The interview which appears below, was originally published by Matthew Islam in March 2004. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.
In conversation with a musical genius By Matthew Islam. A simple human being is definitely a musical genius yet most probably the humblest person one can ever come by.
How was the experience of conducting a live audience orchestra?
Very liberating except, I know there is a lot to learn in conducting, because it was my own music it was easier for me, it is an art in itself. Just like I finished my first movie I wasn’t sure that I would compose for a film but I stepped into it and went into it and had to take it seriously and the same goes for the show.
What was the audience’s reaction?
The audience was mostly Asians so anything goes for them (laughs). Because it was my first performance here and I had not done anything here before that is why I think they were so excited. They were sweet to me!
Could we expect the CBSO compositions to ever come out on a CD or record? There are many who would like to get a copy.
I know, but you know what, those compositions were mostly incomplete, I had to do this because of the pressure as I had given dates and most of them were stuff from movies and all so probably the next one (The conference of the birds his 2nd CBSO show based on a poem by the famous Sufi writer Attar) would be released on tape or DVD and then we plan to do the concerts because then people would know the music which would be otherwise have been completely new.
When is the 2nd concert scheduled for?
Anywhere between the end of the year or before the summer of next year, whenever it is basically ready, we hope to get it ready by the end of the year though.
What does music mean to you?
Besides being the profession that it is now, it has been a passion and is still a passion for me today.
Do you find it to be a spiritually enriching experience to compose music?
There is definitely a connection between music and spirituality but it is hard for me to put into words. Especially, because I am involved in Sufism, (pauses) there is a connection for sure.
Do you ever get influenced by the music you hear? Say you buy a CD, does something good you hear linger in your mind for long?
No! Different things actually, say you listen to a Pop CD, then I tend to analyze the recording, the production, the voice, and all that stuff. So, sometimes good things are taken into account and then I improve our standard. Melody’s influences are, well I don’t know, very controversial. If you get influenced by melody, they think you are copying, so it is better to stay away from it. In any case, we have enough raags and stuff in India, so we don’t need outside melodies.
U.S.A, China, Europe – you have been traveling all around, Do you like traveling?
I do enjoy traveling but when it gets beyond a certain point your health suffers. For my New York (Bombay Dreams debuts at Broadway on 29th March 2004) rehearsals, I had to take rest for a week because I had been affected by a fever and I had to cancel the 1st Week rehearsal and things started off a bit late.
Seeing so many types of cultures all around the world, do you see commonalities between people, does it fascinate you?
Thats one point that I realized when I went for the Hajj, there were people from almost all the races of the world there, all on the grounds sleeping, all praying together in the holy grounds of Arafat, so in a sense, it was a very spiritual experience to see people from all the races like Chinese Muslims, Asians, Indonesians, Indians, Pakistanis, Americans, Europeans, South Africans, you know, even people from Kazakhstan and Russia were present in one place.
It was quite an experience then?
Yes! I think we are different in many ways but we have a commonality definitely and in a way actually music in my mind when I started composing I had it in my mind that if I could like love stories and say something like the sound of music why can’t they like our stuff if it is done right.
It is not that we were totally averse to the melodies of the west, the change is happening slowly now, and people are getting into the mold of things now. Though it is very difficult, say for example when you give an orchestra here a raag, they ask, is that a G Sharp? Shouldn’t it be natural eventually they all love it and start playing it because such type of mold is very uncommon for them. So, it’s just a matter of getting used to certain melodies and molds.
So, you have experienced firsthand that music has no boundaries?
Yeah, there are certain things that are jarring with each culture but more or less there are lots of commonalities that we can take advantage of.
What is the one memory about your childhood that you think inspired you to do music?
It’s quite a difficult question to answer, when I was a child I could never believe that I could become a nice musician, especially because everything was out of reach for me but I think when MIDI happened, the electronic integration into music, then everything was possible and in your reach, see then if you have a computer then you could probably have a four-track rendering without having a musician and you can try out harmonies without having a musician and then you can experiment, that helped in shaping the musicality and creativity. Now, it’s like I have come full circle I am going in the reverse direction now, I have learned through MIDI and going back to orchestral music.
You once mentioned before, that after Roja you thought you would not be able to deliver continuously and that it prompted you to learn music formally, how so?
