Profile and Life History of A.R. Rahman

Musician, Singer, Indian Composer

Who is A.R.Rahman?

A.R.Rahman known as Isai puyal and the Mozart of Madras is born in Chennai. He earned Oscars and number of awards and noted for his unique music composition. A. R. Rahman begins to learn piano at the age of 4. Rahman is one of the best selling music artists. He has an estimate of 150 million records sold worldwide.  

Childhood:                              

A.R.Rahman was born in Madras, India on 6 January 1967. His father’s name is R. K. Shekhar and his mother name is Kareema (born Kashturi). His father was a film-score composer and conductor for Tamil and Malayalam films. Back in those days, he used to support his father in his studio. Once his father died at the young age of Rahman, the family suffered from financial situation. And the family has to live off by the rental money of his father’s musical instruments.

He worked while he was studying in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan. So he lost a number of classes and happens to fail in his studies. After one year, they he joined in Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School where he found his music talent and formed a band with his friends called percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja. Later he dropped from school to continue a full time music career.

A.R. Rahman musical impact:

A. R. Rahman is skilled in Carnatic music, Western and Hindustani classical music and the Qawwali style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He is widely noted for his producing music with traditional and modern music. His musical interests starts with the experimentation. The way Rahman produces music crosses classes and cultures in Indian society. He used to mix Indian pop music with a unique timbre, form and instrumentation. In the early 1980s he used to record music similar to his predecessors, K. V. Mahadevan and Vishwanathan–Ramamoorthy.

In the following years, he changed his music composing style by giving the fusion of traditional instruments with new electronic sounds and technology. His first work on Roja film has been mentioned on Time’s all-time “10 Best Soundtracks” in 2005. Ron Fair the music composer mention Rahman as “one of the world’s great living composers in any medium”. Also the film critic Richard Corliss said that the composer’s “astonishing debut work parades Rahman’s gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman”. A.R. Rahman is also popular for his jingles. One among them is Titan watch advertisement which has received a huge popularity.

A.R. Rahman and early musical career:

A.R. Rahman has mastered multiple musical instruments like the keyboard, piano, synthesizer, harmonium and guitar, and was particularly interested in the synthesizer because it was the “ideal combination of music and technology”. At the age of 11, he begins to play in the orchestra of Malayalam composer named M. K. Arjunan. He got his early musical training from Master Dhanraj.

Slowly he begins to work with other musicians like M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, Ramesh Naidu and Raj-Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours. By the way he got his scholarship from Trinity College London to the Trinity College of Music. In Chennai, he got graduated and got the diploma in Western classical music. In 1984, along with his family members he got converted to Qadiri tariqa.

Personal Life:

A.R.Rahman is married to Saira Banu. They have three children name Khatija, Rahima and Ameen. His elder sister is A. R. Reihana. Her son is the famous music director G.V.Prakash and her daughter is actress Bhavani Shree. A.R. Rahman’s son Ameen has sung “NaNa” from Couples Retreat, and his daughter Khatija has sung “Pudhiya Manidha” from Enthiran. He always starts his conversation by saying “Ella pughazhum iraivanukke” which means “All praise to God” from Quran.

A.R.Rahman younger sister Fathima has a music conservatory in Chennai. And the youngest sister Ishrath, has a music studio. After his father’s death, the family has suffered a lot. And his mother who practiced Hindu begins to follow Sufism. In the 81^st Academy awards, he remember his mother with a Hindu saying called mere pass ma hai, which means ‘even if I have got nothing I have my mother here’.

Achievements of A.R. Rahman:

1. In 2007, he entered the Limca Book of Records as “Indian of the Year for Contribution to Popular Music”.
2. He has involved in number of charity events. A.R. Rahman has also been appointed as the ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a WHO project in 2004.
3. He also helped orphans in Banda Aceh affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
4. A.R. Rahman is also helping aspiring musicians in vocals, instruments, music technology and sound design.
5. For that he has opened a conservatory in Kodambakam which is near his music studio. There they are offering courses at several levels.
6. In the vision to help economically and socially deprived children get free music education, he opened the Sunshine Orchestra by the KM Music Conservatory.
7. Next to aid poor women in Chennai, he composed the theme music for a 2006 short film for” The Banyan”.
8. Then in 2017, he issued one heart foundation which would support people from music industry.
9. To help the provision of quality education to India’s underprivileged children, performed a Sufi Benefit Concert at the annual New York gala of Pratham, one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India.

Honors of A.R. Rahman:

1. A.R. Rahman has received his honorary doctorates from Middlesex University, Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University in Chennai and Miami University in Ohio.
2. He is also an honorary fellow of the Trinity College of Music.
3. While receiving his honorary doctorate from Miami University in Ohio, he mentioned that he received a greetings card to attend dinner at the white house from the President of United States.
4. In November 2013, a street was named after him to honour his musical career in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
5. On 24 October 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music during a concert paying tribute to his music featuring an international cast of students.  
6. To appreciate the “invaluable services contributed to enhance Seychelles’ Arts and Culture development”, the government of Seychelles named A. R. Rahman as the Cultural Ambassador for Seychelles.
7. A.R. Rahman was appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim government on January 2018. Thereby he would promote all the state achievement inside and outside the country.
8. On January 4, 2020 at the first Zee Cine Awards Tamil, Rahman was honoured with the Pride of Indian Music award.
9. In August 2011, a famous UK-based world-music magazine Songlines named him one of “Tomorrow’s World Music Icons”.
10. Every year, his name would come in the 500 Most Influential Muslims of the world list.

Awards of A.R. Rahman:

1. For excellence in the field of music, received a Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu.
2. The Padma Shri from the Government of India. In 2010, he received the India’s third-highest civilian honour the Padma Bhushan.
3. Various musical-achievement awards from the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
4. In 2008, Rotary Club of Madras has awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award.
5. A.R. Rahman has won two Grammy awards. One for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
6. In 2011, he got the two Academy Award nominations for his work in 127 Hours. He won Golden Globe and BAFTA.