A.R. Rahman inks with UMPG

A.R. Rahman, the singer-composer who walked away with two Oscars for his song and score work in "Slumdog Millionaire," has inked an exclusive, worldwide publishing pact, excluding India, with Universal Music Publishing Group.

The deal with Rahman -- whose Indian credits exceed 100 films and whose pic scores and soundtracks have sold more than 100 millions units worldwide -- includes large portions of his catalog as well as new music. Rights to the "Slumdog" music will be included in the UMPG deal.

"That fact that he is a two-time Oscar winner has really elevated his visibility and notoriety globally," David Renzer, chairman and CEO of UMPG, told Daily Variety.

The Rahman deal, Renzer said, fits the company's strategy of film and television music being "one of the key areas that we are focused on."

Rahman, who previously did not have an overall publishing deal, is finishing the music for Universal's "Couples Retreat," starring Vince Vaughn, and will soon be going into the studio with producer Jimmy Iovine, chairman of UMG label Interscope Geffen A&M Records, to create the music for an album featuring guest vocalists.

Rehman is Lord of the Rings

If sources are to be believed, renowned music composer A R Rehman will be going to London for the music launch of a play called Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings is a play adapted by the same Oscar award winning film. Rehman has done the entire score of this play.

It is also believed that Rehman has approached Universal Music Company to release his album of Lord of the Rings . We spoke to Sunil D’Sa, Managing Director Sales, Universal Music who confirmed the news saying, “Yes Rehman is in talks with Universal to release the music of his LOTR album. But nothing has been finalized as yet.”


However our source informs us that the music launch will be in London and Rehman will be leaving for it in the last week of February.

Rehman who composed for Shekhar Kapoor’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age , is open to other Hollywood projects as well. He had earlier composed for the Broadway musical Bombay Dreams . His chartbuster composition Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se was used as the end credits for Denzil Washington’s film Inside Man .

Here’s to another Global Indian .

Courtesy: Indiatimes.com