GIRLS, HOLD
YOUR HEARTS!
YUMMY KARTHI
IN THE HOUSE
FUNRAISERS!
COMEDIENNES OF THE
YESTERYEARS
DIVA IN THE
MAKING
ANJALI RAJGOPAL
BOXING GLOVES
- GORGEOUS STARLETS
TURN ACTION CHICKS
AR RAHMAN
THE GOLDEN
MAN BRINGING HOME OSCAR GLORY
ARR’S QUOTES ON THE HONOUR
- AN EXCLUSIVE!
THROUGH THE EYES OF ASHANTI
- THE TRI-NATIONAL WRITER’S STORY ON ARR
AWARDS FEVER
- A PHOTOBOOK
FRIENDSHIP, ASSOCIATION, EXPERIENCE
- T. SELVAKUMAR ON BEING ARR’S BUDDY AND PARTNER
PHOTOGRAPHY: G. VENKET RAM PICS COURTESY: ‘S’ MAGAZINE, SATHYAM CINEMAS
COOL STUFF
GOD SPEAKS!
We were saving this great man’s gyan for a time like
this, a time when he has shown the world that he is
among the planet’s bests when it comes to making
music. It is understandable that we were literally dying ng
to hear what double Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman’s take ke
on technology is...
“Apple products are definitely cooler than any others,” s,”
he says, while talking of friend and colleague
T. Selvakumar’s Apple and Steinberg training centre,
Audio Media Inc. In our own conversations with ARR,,
we found out that he is a lover of technology. With the he
help of his close friends, he researches, tries out andd
buys equipment, software and technology like no onee
else in the industry. (Which is probably why he has the he
finest recording studio in the country!) “I use a lot off
technology, be it in my recordings or in processing my
music. And why not?! This is the age when we imbibee
traditional elements like voices, instruments and
mood into music that is ultimately, digitally mixed andnd
mastered beauty lies in the ears of the listener!” True. e.
Thus, A.R. Rahman’s studios house only Mac products, ts,
from wide screens to editing software to plugins. Wee
can’t think of a better ambassador for Apple products! ts!
Gen
M U SI
E T
N X Stuff
XT R E M E COOL
Ok. We can give you a whole bunch of o the usual pitch of how good this very cool phone is:
It’s got amazing stereo speakers, so even a hands-free experience is superb. It has a built-in 2mpx camera
which zooms to 2.5mpx and has some impressive imagery features like photo fix and picture blogging
and more. The phone has Bluetooth 2ADC stereo and the music player plays MP3s as well as AACs and
has TrackID and PlayNow technology. Add to this, some cool everyday stuff like complete web browsing
technology, 10MB memory in the phone with a compatibility of up to 4GB on external memory disk.
But the hottest thing to do today is not a great utilitarian phone, but a phone that is equipped for motion
gaming. Yes, move the phone around as if it were a Wii dock and you’re all set for some virtual thrills
with mobile gaming. The Sony Ericsson F305 comes with 11 pre-loaded games. On the gaming list are
everything from sport to adventure to thrills, like Bowling, Bass fishing, Jockey, Johnny Crash™ Stuntman
Does Texas, Tropical Madness™, Racing Fever™ GT, The Sims™ 2, Jewel Quest™ 2, Lumines™, Asteroids™
and Quadrapop™ Robotics.
Didn’t we say it was cracking technology right around the corner from your home? Well, it is. And that
just adds to the xtreeeeeem coolness of this gadget.
(The Sony Ericsson F305 is available at Univercell Mobile Showrooms across the region. Price on request.
Univercell, you mobile expert.)
SIMPLY
THE BEST A.R. RAHMAN
THE YOUNG MAESTRO SPEAKS OUT MUSIC, LOVE
AND THE AWARDS FEVER
It is unimaginable how down to earth, intelligent and sensitive a man of such superstardom
could be. But AR is all of that and he makes you believe that music, love for people and
an innate spirituality truly make this man; and make him so great, says SHAKTHI GIRISH, who
recounts her conversation with him and words from the heart of this young super-achiever.
The Oscars have brought me great respect and my family and country great happiness and honour. I am
thankful for that. But one of the most important things all these awards have brought me (and us) is the
number of avenues opening up for international collaboration and greater realms of making music. A
while ago, it was not very easy to work with music stars from different cultures - they wouldn’t even have
the time to look at an appointment - but now, they are calling us, they are exposed to our culture. It is a
boon for passionate musicians like me.
It would be childish to try and choose between albums and talk about whether the Slumdog soundtrack
is better than the others and therefore worth winning an Oscar for. It is not the music alone or any other
technical aspect, it is how each part of the movie contributes to the entire movie itself. The essence and
message of Slumdog Millionaire is hope, optimism and love; qualities I myself have chosen in my life.
