15 part series needs lots of research and making notes etc. and this music blog is going to get cooler …. so please bear with me for 2-3 more days …. In the meantime let me share 15 ARR fundas that I learnt during this interview –
1. Though born in southern India, A R Rahman has a soft corner for Hindustani classical music … rags like Desh, Darbari, Kaafi are his favourites
2. In western classical music … many have asked for his favourite tracks …. I dont know that but I can name his favourite composers …. Bartok, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Handel, Janacek
3. On being asked his reaction on ‘Mozart of Madras’ tag …. he says … I dont do such complex stuff … but by god’s grace i have a musical individuality …. that has come from my dad’s blood
4. He feels bad that fans of ARR, Raaja sir, MSV fans …. fight a lot on the web … he feels that is not proper and they all three share a great rapport
5. learning music is very very important … ARR says you may even use just 2-3 percent of your musical acumen in a song … but it is still critical ….. it is also important not to push jazzy chords to show off and stay true to the character of the song
6. When he came …. all other composers were trying to imitate IR sir trying to get better … but ARR believed …. you have to be unique and break the mould …. that is the only way you can even think of matching IR’s success
7. Roja was composed amidst power cuts and many times they had to wait to be able to start their recording system again
8. Being a great keyboard player impacted his compositional structure in a big big way …. ARR feels he is making conscious decision to move away from this …. off late we have seen so many guitar based songs from the maestro
9. ARR the background music composer (Director Shankar’s experience) first he comes up with scratch tunes … many of them … I select a few of them …. then he goes back to the studio and adds hundreds of layers and weaves his magic … at times you wonder whether your visuals will match the potential of grandness of his music
10. Singer Unnikrishnan – I have always sung on tracks ….ARR works reverse also …. many times he has just given me a shruti and asked me to sing …. and when you come out he is playing on keyboard and goes on adding background pieces …
11. Keith Peters …. Bass guitar comes with a feel …. composers like Ilaiyaraja used to compose bass section and ask us to play …. but till date I have never seen ARR with staff paper in his hand … he says …. listen and play the way you want
12. Adam Rapa who played trumpet in Tu Bole … is a New York based brass player …. He was actually recording scores for Jodha Akbar …. recording finished and he was heading to the airport … ARR called him back to play Tu Bole for Jaane Tu yaa Jaane Naa
13. In young days … especially times when he used to play with various bands …. Masala Dosai used to be his favourite grab
14. Whenever ARR travels he buys lots of ethnic instruments for his musicians …. he has bought Armenian Duduk and Pakistani Shehnai for P M K Naveen Kumar
15. ARR is well known for his sound design and mastery with samples …. but he says beyond a point it is no fun to compose music that cannot be sung, or performed on an instrument …. he feels most satisfied to compose something that can rock in a live concert ….
So with this starter …. I will be back with main course in a day or two
thanks again …. waiting for your feedback