3 March 2021 | Bollywood Singer

Wishing Shankar Mahadevan A Wonderful 53rd Birthday

Shankar Mahadevan

Shankar Mahadevan was born on March 03, 1967 in Chembur, Mumbai into a Tamil speaking family. He learned Indian Classical Music and Carnatic music in his childhood and started playing Veena at the age of five.

Family

Shankar Mahadevan got married to Ms. Sangeetha Narayan and have 2 children named Shivam Mahadevan who is a Playback singer and Siddharth Mahadevan who ia a music composer in Bollywood. He is known for “Zinda” and the Rock Version of the title song “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’’

Music Career

Shankar Mahadevan learned Indian Classical Music and Carnatic music in his childhood and started playing Veena at the age of five. He went to OLPS High School in Chembur. He did his engineering in electronics from R.A.I.T (D Y Patil, Navi Mumbai). As of now he sings songs in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, and Carnatic.
Graduated in 1988 with a degree in Computer Science and Software Engineering from the Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology in Navi Mumbai, affiliated to Mumbai University, and was a software engineer for the company, Leading Edge. After working for Leading Edge Systems (now Trigyn Technologies Limited), Mahadevan ventured into music.
After entering in to music industry Mahadevan gave some to his composition to Chennai films.

Shankar Mahadevan also managed and got his first award as a playback singer in Chennai film music, collaborating with A. R. Rahman and winning a National Film Award for his song in “Kandukondain Kandukondain”

A.R Rahman and Shankar Mahadevan performing at changing notes in Chennai.

Shankar was noted for his first album ‘’Breathless’’ which was widely famous around the world.

Shankar- Ehsaan – Loy

Referred as Amar – Akbar – Anthony of Bollywood Industry. The trio had gave nearly 50 soundtracks to the industry and had also won many awards.

The Formation of Trio

Ehsaan was doing jingles and Loy was in Delhi before the union. Loy was writing for television then. The show Quiz Time was his first work and Siddharth Basu gave him his first break. Then he did Prannoy Roy’s The World This Week. A few more shows came along and he also did theatre and Shahrukh Khan’s Fauji. Loy had also worked as keyboardist with A. R. Rahman and Shankar had sung many famous tracks for him.

In 1989, Ehsaan met Loy, who was working for Ranjit Barot, an ad film composer. From then on, they joined together and composed several ad jingles together. Later, Ehsaan and Loy met Shankar when he was roped in by Ranjit Barot to sing for the Pepsi ad directed by Mukul Anand. Since then, they started to compose for ads as a Trio.

Notable works

Bebut work for this trio composers were Mukul Anand’s Dus. Director Anand wanted Ehsaan to compose the music for the film, but he insisted that Shankar and Loy work with him and Anand agreed. The film remained incomplete after Anand’s death, though the album was released later in 1999. After Dus, they had composed music for a couple of films like Rockford and Bhopal Express, but all of them went unnoticed. Their entry to mainstream cinema was with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir, which was a musical hit.

Shankar Mahadevan – Ehsaan – Loy rose to fame after their hit number from Dil Chahta Hain.

The turning point of their career as music directors though, was Dil Chahta Hai, which was the debut film of Farhan Akhtar as a director. Initially, A. R. Rahman was considered to do the music, but he backed out due to other assignments. Then the trio composed a title track for the film, which Farhan liked, and he signed them for the film. The film won wide critical acclaim and went on to attain cult status among audiences. This marked the beginning of the trio’s friendship with Farhan Akhtar and long-term association with Excel Entertainments.

Post Dil Chahta Hai, they composed music for several small budget films like Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?, Nayee Padosan and Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, where all of them went unnoticed as all the movies were panned by the critics. They also had two big ventures, Honey Irani’s Armaan and Rohan Sippy’s Kuch Naa Kaho, which yet again, failed to impress both critics and audiences – though their work in Armaan was lauded by critics.

Kal Ho Naa Ho was the one of the best music of This Trio which bagged them with a National Award for best music direction of that year.

Other Projects done by them

Shankar Mahadevan – Ehsaan – Loy’s first International venture, the UK movie, West is West, was released on 18 February 2011. The music was well received by almost all the reviewers, despite the movie itself receiving reviews ranging from mixed to positive.

Other Notable work where trio made a mark of their crisp musical works and bagged their name as one of the most successful music group of Bollywood.
They have created very class and different kind of music and also sound for the Mainstream Bollywood movies.

Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par

Rock On!!

Luck By Chance

London Dreams

Wake Up Sid

My Name Is Khan

Houseful

Tere Bin Laden

We Are Family

Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara

Other Notable Works

Shankar Mahadevan – Ehsaan – Loy have been involved in several other works except for films which include international tours and concerts across the globe. Ehsaan, Loy and Farhad had formed the band Instant Karma, and they released redone versions of R D Burman and other composers over two albums in 2002.

They have also composed music for several jingles, signature tunes for corporates including Reliance and Aircel, and public awareness campaigns. In 2010, the troika wrote music for the first ever Bollywood musical, Zangoora.

In 2011, they composed the official anthem for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, titled De Ghuma Ke

Which became quite popular among youths and cricket enthusiasts within days of its release.

In 2004, they performed for a concert organised by The Indian Express held in celebration of the democracy of India, which was also attended by Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar and other celebrities. They organised a concert at IFFI titled Salaam Boss (Salute to the Boss) in 2006 paying tribute to the legendary music composer R.D. Burman. Later in 2008, they performed for the Live Earth India Concert to help light homes with solar energy along with several other celebrities like Jon Bon Jovi.

Charity Work

The Trio Shankar Mahadevan – Ehsaan – Loy have been involved in many charitable activities. They composed the music for an album Haath Se Haath Mila as the part of an AIDS Awareness campaign launched by BBC World Service Trust In 2007,

They performed in Chennai for a concert organized by The Shakti Foundation – For the Physically Challenged to raise funds.

Organized by Farhan Akhtar, they lead the Rock concert for raising funds for a Pediatrics medical camp in Bihar in 2008. They also launched the You Know You Can Rock Harder G3 Challenge talent hunt in search of the most talented rock band in the country in the same year. They had performed for a fund raising concert for the NGO Alert India which fights against leprosy in 2009.

Collaboration

Dilbaro – Harshdeep Kaur, Vibha Saraf.(Raazi)
Gallan Goodiyan – Sukhwinder Singh, Yashita Sharma, Manish Tipu (Dil Dhadakne Do)
Kajra Re – Alisha Chinai, Javed Ali (Bunty Aur Babli)
Desi Girl – