman's sound engineer who has passed away)* > > AR: It's sad in a way and it's happy in a way actually. > > *AO: Yeah? > * > > AR: Happy because you can see the whole world point of view in two different > angles, one as never being born and being born and having the torture of > living life and living your life and making other people happy is also one > thing. So here's a person who has worked so hard, who has made other people > happy who had made a great contribution to art and he's pushed me on > recording and has guided me so much in the beginning days, I owed him for > having all this extraordinary technology we had, with the support of him > and both us withstood through that stuff and in a way when you see a person > die with a good name and people come to mourn and comfort mourners as I was > then old and cynical and abusing the inner community (laughs) which we also > see that, but I also wish that, you know, I should go in a way where I'm not > cynical and not pessimistic about the talent which I hunger and embraced it > anyway, so that's very important, and to get a good meal every time . I > pity his family though because I think he died very young. He was only 48. > His kids are great. > > *AO: Great musicians as well I hear...* > > AR: Yeah, they are good. They're gonna be hopefully joining me. > > *AO: Really? Excellent! That's great to hear. Speaking of that, who do you > think... It's a question that many people have said. Who do you think your > successor will be? I ask this because you've left an indelible mark already > in just over a decade.* > > AR: I don't know. My kids-I just want to probably educate my kids in music > and let them have a choice. If I think that, well I know a lot of musicians > who have done the mistake... well maybe not a mistake, but in my point of > view, like great violin players and great trumpet players, you know, they're > all like "My sons should not be in music. They should find another, more > stable job." They've enjoyed the pleasure of being musicians, which is a > strange case of us not having any more musicians, or very few musicians who > want their sons to be going into that. I feel it's in a way, betrayal not > to put your kids into the art which gave you livelihood and gave you the > respect and love from the people. > > *AO: So, what's on your iPod right now?* > > AR: I don't have an iPod now (laughs) > > *AO: What music are you listening to?* > > AR: I'm mostly listening to a film because I'm constantly traveling. In > L.A. I was listening to a hip-hop station and in London, a classical > station. > > *AO: So what does it feel like to be getting this massive recognition? > We've been waiting for this for years. I know your fans have been waiting > for years to see this. I always say, "Is the Nobel Peace Prize next?"* > > AR: I think the whole attention thing gets wrong if you're craving that > stuff. I just want to do my bit and get out. And I wanna build with > people, not destroy them like [Barack] Obama says (laughs). That was a > great statement that I loved from Obama saying that "Know that your people > will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy." That goes for > all of us. > > *AO: How does it feel though, all the adulation and accolades because I know > you were saying that in Hollywood, the Golden Globes, they barely pronounced > your name right and suddenly all of the press wanted to take pictures of you > and speak to you?* > > AR: Yeah it's a weird thing actually. When I first went to the first > Critic Awards, no one in the press wanted me. They said "Who is this guy? > Get out. I want Danny Boyle or Freida > Pinto<http://www.desihits.com/celebs/view/freida+pinto>." > So the next awards which were the Golden Globes, they said "Oh, why don't > you join all of them, sir?" So the next on when I won a couple of awards > and they said "Oh can I have a single photograph of you?" > > AR: It's a great feeling. > > *AO: That's a great feeling, starting from square one to, you know, all in > three days (laughs).* > > AR: It's an amazing thing though, bridging the gap between Indian cinema > and Hollywood. > I positively think there's a world of talent there, but what they lack is > someone to guide them toward what the world's tastes would be. Some of the > bands I watched. I was a jury for a couple of shows, just incredible energy > and incredible enthusiasm and originality. So for me, I positively think > that I don't get all these awards personally. It's like a bridge for > outstanding artists yet to come. It's for them and I wish them good luck, > yeah. > > *AO: And of course you got plenty of territory incentive and an incentive > for poverty eradication* > > AR: That's too overblown. It's very spoiled compared to what can be > achieved, but if it's a seed, it could grow big and spread. It's good to > grow a seed now and all these things can be achieved, maybe it can be > achieved. The way the world is going, anything's possible, as long as it's > constructive and not destructive. > > *AO At a young age you were not only touring but you were also doing rock > bands and you've been encouraging a lot of rock bands from India. How do > you feel about rock music and where that's progressing?* > > AR: The idea of public performance is very important because that's like the > only source of income for musicians now. Anything comes out on the > Internet; even rough mixes are on the Net. Nobody even thinks twice, > ethically. It's a matter of convenience, I know that. In my opinion, > there's much more in Indian culture which can come out and I'm hoping for > that day. > > *AO: The youth samples. Someone asked a technical question because I had > something on my Facebook page. It had something to do with sample > libraries. The fact that you wouldn't create your own and do you have a > vast library of them, you know, how does it come about?