It happens when you set a standard and you repeatedly want to reach those same high goals, it’s difficult and it pushes you to do well but it’s difficult to actually carry on doing it because you become hollow and things don’t happen you know. At that time my personal standards were very high and I was trying to reach them frequently it was really difficult for me, it was like torture for me when I had to do a new movie, trying to think of different things, new things, I became very choosy even with my lyrics and sounds.
Surely, the pressure that you had with every passing album was growing, how did you handle it?
I had loads of people bitching around, people bitching about me, Oh he takes too much time, he goes here and there, you will get your music late, but all these things helped me build more records, which I am using now in my concerts, all the hard work then basically pays now you know. It still works, thank god for that.
What is the most important thing that your guru Karimullah Saheb taught you?
I think what he taught me, wasnt more so verbal knowledge but spiritual. Sometimes knowledge doesn’t have to be verbally acquired. Knowledge or blessings doesn’t always come verbally or physically, they came to me spiritually also. Karimullah saheb saw a sight of my future at that time and told my mother I see you guys going around the world, I see you guys becoming known. The studio he laid the first stone for Panchathan became world famous, he foresaw all that at that time. He had a vision right before his death actually.
Has religion helped you musically?
Actually, to do music, you must have a stable mind and to have a stable mind, you need practice, you need a way of life I think I learned most of my stuff from a book that had information from the Holy Quran, Hadis and teachings of Imam Ghazali, the information contained has answers to everything from bachelorhood, marriage, children, music, lyrics, so whenever I have doubts about something I refer to that.
How was it to compose music for the President of India?
It’s good that we have a president whom children like and whatever he writes to make sense, so when he called me and wanted me to do this, even despite being very busy I set aside extra time to do this. It worked and that makes me very happy, the kids loved it. Some kids also danced to it. It was a pleasing experience.
Andrew Lloyd Webber wants you to compose for an Opera, any possibility of that happening in the future?
Anything is possible I guess. But I would have to be pushed into it like I was pushed into the CBSO thing (laughs).
But the concert at CBSO turned out ok?
Yeah, I guess.
Did you dread it at the start?
No! I had worked with the Prague orchestra before for Warriors of Heaven and Earth, which gave me a little confidence to be able to pull it off.
Is any other orchestral work happening besides the 2nd CBSO gig?
Yeah, I will be in Prague shortly for some pieces to be recorded for Netaji.
Piracy! Well, its a huge and complicated issue for an artist. Don’t you feel that the poor marketing and distribution of music is one of the major contributing factors in this ever-growing area? Your fans are loyal and go out and buy your CDs generally but, they are desperate for your music too, for example, Tamil albums, don’t have a wide release, so people then use sources such as the net, in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh our only source to hear your music is piracy, what do you think can be done?
We are looking into it actually. We are aware of the problem and the issues involved. And also films, some of them are interesting and some of them are really boring and then it’s not worth the effort because you work so hard and it’s done so amateurishly that the extra effort to market and distribute it is of no use. Distribution of CDs should be done in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan because people like Indian music in these countries. There is a market.
Is anything coming out in Bengali soon for your Bangladeshi fans to look forward to?
In Bengali, maybe! Subhash Chandra Bose is coming. There is a Bengali track in there called Ekla Cholo Re!
Do you think the job of a music director is taken for granted in India see there has been a recent trend where movies have been moving away from songs like Ram Gopal Vermas Movies what do you think?
It’s good actually, instead of torturing people without any passion. If you have to do film songs, you need to do it with a degree of passion and everything should work. It shouldn’t be like, ok now we need a cabaret number, let’s have this and that, it shouldn’t be like that.
What type of music do you like?
Anything which is good. (Smiles)
Who are your musical idols? Whose music does A.R. Rahman like?
There are so many, so many, life is full of learning, there must be like 10,000 (laughs).
We have heard you have a new sound engineer and is he working already with you? And how far has the new studio progressed? Hiring new talent?
I have, he is actually a trainee assistant sound engineer. He is working already with me. The new studio will be complete as soon as I get some more money (laughs). It’s going to open god willing in about another 5-6 months.
Last but not least any messages for your fans?
Any message, (thinks deeply). I don’t know! Umm, Stop TB (Laughs).
