Oscar Thamizhan 'Isaipuyal' AR Rahman News/Updates

[JamesDap]

Rahman wasn't talking about REGIONS but VILLAGES. Some villages are so small, so remote he can't possibly find out unless he knows first hand from personal experience. There's a difference between saying, "My music is also very popular in villages" and what he actually said.

[Russellmtp]

Well, there are lot of people who admire artists for traits that have nothing to do with their music. It's nothing new. You or I may not believe in that but there are certainly lots who do. They are the people who make trends happen, make stars out of one or the other artist.

Cannot agree with the above so let's agree to disagree

It is the talent that drew these people to him in the first place. If not for his talent, people would not have taken note of his humility. You yourself have mentioned that you think ARR is talented. But, this quote of yours suggests that Rahman became a star because of his humility more than his talent.

[JamesDap]

Cannot agree with the above so let's agree to disagree

It is the talent that drew these people to him in the first place. If not for his talent, people would not have taken note of his humility. You yourself have mentioned that you think ARR is talented. But, this quote of yours suggests that Rahman became a star because of his humility more than his talent.

Not quite, I mean, not just his humility, but the fact that he was seen as young, urbane and hip in addition to being talented. Talent is what got him the break, i.e, Roja, Gentleman, etc. A combination of talent and image is required to sustain celebrity status in show business. It goes for everyone. Ilayaraja's arrival coincided with a strong rural centric wave in Tamil films and he naturally fitted in with that image, which is probably why his detractors still like to pretend he is only gramathu raja. It is another matter that IR can compose for a Mouna Raagam or Rahman for a Karuthamma. But Rahman arriving in the 90s led an urban resurgence and his Madras-centric image fitted with this. People love stereotypes and they love to fit celebrities into their favourite stereotypes as well. Else why would journalists write thousands of words on the face behind the music? Why is it necessary? Why should it even interest anyone? It is all second hand, it's ultimately not to going tell you much about what the person really is like. The fact is people don't just look at music (or cinema for that matter) as inanimate art, they want to be able to associate with the artist behind the art - and the moment they get interested, image becomes important. This is also why outspoken artists are much more liable to be misunderstood and derided than soft spoken ones.

[A.ANAND]

A.R.Rahman ‏@arrahman 12-21 Thank you listeners for Maryan being chosen as the 'Tamil Album of Year' in iTunes' Best of 2013 http://fb.me/6vYr0A9aC

[Russellmtp]

Not quite, I mean, not just his humility, but the fact that he was seen as young, urbane and hip in addition to being talented. Talent is what got him the break, i.e, Roja, Gentleman, etc. A combination of talent and image is required to sustain celebrity status in show business. It goes for everyone. Ilayaraja's arrival coincided with a strong rural centric wave in Tamil films and he naturally fitted in with that image, which is probably why his detractors still like to pretend he is only gramathu raja. It is another matter that IR can compose for a Mouna Raagam or Rahman for a Karuthamma. But Rahman arriving in the 90s led an urban resurgence and his Madras-centric image fitted with this. People love stereotypes and they love to fit celebrities into their favourite stereotypes as well. Else why would journalists write thousands of words on the face behind the music? Why is it necessary? Why should it even interest anyone? It is all second hand, it's ultimately not to going tell you much about what the person really is like. The fact is people don't just look at music (or cinema for that matter) as inanimate art, they want to be able to associate with the artist behind the art - and the moment they get interested, image becomes important. This is also why outspoken artists are much more liable to be misunderstood and derided than soft spoken ones.