* > > AR: What happens is when you're writing full of music, sometimes you just > use some sample and create a song. The melody marries to the song so much > that it's insuperable sometimes and then you feel like "Oh I could have > changed it" because that can be used by anyone. Then you get into trouble, > like "Oh this sounds like that artist." They don't understand the > originality of a song, you know they see the sample. So now I'm trying to > avoid that and see what happens. There's another whole new process to be > done to create those little templates. > > *AO: One thing I know about you is that you're incredibly hard working; I've > not seen you work. How do you have time for friends? Are friends the > people you work with? > * > > AR: Yeah. I gotta make friends with everyone. I'm not into that lifestyle > of social things. Constantly when you are in music you enjoy that the > most. It's better to be in the house with your family or in the studio > working, creating something which is going to be a pleasure to people. > > *AO: And one of the major things that you introduced to India, certainly was > not just the incredible sound quality of your music but the fact that you > credited all of the musicians, all the singers. Tell me a little bit about > the concept behind that. Was it that you were influenced by the West to do > that? So everyone got recognized and so many people's careers have > blossomed from this.* > > AR: You don't lose anything by crediting them. You only gain more > goodwill. When you create something, if something happens to their career, > then it's good for you because when you see somebody happy, you can be happy > for them. That's my philosophy of life. It's been working out well so far. > > *AO: One of the major things that you have done is also introduce > international musicians. You've worked with so many. Vanessa May, Ash > King, etc. How did these musicians come to you? How do you find these > people?* > > AR: Just casually. If I like the feel of anybody, I have to work with > them. That's it. I don't care whether they're famous or not famous, but if > they're contributing to something good and bringing something to the music, > I'm open.* > * > > *AO: And do you ever get the kind of creative block? Does it ever stop your > music?* > > AR: Sometimes it can. You need to get an idea which has to be very focused > on certain situations, for movie songs and stuff. Since I probably work on > stuff that is easier for us and then go to the tougher things. When you > have a good relationship with the director, you can get away with it I > guess. > > *AO: Who are your favorite directors because you worked with Mani Ratnam and > Chankar and now Danny Boyle?* > > AR: I don't work with anybody if I don't like them or if they don't like > me. The ones that brought great work and unity were probably Mani Ratnam, > Rakesh, Danny Boyle, Chankar, etc. > > *AO: Sometimes you have a brilliant but the filming of the movie was that > good even though there was a fantastic director behind it. How do you feel > when that happens because it must happen a lot?* > > AR: I used to be very OK with it, as far as four years back. Then people > started a big fuss over it like "Why did they wanna do that?" So then I > started getting a little choosy. I had my way of getting away with it. I > stayed away from doing those kinds of films because it's so much hard work > which is not only mine, but also actors and musicians and stuff that goes to > waste, then it's very frustrating. You don't want to keep doing this > intentionally again and again. > > *AO: Does this tie in with keeping your publishing rights to the music so > you could maybe reuse something in a place perhaps since you got your own > label as well now? > * > > AR: The whole idea was to spread the word of what we're doing here out to > the West and it's happening now, which is great. So at that time people > thought I was pulling a fast one, but it's great that it's coming true. I > know also for musicians who only created stuff for five years and it sucks > the life out of them, so for them, it would be a great asset to have that. > You can't say that you'll be creative for the rest of your life. We've seen > that over and over again with a lot of people. > > *AO: And you have a conservatory with lots and lots of students so you're > educating a whole new generation of musicians. It's almost like you're > building an army of musicians in Chennai for the world. Tell us a little > bit about that incentive.* > > AR: I'm a great fan of orchestra music. In Chennai or Mumbai, all the > acoustic musicians are getting lesser and lesser. The people who were > playing instruments, and allowed their kids to come into music, they're all > becoming doctors. This is to probably nurture a completely new generation > of youngsters playing acoustic music, and then the piano, violin, all that > stuff. It's been going well for the past year heading into next year. > > *AO: One thing I have to say, you looking as young as you did when I met you > like a decade ago, what's the secret?* > > AR: I got like three or four grey hairs. > > *AO: (laughs) Just three or four? What's the secret? > * > > AR: I'm not young looking anymore. You're exaggerating. > > *AO: Yes you are. Would you say that it's your lifestyle?* > > AR: Most of the musicians look young. Look at Paul McCartney. He's got a > baby face too. (laughs) > http://www.desihits.com/blog/article/exclusive-interview-ar-rahman- on-the-southside-show-63-20090225 > > -- > regards, > Vithur >