These Oscars are my babies; like two babies I have carried back home all the way from Los Angeles! But
winning them made me a little poetic and sentimental (or is a better word, philosophical?). Which is probably
why all that stuff about my mother, God and family came out of my mouth! But it’s the truth...
1998-2002: His first 2002-04: Non-Indian 2005-07: Time for 2008-2009: This was the
crossover film was Deepa shores beckon - music technology and paral- time for some of his best
Mehta’s Fire in 1998. for the Chinese movie lel cinema. AM studios works - Jodha Akbar,
Then came Dil Se, di- Warriors of Heaven and came into being in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na,
rected by Mani Ratnam Earth, with Andrew 2006, as did his music Ghajini and Slumdog
and starring SRK. 1999 Lloyd Webber for the label KM Musiq. Rang Millionaire for Train-
saw Subhash Ghai’s Taal West End show Bom- De Basanti topped spotting-fame Danny
but it was Lagaan (2001) bay Dreams and with charts, Deepa Mehta’s Boyle. What started as
that fetched ARR his a Finnish band for the Water, Jag Mundhra’s a BG score, ended up
first National Award for BG score of Lord of the Provoked and Shekhar as an album and movie
a Hindi movie. Beauti- Rings. Plus, he gets his Kapur’s Elizabeth: The that won Golden Globes,
ful Alaipayuthey (Mani 4th National Award for Golden Age. Golden BAFTAs and of course,
again) came in 2002. Kannathil Muthamittal. years for him indeed! the precious Oscars.
MOMENTS OF GLORY
09
ARS - 20
THE OSC
AT THE
BAFTA
AWAR
DS - 20
ROUND & ABOUT
WORDS OF PRAISE
?!
- MANAGER, BUDDY
I know AR since the time we used to
play music together. It is a matter of
great pride, affection and nostalgia to Did you know? Just before
see how he has ‘arrived’. His energy is ARR was to return to India, our
limitless and for people who are close ancient entry rules posed a
SINGER CHINMAYI to him and understand him, there is no
problem and as per duty-free
better place to work!
He wants us to use our own alllowances, ARR would have
skills and do what we want at had to pay the price of one
the mike. But he cleverly guides
us in our own way into his ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER more Oscar statuette as duty
direction, thereby achieving the - FILMMAKER for his honour, as well as tax on
sound he wants! Which means, any cash award given... that is,
while we’re getting our song He is one of the most versatile music
until former Finance Minister
piece right, he is thinking of composers I know. I would be so proud if
its nuances in the entire score, I am known more for having introduced P. Chidambaram intervened
the big picture! He is a good him to the Western cinematic world than and recommended a waiver.
musician and a great guru! through any of my other work! Wha-aat?!
Friends, mentors, loyalists - Mani Rat- This is how it all began - the keyboard that became his The wisdom of Kavignar Vaali
nam and poet Vaali passion and vehicle for his exceptional tunes
ARR, who has the whole world grooving to his tunes, shouting out Jai Ho, started out as the keyboardist and programmer
for several legendary Indian musicians. The Punnagai Mannan theme music, that still rings in your ears and on your
moblie phones, is probably one of the early hints ARR gave us that he would soon thunder onto the cine scene. He was
for a long time, a shy musical genius and two Oscars later he has metamorphosised into a more extroverted guy, with
witticisms fast coming in. From Ilayaraja to M.S. Vishwanathan, Chitra to Sadanasargam, Vairamuthu to Vaali, everyone
he’s worked with were awed by the young hardworking Dileep, that’s whom they knew then. And now the world looks up
at him, his music and his humility in complete awe. There shall alway be naysayers, who choose to be deaf to his notes,
but may they all take note, that he has never been touched by their jibes, especially now with the world tuned into him!
GALATTA CINEMA | MARCH 2009 41
THE VISION OF ARR
My relat
relationship with ARR Subsequently, we developed a strong business relationship
goes back
bac to 1994; I used to with Apple Computers, and got in video and visual
be a Rh
Rhythm Programmer technology markets as well, In August 2003, I attended the
for Raj Koti, for whom Apple Pro Training in Singapore, became India’s first Apple-
ARR was w the main Certified Trainer for Apple Final Cut Pro Video editing
Keyboard
Keybo Programmer. I software and started Audio Media Education, which is
hail fro
from Madurai, where India’s first and only Apple Certified Training Center to offer
I did m my schooling in Apple Certified Courses for FCP Editing, Shake for Visual
TVS L Lakshmi Higher effects and Logic Pro for Music Production. I also worked
Secondary
Secon School and as Software Beta tester for Apple Final Cut Pro and Cinema
a Bachelor’s
Bac Degree Tools, for Steinberg for Nuendo. I have also designed and
in MMusic at Sathguru produced the Indian Samples and Styles for Yamaha’s latest
Sangeetha
Sang Vidyalaya, Indian Keyboard I 425.
