Rahman’s concert a great success

The Member of Parliament and Chairperson of Keraleeyam (an NGO based in Kerala) PV Abdul Wahab, revealed that the Oscar winner AR Rahman was paid Rs. 1.5 crores for the Jai Ho show in Kerala. He added that a string of such shows, 39 shows to be precise, will be conducted around the world and the next musical extravaganza will be held in Abu Dhabi.

The recent show in Kerala garnered a total profit of Rs. 7 crores. The amount, as declared earlier, will be used for the rehabilitation of the HIV-affected children. While 450 HIV-positive children are receiving financial assistance worth Rs. 15000 now, the proceeds from the music show will help about 1000 children benefit, stated Mr. Wahab. Rahman has also decided to donate a part of his earnings for the cause, it is said.

Courtesy : behindwoods.com

AR Rahman’s concert in Kerala

The Kerala State Government honored the Oscar winner music director AR Rahman with a memento at the Kadavu Resorts in Kerala yesterday (May 3rd, 2009). The honor was done just hours before the Mozart of Madras was due to perform at the Jai Ho concert. The event was well attended by the State Ministers, politicians, bureaucrats and the film personalities.

Hours later, AR Rahman was at the Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode enthralling the 50,000-odd audience. The Jai Ho concert, which went on for more than four hours, had the audiences applauding their idol all through. A host of singer including Chithra, Sadhana Sargam, Hariharan, Muhammed Aslam, Sayanora, George Peter Benny Dayal, Rashid Ali and Javed Ali were part of the concert crooning for AR Rahman's tunes.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rahman working with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone

Mick Jagger and Joss Stone have reportedly joined hands once again to compose sweet music, and this time they are being helped by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman [Images].

Their first collaboration occurred in 2004 on track Lonely Without You, for the soundtrack to the movie Alfie.

Their next songs are expected to be even more special, as they are said to have been working with Bob Marley's sons Damian and Stephen,  Rahman, and rapper NAS.

The duo's new album is expected to be issued on the UN's International Day Of Peace, September 21.

'Joss and Mick hit it off when they worked with producer Dave Stewart on the Alfie soundtrack, so were keen to collaborate again,' the Sun quoted a source as saying.

'When this project was suggested they were keen to get on board, especially considering the glittering cast of other musicians involved,' the source revealed.

The bass for the recordings is being played by musician Shiah Coore, who is currently said to be dating Joss

'Shiah was dating someone else when he met Joss, but their attraction was so strong he ended it with his previous partner. They have been seeing each other for three months now and things are going really well,' the source said.

The musicians are currently hard at work at the Los Angeles studio complex established by Muppets creator Jim Henson. 

U2 frontman BONO is also involved in the project, and has been recording separately with Damian.

Courtesy: rediff.com

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya songs online

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya has created a lot of expectations as the film
is being directed by ace director Gautham Menon. Also, VTV has
Silambarasan pairing up with Trisha and this youthful combination has
created a lot of publicity in Kollywood especially with the promo
stills that were out when the film was announced.

The film's shooting is progressing at a rapid pace. Like all the
much-hyped movies, which seem to be the trend these days, VTV's songs
have found its way to the internet. The two songs - En Nenjil and
Kanner Khadalane – are being widely circulated on the internet.
However, the VTV unit has strongly denied that the songs are lifted
from their film.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rahman Got A Japanese Tie-Up

The ace Indian Music composer AR Rahman will join hands with the
Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi for the music of film which is an
Indo-Japanese venture. The film stars Indian actors like Kamal Haasan
and Asin as well as Japanese actor Tadanobo Asano. The film shows that
martial arts are originated from India and not from Japan, as the myth
around the world is.

One source revealed, "Rahman, Bharat Bala (director) and some people
from Disney (producer of the film) met Joe Hisaishi in Tokyo on April
6 to discuss the film."

"Kamal was very keen to work with a Japanese actor after he met Jackie
Chan during the music release of Dasavtaram. This is a $50 million
project by Bharat Bala who will also be directing the film. Research
work on the martial art form is currently on," added the source.

Rahman and Bharat Bala are currently in Tokyo.

Courtesy: iexplorehere.com

TMS and A R Rahman

We will soon hear the legendary singer TM Soundarajan crooning for AR
Rahman's tunes. This was disclosed by TMS himself recently. The
84-year-old said that age has never been a barrier in his career and
he still maintains his voice. TMS also revealed that he practices very
well before entering the studios. The singer, however, refused to give
more details about the album in which he will be associated with the
Oscar winner.

