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A. R. Rahman

エー・アール・ラフマーン

A. R. Rahman

Aliases: Isai Puyal / Mozart of Madras / Allah Rakha Rahman / A. S. Dileep Kumar / ARR
Pen Names: Isai Puyal（Nickname in Tamil (literally 'Musical Storm'), used by fans and media.）, Mozart of Madras（Honorific nickname expressing admiration for his musical talent.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1967-01-06 （Madras (now Chennai), Madras State, India）
Nationality
India
Languages
Tamil, Hindi, English
Religion
Islam Baptized in 1989 （Baptismal Name: Allah Rakha Rahman）
Residence History
Chennai (formerly Madras), India

Career

Occupations
composer, record producer, playback singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, philanthropist, educator
Active Years
1992-
Affiliations
AR Rahman Foundation, KM Music Conservatory, Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Honorary President)
Memberships
Honorary Fellow of Trinity College of Music, Honorary President, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Global Ambassador, Stop TB Partnership (WHO)
Influenced By
Master Dhanraj, Ilaiyaraaja, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Zakir Hussain
Influenced
G. V. Prakash Kumar (composer; nephew/mentee), Young musicians from KM Music Conservatory (e.g. Qutub-E-Kripa), A generation of contemporary Indian film composers
Nominations
Academy Award nominations for 127 Hours (score and song)

Education

Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School
Music
Country: India
Admitted for musical talent; later left school to pursue a full-time music career.
Trinity College of Music (Trinity College London)
Western classical music
Degree: ディプロマ
Country: United Kingdom
Received a scholarship and participated in programs at Trinity College.

Awards

Padma Shri
2000
Organization: Government of India
Result: 受賞
Padma Bhushan
2010
Organization: Government of India
Result: 受賞
Academy Award for Best Original Score
2009
Work: Slumdog Millionaire
Organization: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Result: 受賞
Academy Award for Best Original Song
2009
Work: Jai Ho (from Slumdog Millionaire)
Organization: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Result: 受賞
BAFTA Award for Best Film Music
2009
Work: Slumdog Millionaire
Organization: British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Result: 受賞
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
2009
Work: Slumdog Millionaire
Organization: Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Result: 受賞
Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album
2010
Work: Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack
Organization: The Recording Academy
Result: 受賞
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media
2010
Work: Jai Ho
Organization: The Recording Academy
Result: 受賞
National Film Award for Best Music Direction (Silver Lotus)
1993
Work: Roja
Organization: Directorate of Film Festivals, Government of India
Result: 受賞
IIFA Award for Best Music Director (example)
2009
Work: Jodhaa Akbar
Organization: International Indian Film Academy
Result: 受賞
BMI London Award for Best Score
2010
Work: Couples Retreat
Organization: Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Result: 受賞
Just Plain Folks Music Award for Best Music Album
2007
Work: Score for Varalaru (God Father)
Organization: Just Plain Folks Music Organization
Result: 受賞
Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music
2014
Organization: Berklee College of Music
Result: 受賞
XTIC Award for Innovation
2024
Work: VR film Le Musk
Organization: IIT Madras
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Roja

1992 Film soundtrack

Soundtrack to Mani Ratnam's 1992 film; Rahman's breakthrough, acclaimed for its innovative fusion of electronic sounds and Indian traditional music.

fusion of tradition and modernitycombination of ethnic instruments and electronic textures

Bombay

1995 Film soundtrack

Soundtrack for Mani Ratnam's politically charged film; commercially successful worldwide and notable for the widely used 'Bombay Theme'.

social and political themeslyrical melodies

Slumdog Millionaire

2008 Film soundtrack

Soundtrack to Danny Boyle's film; achieved international success and earned Academy, Grammy and BAFTA awards, notably for 'Jai Ho'.

urban poverty and hopeelements of world music
Adaptations
  • [Music video] Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) music video / Thomas Kloss (2009)

Vande Mataram

1997 Non-film album

An album of original compositions released for India's 50th anniversary of independence; one of India's best-selling non-film albums.

patriotismfusion of traditional and contemporary music

Bombay Dreams

2002 Stage musical

A stage musical commissioned by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Rahman composed music for the stage production.

urban Indian culturelarge-scale arrangements for the stage

Bibliography

  • Roja (1992) soundtrack
  • Bombay (1995) soundtrack
  • Muthu (1995) soundtrack
  • Vande Mataram (1997) album
  • Lagaan (2001) soundtrack
  • Slumdog Millionaire (2008) soundtrack
  • 127 Hours (2010) score
  • Bombay Dreams (2002) stage music

Adaptations

  • Bombay Dreams (stage musical, 2002)
  • The Lord of the Rings (Toronto production contributions)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Cinematic fusion of Western classical, Carnatic, folk, and pop/rock elementsLayered orchestration combined with electronic sound designFrequent thematic use of the human voice and choral textures
Recurring Motifs
Sufi/spiritual motifspercussion-driven rhythmic patternsrepetitive choral/phrase motifsdialogue between traditional instruments and synths

Legacy

A. R. Rahman is one of the composers who brought Indian film music to the international stage, winning major awards including Oscars, Grammys and a BAFTA. Through initiatives such as the KM Music Conservatory and the Sunshine Orchestra he has contributed to musical education and philanthropy, and is widely regarded as a globally influential musician.

Academic Societies

  • Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Honorary President)
  • Trinity College of Music (Honorary Fellow)

Archives

  • Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios (studio archive)

In Popular Culture

  • 'Jai Ho' became a global hit and spawned various reworks and covers.
  • 'Bombay Theme' has been widely used outside the film and is established as an iconic film music piece.

Quotes

  • I had come to the music of A. R. Rahman through the emotional and haunting score of Bombay and the wit and celebration of Lagaan. But the more of AR's music I encountered the more I was to be amazed at the sheer diversity of styles: from swinging brass bands to triumphant anthems; from joyous pop to West-End musicals. Whatever the style, A. R. Rahman's music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit, qualities that inspire me the most.
    Source: Comment by Baz Luhrmann (quoted on Wikipedia)
  • All praise to God
    Source: Acceptance speech at the 81st Academy Awards (2009)

Trivia

  • Born A. S. Dileep Kumar.
  • Converted to Islam in 1989 and adopted the name Allah Rakha Rahman.
  • Breakthrough as a film composer with Roja (1992).
  • Won Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song) for Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Founded KM Music Conservatory to train young musicians.