[Ch. 17] Rahman’s Vande Mataram: The National Anthem That Captivated the World

The interview which appears below, was originally published on Vikatan in January 2008. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. English translation credits go to Aravind A.M. from the A.R. Rahman Yahoo Fans Group. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.

Rahman first came to prominence with the musical “Bombay Dreams,” which was directed by Hindi film director Shekhar Kapur. Kapur praised Rahman’s ability to discover music that exists beyond the physical body, saying “Rahman is not someone who says that music is an inherent talent of musicians. It pervades this world, outside the body. Only a few acquire the ability to discover it. Rahman is like that. He finds the music floating around wonderfully!”

Rahman attributes his success in music to a psychological technique he calls “autosuggestion.” When he plays an instrument, he thinks about great musicians who excel at playing that particular instrument and is inspired to create music with a similar level of skill.

He said, “When I play the keyboard, I think of a musician who is very good at playing the keyboard and the music he played. When I play the guitar I am reminded of the music of a great guitarist and when I play percussion I am reminded of the music of a great drummer. That is my inspiration. ‘Behold, how effectively they have played this instrument. I will be happy saying, ‘Isn’t that wonderful instrument in my hands?’ I would like to bring such noble music through this. With that driving force, music starts to be born from me immediately. That’s what drives me!”

This technique of “autosuggestion” can be applied to any discipline, as it involves comparing one’s own work to that of a respected and skilled individual in order to improve and self-critique. Psychologists refer to this as “autosuggestion.”

One of the main influences on Rahman’s music was the Indian film “Mughal-e-Azam,” which featured emotional music composed by Naushad. Rahman has cited this film as a favorite, and it is clear that the music had a lasting impact on him. Naushad took two years to complete the music for “Mughal-e-Azam,” and he did not take on any other musical projects during that time, fully immersing himself in the film’s score.

In the early days of his career, Rahman was known for composing music at a slower pace, and he often found himself overwhelmed with requests from directors and film companies. He would agree to work on many projects, but struggled to complete the music in time. However, Rahman values quality over quantity and eventually realized that it was a mistake to take on too many projects. He decided to limit the number of films he worked on each year and saw his success increase as a result.

One thing that Rahman introduced during this period was the concept of “re-mixing,” which is now a common practice in Tamil film music. Rahman would re-mix songs from his other films when he couldn’t complete the music for a project on time.

For example, the song “Rakkozhi Rendu” from the film “Uzhavan” was re-mixed as “Aa Chikkukulenda Varaku” in Telugu, and a song from “Gang Master” became “Yaroon Chunlo” in “Rangeela.” However, Rahman eventually decided to stop re-mixing and focus on producing high-quality music for a limited number of film projects.

Sony, a major record label known for signing artists such as Michael Jackson and Celine Dion, signed Rahman for the album “Vande Mataram,” making him the first Indian artist to be signed to the label for a solo album. This opportunity came about through Rahman’s schoolmate Bharatbala.

Composing music for a national level album was a new experience for Rahman, and Sony even approached him about collaborating with Celine Dion for the project. However, Rahman declined to work with some musicians, including ominic Miller. He spent several days working as a rapper for the “Vande Mataram” album, which consumed his focus much like “Mughal-e-Azam” consumed Naushad’s attention while composing its music.

In 1999, Sony’s top executives held a meeting with global recording companies to discuss the distribution of music. They announced that they were releasing an Indian album, and played “Vande Mataram” for the attendees. Rahman’s voice stunned the audience, and the album received a standing ovation.

Columbia and Epic, among other companies, competed for and ultimately bought the distribution rights for the album, which was released in 28 countries. “Vande Mataram” became the first non-cinema music album to break sales records in India, selling 1.5 million cassettes in the country alone.

1999 was a significant year for Rahman, as he composed the music for a total of 11 films, including “En Swasavakaate,” “Mudhalvan, “Padayappa,” “Sangamam,” “Jodi,” “Taj Mahal,” “Taal,” “1947 – The Earth,” “Takshak,” and “Pukar.” The songs from these films were all major hits. “Padayappa,” in particular, sold 1.5 million cassettes within two days of its release.

In addition to film music, Rahman also participated in other music events. He performed in a concert for war-affected children in Kuala Lumpur and honored Melody Kings Viswanathan and Ramamurthy with a concert in Singapore. He also performed “Vande Mataram” at a Kargil war fund event in Delhi and represented India at the international music program “Listen,” which raised funds for the welfare of poor children around the world.

Rahman was given the task of performing a modern version of a Beethoven piece at this event, which raised $99 million. He has also worked with renowned musicians such as Peter Gabriel and Sting.

In May 1999, Rahman traveled to London and recorded the song “Ekam Satyam.” The song impressed a famous singer, who invited Rahman to perform it with him at a grand concert. This singer was none other than the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Rahman was surprised by the invitation.