It may be recalled that TMS is making a comeback after a very long
sabbatical in Valiban Suttrum Ulagam, which has M.S. Viswanathan
composing the tunes.

Courtesy: Behindwoods.com

Gautham’s covert parallel project

On track and on time, Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vinnai Thaandi Varuvayo is 70% over according to the industry buzz. Touted to be a romantic tale, VTV has Silambarasan and Trisha playing the lead with Rahman’s score. The movie also signifies the end of Gautham’s relationship with Harris Jayaraj, after the latter went official about the split.

Surprisingly, Gautham is also said to be working on a parallel project, a thriller. The as-yet-untitled flick will have his assistant Karthik donning the lead role and Sameera Reddy in a pivotal character. This is speculated to be inspired by a Hollywood flick. Last heard, the cast and crew are flying to Spain for the shoot schedules.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

The Hindi Boys and Rahman!

Banking on the success of Rahman’s Oscars and Genilia’s newfound stardom in Bollywood, the Shankar directed Boys is being dubbed in Hindi. Producer A M Ratnam, however, believes that Boys will create a ripple in Hindi too and that the chartbuster music will ensure the movie’s success.

Genilia’s success with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa has also served as a drive for Boys dubbing, in which she played the college-going Harini and was wooed by Munna, played by Siddharth.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

AR RAHMAN SET TO RECORD WITH FE-NIX

AR Rahman is all set to record with British girl band FE-NIX later this year.

The multi-million selling composer, who has won countless awards for his work on Slumdog Millionaire and Lord Of The Rings, is currently riding high in the charts with 'Jai Ho', a collaboration with The Pussycat Dolls. He reckons that Fe-Nix are Britain's answer to Nicole and co.

Record executives plan to break the girls into the Asian market as well as the UK, and news of AR's collaboration is sure to create a huge buzz across the globe.

He has already given the Pussycat Dolls one of their biggest hits to date. A spokesman for Fe-Nix added, "The girls are thrilled - they are all huge fans of his work."

"They already have endorsements with Apple Bottom Jeans and Lipsy, before their first single has even been released! We're confident they are going to be Britain's biggest breakthrough act of 2009."

AR Rahman joins legend Michael Jackson in support of Fe-Nix - the King Of Pop sent the girls a bouquet of flowers last month.

Fe-Nix release their debut single 'Lady Baby' on May 4th. The track has already hit number 1 in the club charts with spins on Radio 1, Capital and Choice.


Courtesy: bollyspice.com

Review: A R Rahman - a world of music

Music label: Sony Music
Rating - 3.5/5
With the multiplex strike still on and no new music releasing in the market; retail stores are stocking their shelves with compilations and non-film music.
Labels are also promoting their compilations and non film albums as there is a dearth of film music in the market. Explains Sony Music Marketing Director Sanujeet Bhujabal, “Owing to the lull in the entertainment sector, people will listen to music either from their favourite movies or their favourite artistes in these times. The time is perfect as we feel there is a vacuum of new content and there is an opportunity to create more such thematic compilations.”
Sony Music’s comprehensive compilation- ‘A R Rahman-a world of music’ (launched before the maestro won his Oscar) is an attempt by the music label to cash in on Rahman's moment of triumph.
The 5 CD + 1 DVD pack is reasonably priced at Rs 399 and boasts of some of Rahman's remarkable hits. Apart from this, Sony Music has also launched smartly priced compilations in different price brackets for Rahman music lovers.  “We have released the product in various price categories/formats. The idea of this compilation is to present A R Rahman’s greatest works done by the legend himself in a delectable pack which is comprehensive and is value for money to the buyer.” The price categories include a cassette for Rs 50, a 3 CD for Rs 199 and a 5 CD set for Rs 399. This will ensure that we get all kinds of consumers in different price brackets.”
The 5 CD set tracks Rahman’s journey from an entrant in the industry to being the top musician in the music industry. The compilation opens with one of Rahman’s all time hits- Dil se, Chitra’s and Hema Sardesai’s refreshing rendentions in Kehna Hi Kya and Awara Bhanwara and has a mix of his compositions from Rang de basanti, Guru, Lagaan, Meenaxi, Zubeida. The surprise element in the first CD is the track, ‘Gurus of peace’ rendered by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for Rahman’s album ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Ae Nazneen Suno’ from Dil Hi Dil Mein.
The second album comprises Tamil tracks by Rahman including Hey Goodbye, the Tamil version of Yuva’s ‘Aye khudahafiz’ from Ayithe Ezuthu and ‘Taxi Taxi’ launched by Sony Music in 2008 and ‘Ye ye enna achu’ from Kaadhal Virus delivered in a power packed manner by Vasundhara Das, in a way only she can. The other tracks in the album include the evergreen, ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Shakalaka baby’ from Bombay Dreams and the surprise piece - Sadhana Sargam’s ‘Warriors in Peace’.
Apart from the great compositions, Rahman’s albums are also known for their instrumentals and the third CD has eight of his best versions. The first one, Bombay theme, is a well orchestrated music using violins and flute. It is followed by Lagaan’s theme music which starts with humming by Anuradha Sriram followed by grand orchestration with vocal harmony, violin and percussions. The track which stands out in this CD is the ‘Rangeela theme’ composed by Rahman in 1995. Rangeela was Rahman’s first Hindi movie with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores. Merely listening to this theme reminds of the energetic dance performance by Urmila Matondkar on the big screen. The other CDs also have great numbers from Bombay, Rangeela, Sapnay, Dil se, among others.
The DVD is a visual treat as it pictures some of the best Rahman numbers like Vande Mataram, Rang De Basanti, Barso re, Chinamma Chilakama etc and also Rahman performing live at ‘Guru’ Music launch.
Although the compilation doesn’t have the latest Rahman titles like Ghajini, Slumdog Millionaire, Jodha Akbar, Jaane tu ya jaane na and older ones like Pukar, Taal, Swades, Yuva, the compilation tracks Rahman’s journey from a newcomer in the industry to being one of the highest paid music composer today with many international projects to his credit.
Sony Music is expecting to sell about 100,000 units of this title over a period of time and are in continuous dialogue with various production houses where A R Rahman is composing for acquiring the rights of his music.

