When the Pritams, Anumaliks, Devas and Yuvans of India are busy lifting tunes from all over the world, people from around the world are lifting tunes composed by one Indian - do I even have to mention that the Indian in question is A.R.Rahman?

I had written about Uzbek singer Iroda Dilroz using ARR's Kadhal Sadugudu (alaipayuthe) and Mustafa. But, she had credited A.R.Rahman! Ottagathai kattiko was used by La Caution for their song Pilotes Automatiques.

Now, Shakalaka Baby is in China and it is already a hit. Mandarin singer Kelly Poon has included this song in her album titled Shakalaka Baby.
Listen to it here.

The sad part is that A.R.Rahman is not credited for this till now!

(Thanks to Vinod and NoorulWahid from arrahmanfans for the info)


Update 1:
AR Rahman and Lyrics writer Don Black have been credited in the music video. But, it still remains to be seen if they have got the rights to use the song.

Update 2:
The mails from arrahmanfans Yahoo group, reagarding this issue, were forwarded to A.R.Rahman and ARR's legal advisers and Andrew Lloyd Weber escalated the issue to Universal Music, who are releasing the Kelly Poon album. They have agreed to add AR Rahman's name in the credits. Glad to see that the group has done some really active work for ARR!!!

Every Wednesday is 'fans day' on Rahmania (6-8 pm weekdays), the Radio show dedicated to A.R.Rahman on Aahaa FM (91.9 FM - Chennai). And last Wednesday I was interviewed on the show!!

On Tuesday night, I switched off the radio at 8:00 pm after listening to Rahmania. And my phone starts calling me with my Hai Rama BGM ringtone. I pick up the phone and I'm in for a total surprise. Raihanah ma'am was on the line, and she asked me if I could come to the studio the next day!!! Oh My God!!!!!!! It was a real surprise! She needn't have spoken to me... She could have asked one of the sound engineers to speak to me... but no, such is her simplicity!

I was asked to come to the studio at 4:00 pm sharp. I was there by 3:30 itself, and was received by Mr. Radhan who is the sound-engineer for the show and it turned out that he was a hardcore Rahmaniac too!

Raihanah came at 4 pm sharp! After exchange of pleasantries and clicking a few snaps, we set down to decide on what we would talk about. I had prepared some 4 pages of stuff to talk, neatly printed out and thus surprising Raihanah, who, with her classic laugh, remarked "Ivlo prepared-aa vandhirukkaru... Innikku enakku velai-ye illai nu nenaikkaren... Naan late-aa've vandhirukkalaam!" ("He's come so prepared, I have nothing to do.... I could have walked in late today!!!")



So, I was just chatting with her till the show started. Rahman's simplicity is well known to everyone. I could find the same trait in his sister too. She was so down-to-earth talking to and everyone chatting so freely!

Once inside the studio, she made me feel so comfortable as this was the first time I was gonna be on Air. I was explained the process, the way the team functioned for the show, etc. The first 'link' was well planned, in terms of what we would say and what question would be asked etc. But, the rest of the show was more or less ad hoc!!

I was kinda hesitant to ask if they would air the duet version of Kannathil Muthamittal song that I made. When I told Raihanah about this, she asked me if it was a remix. I assured her it was not, and told her I would never tamper with ARR's music. When Raihanah listened to it, she immediately agreed to use it in the show, and I finally dedicated that song, during the show, to A.R.Rahman himself (Thanks to the Dryad for reminding me to dedicate it to him!!)

On the show, I spoke about how we Bangalore Fans met ARR at midnite before Bangalore concert, about ARR's unreleased music that Shivmani played for me from his mobile, about Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt playing for Rahman's Narumugaiye! But there was loads and loads more to speak... so little time But, yeah.. I'll never be content! I can go on and on about Rahman!!

This will always be one of my most unforgettable moments ever!

(pic in the prev post)

12 September 2007 it was!! From 6-8 pm, I was on air on Aaha 91.9 FM on the show Rahmania. A.R.R's sister Raihanah interviewed me on the show!! More than 24 hours past, and my excitement is still to go down!!

More about it in the next post!!

After searching for it in many music outlets including Landmark and Music World, I finally got managed to get hold of the "A.R.Rahman - Greatest Hits" MP3 CD, jus this weekend. This is under Sony-BMG label and was released last month! The album was sold out completely in most stores!!

I bought it for jus the one song - Shauk Hai, rendered by Sowmya Raoh (The same singer who sang Kamma Karaiyile along with Naresh Iyer in Varalaaru(Godfather)). For the uninitiated, Shauk Hai is the song which comes in the Background, as Vidya Balan's (Meenu's) Theme music in Guru.
This track is truly magical! The song is about the desires of a person who is counting her days and who requires someone's help for everything, as she is suffering from multiple sclerocis. She wants to break from all this, reach out to her desires and aspirations. She knows her fate, but she doesnt want to be depressed. It is essentially meant to bring out that "longing" feel, but without the sadness. ARR captures this mood perfectly in the song, with the lyrics adding to the beauty. The piano chords running throughout the song, add to the simple but elegant beauty of the song.


This is, without doubt, one of his all time best songs!!! It is a pity, this masterpiece wasn't released with the Audio CD of Guru!!

Raat ka shauk hai
I aspire of the night

Raat ki saundhi si khamoshi ka
That earthen silence of the night

Shauk hai
I aspire

Subha ki roshni
That light of the morning

Bezubaan subho ki aur gungunati
Humming toward the mum morning

Roshni ka Shauk hai, ho shauk hai
I aspire of light, oh…I aspire

San sani navlon ka
Of those interesting novels

Ke ishq ke banwlon ka
Of those crazyness of the lovers (I aspire to have)

San sani naavle
Those interesting novels

Ke ishq ke banwle
Those crazy lovers

Barf se khelte badolon ka
Of those clouds playing with the ice

Shauk hai
I aspire (to touch)

Kaash ye zindagi Khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti
I wish this life ended playfully

Raat ka shauk hai
I aspire of night

Neend ki goliyon ka
Of those sleeping pills (I aspire)

Khwab ke loriyon ka
Of those lullabies of dreams (I aspire to listen)

Neend ki goliyan
Those sleeping pills

Khwab ke loriyan
Those lullabies of dreams

Bezubaan aus ki boliyon ka
Of those (unsaid) words of mum dews (I aspire to listen)

Shauk hai
I aspire

Kaash ye zindagi binkahe binsune so gayi hoti
I wish this life had gone to sleep without saying or listening
anything

Subha ki roshni
That light of the morning

Bezubaan subho ki aur gungunati
Humming toward the mum morning

Roshni ka Shauk hai, ho shauk hai
I aspire of light, oh…I aspire