then came to Chennai
in 1
1986 to start my KM Music Conservatory, A.R. Rahman’s dream, is now a
career
car as a musician. reality. It started in the last week of December 2007, when I
I have
hav done over 18 met ARR at his A.M. Studio to discuss our favourite subject –
albums for HMV, consisting of 5 volumes of music technology. He was just asking me how my school was
the then-famous Ulavum Thendral Series (remixes of old doing; I said that it was the best thing that ever happened to
Tamil hits), Nila Nila Odi Vaa (Tamil Nursery rhyme project) me. Then he talked about his long-cherished dream to start a
with Mrs. Latha Rajinikanth and also did a pop album for Music School in Chennai.
Shalini. In 1993, I stated Audio Media, one of the earliest We jointly decided that ARR will start a Music School and
hard disk recording studios. In 1997, we started Audio his students will learn Music Technology at Audio Media
Media Inc.; this company was the first distributor in India Education. We invited some experts in to get their opinions
for Steinberg, the company which made the Cubase VST and to start a Music Conservatory in Chennai; most of them
Nuendo software, and we got in the business of setting up said it would take at least two years to set up such a project.
audio studios for musicians and music Directors. Knowing ARR well enough over the years, I knew if he
wants something, he wants it NOW and will not wait for two
This is when I started a strong rapport with ARR, a music years. So he asked if I could head the school as its Managing
technology wizard. We used to spend hours together Director and start the school in time for the next academic
discussing technology. As a seller of music software and year (June 2008).
hardware, I travel all round the globe to tie up distribution for
the latest music technology software and ARR used to be the The six month-period from January to June was an
first user of all my products. unforgettable experience in my life. Initially, we did not have
any other faculty or staff. It was just two of us, we spent industry professionals. From the start of this year, we had
sleepless nights trying to figure out a school that would fulfil workshops by veteran musicians like Dr. L. Subramaniyan,
our vision and at the same time give students an unforgettable Selva Ganesh, Rajesh Vaidhya, playback singer Hariharan,
music education. Leslie Lewis, Kalz Broyl from USA (Han Zimmer’s Keyboard
This is a period where I had to shut myself from all activities; Programmer).
I even had to forget about my own company Audio Media.
ARR and I used to meet, usually late at night, to discuss our At KMMC, the students undergo music training in both
vision of the school. Western and Indian Music, as well as intensive music
technology training. The idea behind this is that today, in this
We revealed the idea with our first press release on Jan 6th competitive digital world, every musician, whether a singer,
2008, his birthday. violinist or a pianist, needs to have strong Music Technology
The most unforgettable experience was producing our background. So we offer the best of both worlds to students
KMMC promo video. First we had several versions, but ARR so every student always has a fallback plan. There is a great
was not satisfied with any of them. So he was personally demand for Music Producers in today’s industry; today’s
present for over eight hours to finalize the video edit. Then Audio Engineer has to be a good musician to be successful.
came the sound; he was not satisfied till he was convinced When ever I go to ARR’s Panchatan studio, I see hundreds of
that it sounded good. So we got our promo video ready at CDs lying around, which are demos sent by aspiring playback
6 a.m. on the day of the press conference. Both of us had singers from all over the world. Unfortunately, he does not
to arrange everything from cars for the members of the have time to listen to all of them, but every month, he listens
Advisory Board (Mr. Ghulam Ali Mustafa Khan and Mr. L. to all our KM student performances which alone is a rare
Subramaniyam) to arranging for food and beverages for the privilege for aspiring singers and musician. If ARR spots
press. We finally landed in the hall as zombies, as we had not talent, he does not hesitate to use them immediately.
slept for 48 hours to get everything in place. The vision of KM Music Conservatory is to make ARR’s
dream a reality in having an orchestra with our own students.
We finally did it! We had over 500 applicants, of which we We are working towards that dream and it will soon be a
auditioned and selected 40 students for the full-time music reality. You can find out more on KMMC and Audio Media
foundation programme and 60 Students for the part time Education at www.kmmc.in and www.audiomedia.in
preparatory programme and opened the school in July 2008.
Our first International faculty was Mr. Joshua Pullock,
an American citizen from London, who has a Master’s
degree in Violin. Through him, we got in touch with Robertt
Koolsra from the Netherlands for Harpsichord and Piano,
Shata Elinboggen for Viola from Canada and Edith Martin
for Cello from Scotland.