Courtesy: radioandmusic.com

Rahman’s dream

Musician AR Rahman thinks that Indians should stop talking about their traditions and start contributing to its greatness. In an interview with CNN-IBN, he talked about his music conservatory, where he will groom the next breed of composers.

“We only celebrate what is tradition which is great, which is fantastic. But what have you contributed?” demanded Rahman. Rahman founded the K M Conservatory to churn out students with musical excellence matching International standards.

"Composers from here like me and Ilayaraja sir, anybody, who wants to work with an orchestra with full symphony orchestra - we had to go abroad and spend thousands of dollars," explained Rahman. However, today students from India and abroad can come to the K M Conservatory and learn both Indian and Western classical music, including a range of musical instruments from the cello to the drums.

There is a preparatory course for beginners, a foundation one for serious pursuers, apart from this there is also a three year degree course in collaboration with the Middlesex University. Most importantly, the conservatory also aims at reviving dying musical traditions.

"Though we want to concentrate on instruments that are dying like violin and brass and woodwinds and everything, people are more interested in piano and composition and voice and all that stuff. We are also looking at areas where we don't have players like brass and woodwinds and so many instruments for which we used to have players before, in the older generation but not anymore," he said.



Courtesy: planetradiocity.com

A.R. Rahman and Mick Jagger team up

A.R. Rahman is planning to meet up with The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger during his visit to the US, according to reports.
Rahman agreed to get in the studio with the Grammy Award-winning artist after the duo first met at the Oscars last month.
A source close to the musician told The Times of India: "When Rahman met Jagger, they discovered that they could do some good music together. It was then that they decided that A.R. Rahman would visit the US again and they would have another jamming session."
The latest collaboration comes on the back of the Bollywood composer's teaming up with The Pussycat Dolls for an English remix of his Oscar-winning hit 'Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)'.
Rahman began producing the score to Abbas Tyrewala's 1-800-Love last week during a brief visit to Mumbai.



Courtesy: digitalspy.co.uk

Rahman Got A Japanese Tie-Up

The ace Indian Music composer AR Rahman will join hands with the Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi for the music of film which is an Indo-Japanese venture. The film stars Indian actors like Kamal Haasan and Asin as well as Japanese actor Tadanobo Asano. The film shows that martial arts are originated from India and not from Japan, as the myth around the world is.

One source revealed, “Rahman, Bharat Bala (director) and some people from Disney (producer of the film) met Joe Hisaishi in Tokyo on April 6 to discuss the film.”

“Kamal was very keen to work with a Japanese actor after he met Jackie Chan during the music release of Dasavtaram. This is a $50 million project by Bharat Bala who will also be directing the film. Research work on the martial art form is currently on,” added the source.

Rahman and Bharat Bala are currently in Tokyo.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

CM to felicitate A R Rahman

Oscar winner music director A R Rahman will be felicitated by the government of Kerala on May 3, 2009.