CK, I agree that it is foolish to stereotype Raja as the man is an allrounder. I understand what you are saying but I have also noticed some Raja fans take umbrage when one starts talking about Raja's folk numbers. I never understood the reason. Is it because they think lowly of folk and want to associate him only with WCM or Carnatic? If yes, that is very disconcerting. We all know Raja is a genius and is not restricted to folk or WCM or Carnatic or Jazz or XYZ but there is a reason why some people call him a graamathu raja and it is not in a derogatory way (Ofc, as you said, there are some of his detractors who imply he is only that but I am not talking about them). It is because he gave an identity to this genre. Even though folk songs were played in tamil films even before Raja burst into the scene, Raja made it popular. Yes, Raja made WCM popular in Tamil films too. WCM is grand and great but it is not ours. folk endha vidhathila thaazhnda isai? adhu nammudaiyathu illaya? Raja namma mannin maindhan illaya? It is a different thing he mastered other genres but he started with folk and it is in his blood. In the 80s/90s, folks like Rajkiran/Ramarajan/Kastoori Raja, among others, beseeched him to compose for their movies to get some star value and he obliged although those movies didn't deserve his music at all. I always wonder how Raja came up with those numbers for such uninspiring, mindless creations. I mean, he is a genius alright but even a genius needs some inspiration. Even Raja acknowledged KB for the situations that inspired him to compose those wonderful songs for "Sindhu Bhairavi". But, what inspired him to compose for Rajkiran/Ramarajan movies? No one knows. Could it be because composing folk is like breathing for him? Now, you may point out some non-folk based movies to counter this but the folk based movies are so large in number. Don't take it negatively. Just because someone calls him a gramathu Raja, it doesn't mean that he is not good at anything else. The ones who think he is just that are ignoramuses.

Anyway, Perumal kovilla Devaaram padikkaratho, Sivan kovilla Divya Prabandham padikkaratho, it is not appropriate. So, I will stop here.

[JamesDap]

I object only to gramathu raja being used in a derogatory sense and that is the only sense I have generally heard it being used in. I also do not like disdaining his contribution in Indo-Western fusion; just because Western is not of our culture doesn't diminish the musical achievement. To call him gramathu raja baldly without qualification seems to imply he was not as good in other genres which would be a misinformed view. It's not just a few non folk based movies. There are at least as many landmark films with non folk based music as the folk based ones. The image stuck because his initial success was built on Annakilli and 16 Vayathiniley but it is certainly not an accurate description of his work by any means. You think of IR as the man who brought Tamil folk music to the mainstream and in this way characterise the identity of his music as local. I look at all the myriad influences in his music and astounding versatility and characterise his music as universal. Language is the only barrier for any person outside the South wanting to listen to his music; the emotions he conveys through his interludes alone, before we even get to the vocals, are such that any person from any background could relate to. So, no, I don't regard his folk work as his 'speciality' as much as I love it. The concept of IR having any one particular speciality after 950 films is anathema to me.

[ajaybaskar]

When the country's greatest sportsperson says ARR's music was his companion during his preparations and celebrations, what more we need as Rahmaniacs to feel blessed?

[NOV]

AR Rahman on Super Singer Vijay TV, today...

[Russellmtp]

just because Western is not of our culture doesn't diminish the musical achievement.

Did I claim otherwise?

You think of IR as the man who brought Tamil folk music to the mainstream

Didn't he do that?

and in this way characterise the identity of his music as local

I am afraid, you are assuming a little too much. I never said his music was local. I thought I said he is an allrounder. I just gave one explanation on why some people call him gramathu raja. These need not be Rahman fans but people who may not understand all the nuances of Western or Carnatic and mostly listen to folk music. For them, Raja would be a gramathu raja because they relate only to his folk tunes and they dont know much about his WCM/fusion works. In fact, there are some who watch only folk-based movies. I know because I grew up in a village in TN.

are such that any person from any background could relate to

The same is true for Rahman's music too.

Anyway, this thread is about Rahman. Let's discuss Raja specific stuff in the Raja thread (although I may not be welcome there).

[Russellmtp]

When the country's greatest sportsperson says ARR's music was his companion during his preparations and celebrations, what more we need as Rahmaniacs to feel blessed?

Thanks Ajay. Rahman oru thalaivarna Sachin innoru thalaivar. Nice to hear him speak Tamil

Happy to see Thalaivar as special guest in the Super Singer show. Although, I think it would have been more appropriate for Vijay TV to request him to grace the season finals as a chief guest.