The interview which appears below, was originally published on Rave India in October 2008. ©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.
There is no greater achievement for an artist than having their name become synonymous with the art form they represent. For someone like A.R. Rahman, it is needless to give an introduction. Once face-to-face with the expert, it is very difficult to fathom what’s going on in his mind. The calm gleam in his eyes reflects his deep and wide attention span and could be a little uncomfortable but for his cherubic giggles and smiles. Rahman’s appearances in the media (which are scant and selective anyway) have repeatedly reinforced his introvert nature time and again. But we coaxed him to talk about his music, new ideas, and certain issues in the music industry, to which his curt replies spoke volumes about his mind!
I gently asked him why it’s been quite some time since we’ve heard a smash hit from him.
“I guess everyone has his moments of inspiration and it all comes from God,” he answers softly in his subtle monotone. “All music comes from God. All that mortals like us possess are feelings and perceptions which are like a plate. So it’s up to you whether you want to put amrit into that plate or poison,” he adds. Settling a new trend is a natural process but it is also something that involves a deep perception about music and what’s going on around.
“For Rahman, it has always been about trying to find out a void and trying to fill it up. During Roja, which brought me to the limelight, I felt that the main things lacking in the music industry were good lyrics, good melody, and a fantastic presentation. I think the process is basically to continuously see what is happening, what is not there, and what you can give to make a difference.”
Rahman expresses his concern about the current situation in the industry too, which led to his forming the KM Conservatory of Music, the first conservatory of music in India teaching Western classical music apart from the nuances of studio and non-studio sound technology.
“Right now, with my father’s generation gradually waning away, there is this great vacuum of good instrumentalists in the industry. You will rarely find a young violin or a trumpet player these days which was not the case with my father’s generation of musicians.”
Earlier during the first part of his career when he first shot to fame during the early 90s, both South Indian and Hindi movies like Duet, Hello Brother, Kaadalan, Gentleman, etc. saw a greater emphasis on using some of the front-ranking vocalists like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Chitra, SP Balasubramaniam, and the like. This beautiful balance of traditional melody woven into beautiful compositions with the right amount and seamless blending of Western sounds pushed Rahman to a new height in the industry besides bringing in an all-new and trendy sound and creating a niche for him that set him apart from everyone else in the industry.
The number “Mukkala Mukabla” from Kaadalan, which was later dubbed into its Hindi version, was indiscriminately replicated into at least 10 other versions in various albums. The track almost became a trend in itself in the music industry. It wasn’t long after this that the new realization of the lack of orchestrated classical Western symphonic sounds in Indian music dawned upon him in this new sound of mainly vocal orchestration that bore fruition with many Tamil flicks like Thiruda Thiruda (Chor Chor in Hindi). “Raasaathi,” a track from the same movie, was a fresh sound with a total orchestrated Western classical vocal range of bass, baritone, lead, and tenor and brought in a new layer of sound into the Indian music industry. The same movie had another number, “Chandralekha,” rendered by Anupama, one of Rahman’s discoveries, which came with a fresh sound of authentic heavy-metal for the first time in Indian film music.
Another beautiful but rarely recalled album with an exemplary blending of Western classical philharmonic sounds is Vishwa Vinayaka, where beautiful songs are rendered by ace vocalists like Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, and others.
Experimentations were aplenty at that time but Rahman did not stick to any particular style. The tryst with classical philharmonic sounds continued with Rahman’s exposure to more Western music. “Western music, musicals and movies were a diversion which kind of gratified my quest also. That is the time when Warriors happened,” he explains. In fact, Rahman points out that this diversion also led him away from thinking about his own album. “Yes, it is high time I do a personal album. Actually, my first one (Vande Mataram) was such a huge success that anything else that I do will always be compared to that,” he confides cheekily. “Post Vande Mataram, I was looking into a totally different direction as regards a personal album but there were movies ahead of them. I will maybe come up with something in the next two years.”
Although Rahman consistently kept mum about the new sound that is doing the rounds in his mind presently, he did not waver from dropping hints about it. Responding to a new release of Indian classical instrumental music that was playing in the background, he began humming along with it using a counterpart to a part in Raag Purdhaneshware that was being rendered on the sitar. According to him, the improvisational quality of Indian classical musicians comes with a disadvantage if it comes to making them play together. “If say twelve Indian classical musicians are made to sit on stage and play together, if each one is allowed to improvise, then the music will sound more like a cacophony. On the other hand, if the music is written down and all instruments are orchestrated together, it would sound magnificent and fresh as well,” he says. In fact, one of the goals of his KM Conservatory of Music, he says, is also to teach Indian classical musicians orchestral and studio music. “It is such a dire need for Indian musicians that can enable them to play in Hollywood movies or even Western philharmonic orchestras and musicians and avoid staying different.”
Talking about some of his most popular tunes, Rahman reveals, “Airtel never fails to cross our mind,” and tells us a startling fact about this tune which has been unanimously declared the most popular tune for the next ten years.
“There are some things which are destined to become very popular even though we did not plan anything and this is one of them.” Strangely enough, the Airtel tune was not something that was thought to compose. “I was flooded with commitments around the time that this jingle had to be ready and stumbled upon this one which I thought could be a fantastic tune and I immediately played it to Rajeev Menon (ad filmmaker and cinematographer) who agreed to it!” he chuckles. “Then, of course, we developed it and it is the first ad film which has so many different genres of music in it.”
If one notices, one will find that Rahman’s most popular numbers have a melancholic strain throughout. To this he reacts thoughtfully,
“Music without melancholy does not have any longevity. We all have compassion in our hearts; some of us lock it inside and don’t show it out, most of us want to. I will maybe also because I am basically a melancholic person!”
So who according to the maestro is the next one to watch out in Bollywood music?
“It could be anyone,” he answers quite plaintively. “The need for music is so high in the world, anyone who fills up this void can become the next big music director.”
When asked about the most talented singers of the present crop, he says,
“The most popular singers of the recent past are of course women – Lata Ji, Asha Ji, etc. But in the case of music direction, I think Indian women are conservative, of course, in a positive way, so getting into music direction is a transition that has to happen gradually, not suddenly. Look at the acting scenario, things have opened up big time with regards to women. I think proper training will help women music directors handle all kinds of situations; a carefully cut project comes from him.” He points out the transition informing us that his sister Kehaaha is also a music director in the South Indian film industry.
A.R. Rahman trained with his father on the harmonium since he was a kid. His father also showed him the path of understanding film music. Besides, he has also learned how to sing Qawwali from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in ‘96. “I allow myself to evolve and never restrict myself to what is good, what is bad,” he informs.
Before we wind up the conversation, I had to ask him one pertinent question which was to know what he assumed to be the most satisfying part of his foundation.
“Lack of understanding,” he says emphatically. “No one in this world would be happy to see others suffer. I think there is an understanding of each other’s thoughts and sorrows, and if all of us can work together in making each other’s lives better, God is there,” A.R. Rahman concludes.
So what drives him to do anything or think anything to this?
“Yes, the foundation is also into many arts and activities, for the alleviation of poverty. We are tying up with a perfume company, producing exotically,” he says. “In return, the proceeds with other works will go to people and many other things. Most of the activities are in a proper sequel and they are helping lots of underprivileged students, taking them to the next level with all air-conditioned dormitory, to take rest.”