The Mozart of Madras will conduct a musical show at Kozhikode for children affected with AIDS on May 3 and the felicitation function will take place at Kozhikode the same morning.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, V S Achuthanandan will take part in the function stated the minister, Mr. Elamaram Kareem.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Vikram’s turn after Suriya

Director K.V. Anand is savouring the success of his recent release Ayan. The film, which has Suriya and Tammanna in the lead roles, has turned out to be a smash hit at the box office. Industry sources say that Anand has dealt with the subject very well and this is the main reason for its success. The latest buzz in Kollywood is that Anand has plans to direct Vikram in his next venture. The actor is currently busy with Mani Ratnam’s Ravan. However,

discussions between the director and the actor are said to be on. Vikram will probably give his dates for Anand’s venture after Ravan is safely out of his way.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rajini’s film to be released in July

Sultan – The Warrior, the animation flick that has Rajinikanth in the main role is expected to hit the screens in July. There were reports earlier that the film would be released on Chithirai Thirunal (April 14th, 2009). Enquiries revealed that the Superstar’s busy schedule with the Shankar-directed Endhiran and Soundarya Rajinikanth’s commitment with Goa was the reason for Sultan – The Warrior’s delay. There are few important scenes and songs that still

need to be shot for this animation film, say sources in Kollywood. The film has Vijayalakshmi, in animated form, starring opposite Rajinikanth.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com 

Kamal to teach Asin Martial arts

In what can be considered as a big step towards international recognition for Indian film artistes and technicians, Walt Disney will be producing The 19th Step, which will consist of many Indians behind and on the screen. Indian cinema’s fastest rising star Asin will be paired with Japanese superstar Tadanobu Asanno, an internationally acclaimed actor. She will be playing a princess in the movie. What makes the cast even more exciting is the presence of Kamal Haasan. He will be seen as Asin’s martial arts mentor in a high impact cameo.

What more! The film will be directed by Bharathbala known for his stirring picturization of song videos, especially Rahman’s Vande Mataram. Speaking of Rahman, he has been given the responsibility of scoring the music for the movie. And, India’s other Oscar winner Resul Pookutty will be present in the sound engineering department. So, it is one heavily loaded Indian line up that will be making its presence felt in an international project. We saw what appropriate international exposure can get us when Slumdog Millionaire brought home two Oscars. This time round, we have the legendary Kamal as Indian cinema’s ambassador. Wishing all success to the team of The 19th Step. Neil Armstrong once said ‘a small step for a man, but a giant leap for mankind’. Let’s hope that the following thought turns out true, ‘The 19th Step for Walt Disney, a giant leap for Indian cinema’.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

First show after the Oscar

A.R. Rahman’s first stage show after winning the Oscar Award happens to be for a good cause. The ace musician will take up his music baton to collect money for the treatment of children afflicted with the AIDS disease. The money collected will go to Keraliam, the organization that works for AIDS affected children in Kerala. The organizers say that Rahman is doing the show free of cost. The ticket sales for this event was kick started

yesterday by actor Suresh Gopi and the first ticket was received by NIMS director Faizal Khan. The show will take place on May 3rd at the Jawarharlal Stadium in Kozhikode. About 108 musicians and singers are participating in this event.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

A.R. Rahman inaugurates

A.R. Rahman inaugurated a children’s block at the Adyar Cancer Institute on April 14th, 2009. This block was built in memory of musician Mahesh, who had scored the music for the Kamal Haasan starrer Nammavar. The late musician, it may be recalled, succumbed to cancer. It was Mahesh’s vision and death wish that a Trust should be created to help the children suffering from cancer. Ajith, Arvind Samy, Mani Rathnam among other participated in the event. Mahesh’s wife Chithra Mahesh, the head of the trust, spoke about the trust’s vision and disclosed that the hospital was built using funds collected from various shows and event. The building cost about 3.5 crores, she said.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Silambarasan’s “V” sentiment

Silambarasan’s next film after Vinnaithandi Varuvaya has been finalized. It is worth mentioning here that VV is being directed by Gautham Menon and has Trisha playing Silamabarasan’s arm candy. His next project is named Varusanadu and will be directed by debutant Pandian. Sources close to Silambarasan says that Pandian had been requesting an appointment with the actor for quite some time to narrate the storyline When the.

actor finally decided to give it a hearing, he found the story apt for him. Silambarasan immediately agreed to star in the project. Most probably, Varusanadu will be produced by Silambarasan’s home production. The cast and crew are being finalized.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com