The interview which appears below, was originally published on Times of India in February 2009. ©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.
For viewers across the world watching the 81st Academy Awards on television on Monday morning (IST), one of the high points was the rousing rendition of ‘Jai Ho’. As the plush interiors of Kodak theatre reverberated with the sound of Rahman’s Jai Ho, old-timers in his hometown reminisced about the shy, gawky teenager who used to jam with bands at cocktail parties, friends’ weddings and universities.
“Bro was very shy. He never hung around after a performance. He would leave for home as soon the concert was done,” recollects ace drummer A. Sivamani, who was part of Roots, the first band that Rahman was a part of.
The mid-eighties, during which Roots performed (1984-1988), was also a time by which Rahman aka Dilip had converted to Islam. Band member John Anthony says, “There were various religious motifs on his instruments. I remember seeing the number 786, holy to all Muslims, and pictures of Mecca stuck on his DX7 Yamaha keyboard.”
With Roots, an all instrument band comprising Sivamani, John Anthony, Raja and the late Jojo, Rahman created a brand of world music that was strongly influenced by Jazz maestros like Chick Correa and Indian classical music.
“The world needs to listen to what Rahman composed for Roots. It was so fresh and international even for those days,” says John. “It’s unfortunate that the world only knows Rahman as a composer, not performer,” he adds.
Apart from Roots, which regrouped into a band called Magic for a single performance at the famed Music Academy in Chennai, Rahman also played with another band Myth.
Rehearsals and jam sessions were not without their own dose of fun. “AR’s mother was a fabulous cook. Every session was accompanied with her samosas and fried fish,” says Sivamani. “Once school was over, AR and I would often head to a VHS store. We both had a weakness for action flicks,” he adds.
Slowly, but surely, the quiet little composer who was leaving peers awed by his talent, started composing for advertisements. What followed were jingles hummed to addictively by the masses. Around this time, another rock band Nemesis Avenue (NA) also approached Rahman to be its producer-arranger.
Lead guitarist of NA, Sudhin Prabhakar, jokes about their first rendezvous. “Rahman had already begun work on Roja. He was considering quitting the ad scene and plunging into films full time. This is when we approached him and said, ‘Look, we are already a popular band that has toured the country. There are too many big names in the music industry to compete with. Join us,'” recalls Sudhin with a grin.
Though Rahman collaborated with NA for an album and performed with them just once, post Roja, the little maestro was sucked into the film music industry that was yearning to hear something new and original; different from what was produced inside the studios of Kodambakkam, hub of the Tamil industry.
“And Rahman more than delivered,” says Paul Jacobs, bass guitarist with NA. “Music is a journey for Rahman and ever since we’ve known him, he has always tried to reach the highest point of it. This is why his music, especially in films like Rang De Basanti or in albums like Vande Mataram move you. They show you his commitment towards humanity,” sums up Jacobs.
