A R Rahman Biography

A.R. Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, to a musically affluent Mudaliar Tamil family. His father, R.K. Shekhar, was a Chennai-based composer and conductor for Malayalam films. Rahman lost his father at a young age, and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income. He was raised by his mother, Kareema Beegum (Kashturi), and she passed away on December 28th, 2020.

During these formative years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots," with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo, and Raja. Rahman is the founder of the Chennai-based rock group "Nemesis Avenue."

He played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium, and the guitar. His interest in synthesisers grew, he claims, because it was the "ideal combination of music and technology."

He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja, one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented.

Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan Ramesh Naidu and Raj Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, and L. Shankar on world tours, and obtained a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music, where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.

Career

Film Scoring and Soundtracks

In 1992, Rahman began his own music recording and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house, called the Panchathan Record Inn, which was developed into India's most advanced recording studio.

He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian television channels, and music scores for documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja.

Roja's score met with high sales and critical acclaim in both its original and dubbed versions, bringing about a marked change in film music at the time. Rahman followed this with successful scores for Tamil–language films of the Chennai film industry, including Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, the urbanite Kadhalan, Bharathiraaja's Karuththamma, the saxophonic duet Indira, and the romantic comedies Mr. Romeo and Love Birds, which gained him considerable notice.

Many successful scores for films, including Dil Se and the percussive Taal, followed. Sufi mysticism formed the basis of Chaiyya Chaiyya for the former and the composition "Zikr" from his score for the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements.

In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music. Its first release was his score to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. In 2008, he scored the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so. In the United States, the soundtrack topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart and reached on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "Jai Ho" reached on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles and on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Personal Life

He is married to Saira Banu and has three children, Khadijah, Rahima, and Aameen. Rahman is the uncle of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, who is the son of Rahman's elder sister, A. R. Reihana. He had become an atheist as a result of his childhood struggles, but he eventually converted to Islam in 1989, the religion of his mother's family.

He is very devoted to his mother. During the Oscars, he paid her a tribute, saying, "There is a Hindi dialogue, "mere pass ma hai," which means even if I have nothing, I have my mother here."


Social Service

Rahman is involved in various charitable causes. In 2004, he was appointed the Global Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by the WHO. He has donated to charities such as Save the Children and India, and he collaborated with Cat Stevens and Yusuf Islam on his song "Indian Ocean."

The song featured keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and Travis' drummer, Neil Primrose. The proceeds of the song went towards helping orphans in Banda Aceh, one of the areas worst affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. He produced the single "We Can Make It Better" by Don Asian alongside Mukhtar Sahota.

In 2008, Rahman opened his KM Music Conservatory, partnering with the Audio Media Education facility to tutor and train aspiring musicians in vocals, instruments, music technology, and sound design. The conservatory, which has preeminent musicians on its panel and a newly founded symphony orchestra, is located near his studio in Kodambakkam, Chennai, and offers courses at the beginner, foundation, and diploma levels.

Rahman composed the theme music for a short film for The Banyan in 2006, in aid of destitute women in Chennai. In 2008, Rahman and percussionist Sivamani created a song titled "Jiya Se," inspired by the Free Hugs Campaign, and promoted it through a video shot in various cities in India.