For the past few days, two tracks have clearly cut through the clutter of Hindi film music playing 24/7 on TV and radio. No prizes for guessing that both ? Aye Masabkali (Delhi 6) and Hai Gujarish (Ghajini) ? are A R Rahman compositions. He may be in the international spotlight after bagging the Golden Globe for Jai Ho in Danny Boyle?s rags-to-riches story out of Mumbai, Slumdog Millionaire, but Rahman has been enthralling India ? and a growing international audience ? for over a decade-and-a-half now.

A thinking musician

?Rahman thinks completely out of the box,? says lyricist Javed Akhtar, who has written many of the songs that made Rahman famous. (Think Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar). Praise has been pouring in for Rahman ever since the Golden Globe honour, but friends, fellow musicians and fans agree it?s ?long overdue?. Says film-maker Hariharan, director of the LV Prasad Institute of Film: ?Rahman?s music has been making waves in the festival circuit for years. With the Golden Globe, Indian cinema ? and its music ? will now be recognised in a slightly popular front. So, it?s a huge recognition for Rahman ? and Indian music.? Rahman could rise with his Indian style, adds lyricist Gulzar, who has penned down the songs for Slumdog Millionaire. ?No other Indian composer could rise in competition to the West. AR has given to the West,? he adds.

Asked what is Rahman?s place in Indian music, Hariharan attributes a lot of firsts to his musical contribution. ?He is the first person to introduce Indian audiences to the aesthetics of electronic music. Rahman has imbibed his fascination with Arabian music into many of his songs. He smoothly fused into Indian cinema an international flavour.? So, long after Chaiyan Chaiyan appears in Mani Ratnam?s Dil Se, American director Spike Lee easily blends the track into his movie Inside Man, starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington.

?What?s incredible about Rahman?s Golden Globe win is that he didn?t have to change colour to be accepted,? says director and cinematographer Rajiv Menon who has worked closely with Rahman in both Bombay and Guru.

East blends with west

No one can keep Rahman away from the international arena for long. Percussionist Sivamani who plays with Rahman in their band ?Roots? says AR, that?s what friends call Rahman, is a born genius. ?AR blends the East and the West so well that it seems like it?s one music and you can?t distinguish it. He produces the feel of Indianness by mixing the sounds of manjira and ghungroo with orchestration,? he adds. Sivamani recalls that the title track of Taal (Taal se Taal Mila) was so scintillating that even director Subhas Ghai danced in the studio. Rahman loves to work with ?like-minded people,? say his peers. ?You will often find him working with directors who are committed to their craft for films in a row like he did for Mani Ratnam and Ashutosh Gowarikar,? says Hariharan.

Sivamani says Rahman and his musicians often create new stuff and new ideas in the studio. ?I remember while recording the music for Jodhaa Akbar, there was a sword fight and I was just making the sound of the sword. But when I heard the final version, it was so well done.? As it turns out, Rahman is associated with the University of Miami, says Hariharan, ?and he often draws upon the students of Global Rhythms to play music for his films like he did in Jodhaa Akbar. We heard a lot of French horns.? Hariharan says that after doing a decade of synthetic music, Rahman is ?coming back to acoustic in a big way.?

Javed Akhtar recalls how when Andrew Lloyd Webber heard Rahman?s music, he was completely floored and ?that?s how Bombay Dreams came into existence.? Akhtar says Rahman?s win should open doors for other Indian music directors. ?Rahman winning the Golden Globe has broken a psychological barrier altogether in Indian music,? says Akhtar. ?Now they know that nothing is impossible if one?s work is commendable. If one is good, there?s no looking back.?

A musical genius

When Akhtar heard Rahman?s name called for the Golden Globe, he wasn?t surprised in the least. ?I was extremely happy but not surprised as I know he is a musical genius.? Ask Akhtar what is Rahman?s contribution to Indian music and he is generous in praise: ?Rahman has introduced Indian instruments to world music. Rahman is like a huge tree that has its roots in his own soil but with long branches that help him reach far ahead. He uses Western instruments as well as Indian instruments but there is a subtle difference. The way he uses Indian traditional music instruments such as shehnai, sarangi, Hanuman chatti, Syana chatti etc makes a song sound different and fresh. The outcome is not the same as Hindi film songs.?

His unique sound attracts fans worldwide. Says Sivamani: ?We have performed together in London, Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Malaysia, Dubai etc. At the Hollywood Bowl orchestra, LA, I saw AR live in a concert, Bollywood Night, where 70% of the audience was white Americans ? this shows the popularity of his music abroad.? Sivamani too is effusive in praise: ?Rahman making music is like cooking a curry. He gets the raw material first, then adds spices to it and when the output comes, you?ll enjoy it.? Sivamani, who treats AR as his younger brother, says Rahman?s humility is remarkable. ?Some of the awards should also go to AR?s mother who supported him from the very beginning of his career,? he adds. Rahman has never forgotten his difficult beginning and does his bit to give back to society. Says Hariharan: ?His biggest contribution to music is perhaps the way he has promoted untrained musicians. He has an eye for talent. Rahman has now taken a leap forward by starting the KM Conservatory, a school for music in Chennai.?

Hindi film composer Anu Malik wants Rahman to win the Oscars too. ?Rahman is the maverick. He?s brought Indian music industry successfully to the world mart. I watched Slumdog Millionaire in London. The movie is great but the music too stands out. It?s a great day for India.? And not just for Rahman and the billion Indians.

Taal se taal mila…

•In 1991, Mani Ratnam offered Roja to Rahman. He received the National Award for the Best Music Composer, the first time ever by a debutant. Time magazine rated the soundtrack of Roja in their top ten compilation of the all time 100 best movie soundtracks of the world

• Rahman?s foray into Hindi movies started off with Rangeela, followed by Bombay, Dil Se, Taal, 1947 Earth, Pukar, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Lagaan, Guru etc, all of which have been critically acclaimed

•He has won 4, National awards, 21 Filmfare awards, 3 MTV awards, 7 IIFA awards, 6 Tamil Nadu State awards, 9 Zee awards, 8 Screen awards. He was conferred Padmashree in 2000

Source: http://www.arrahman.com