Through ARR’s friend Mr. Srinivas Krishnan, we found
Michale for Percussion and Alison for Harp and Music
Theory from USA. We also got Ms. Kavitha Baliga from
USA through ARR’s old musician friend Mr. Guitar
Prasanna. If you go to our site, www.kmmc.in, you can get et
all your info on the school and its people.
I’ve caught many glimpses of ARR, as he’s fondly known to his legion of
fans around the world. Every meeting is like a divine blessing – he fills the
room with energy, positive vibes, goodwill, compassion and humour.
It is not just his spirituality which sets him apart; he is genuinely a special
human being – he is one of those few who totally surrender to their
spiritual teachers, allowing their hubris to be removed while spreading the
word of love as opposed to hate. He is also somewhat a chosen one, a man
sent to educate, build and even work towards eradicating poverty.
While making one incredibly comfortable in the studio, having the patience
of a saint and pushing singers and instrumentalists to find their ultimate
limits, ARR always worked to create a unique sound. Once the belief that
extraordinary things can be achieved is imbibed in one, incredible sounds
can be produced. Allowing musicians the freedom to express themselves
(and thus become a part of the music intrinsically) makes his music
appealing even to the most untrained of ears. Thus his fan base grows with
the African listener embracing songs like ‘Minsara Kanna’ from Padayappa
LONDON WITH ARR BY ASHANTI
ASHANTI OMKAR is a writer
and lover of music. In her
and ‘Marghazhi Thingal’ from Sangamam while the Americans dance to years in the media field,
the sounds of ‘Jai Ho’. where she has written
for several online and
Sharing a story about recording every sound in the studio from a cough to offline publications, she
a laugh to a riyaaz (Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Jiya Jale’ from Dil Se) to a baby
crying (his niece, GV’s sister Bhavani, who cried in perfect pitch), he is
has interviewed and
never afraid to then mix and use unusual sounds in moulding songs. Every done stories on several
time one hears a song of his, something new can be gleaned – a factor international celebrities.
many of his fans rave about. However complex the track, he gives it an She is of Sri Lankan birth,
edge that allows the regular listener to glean and enjoy the beat, the melody now Londoner, almost-
or the brand new voice they have been presented with. He also innovated
by crediting musicians on his CD covers and also following the Western
Indian and definitely
model in terms of music copyrights. global in outlook. WIth her
husband, photographer
Working with international musicians like Andrew Lloyd Webber, M.I.A., AKIN AWORAN, she
Kylie Minogue, Vanessa Mae, Värttinä, Christopher Nightingale, Craig breathes freshness into
Armstrong, Reena Bhardwaj and also finding and building an international
team has been one of A.R. Rahman’s divine foresights. From his London-
her stories, with intriguing
based lawyer Simon Long to his Los Angeles-based agent Sam Schwartz, angles, a personal touch
he has made the best decisions which are not normally monetary-based. and Akin’s fabulous visuals.
Especially in the case of Slumdog Millionaire – his Oscar winning work – Ashanti has known ARR for
he chased the dream of producing his best; his work ethic, which is second years and here are Akin’s
to none, meant that God showered him with accolades.
and her words on their
I recollect watching the Hindi film Taal (By Subash Ghai, starring friendship with
Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna) with Andrew Lloyd Webber, his wife A.R. Rahman...
Madeline, A. Sivamani and his wife Krashani. Andrew sat next to me and
constantly proclaimed A.R. Rahman’s genius during the background music
and songs as he was working on Bombay Dreams. Andrew also recounted
a story of Shekhar Kapur giving him hundreds of Indian music tracks
and how Andrew consistently picked A.R. Rahman’s works, thus leading
to Bombay Dreams happening. It changed the UK’s view on all things
Indian; thus in Central London cinemas today, Tamil and Hindi films can
be watched alongside Hollywood films, consistently topping the box office
charts.
5
With a whopping 5 lakh+ members, this
OVER
500,000
ARR community on Orkut is probably
the single largest on the Internet. Group
members here are of all ages, with Rah-
MEMBERS man being their common god. Many of
them are also members of other groups,
WHO’S IN IT: some almost as large as well (from 200
DIE-HARD to 2 lakh members). The Rahman up-
RAHMANIACS dates on this forum are sometimes even
THE WORLD OVER! faster than the official site!
GALATTA COMMUNITY
Started way back in 1999 by a young The Communities section
n on Galatta.com is but a few months old,
man named Gopal Sreenivasan (he of but here too A.R. Rahman has several growing communities!
the courteous, soft-spoken demeanour
and absolute faith in the music of ARR),
this Yahoogroups community was one
of the first ever officially endorsed fans-
pace for A.R. Rahman. Now numbering
nearly 15,000 dedicated members who
enjoy getting together online to talk
R
Rahman shop, this group also has the
u
unique honour of being recognised and
YAHOOGROUPS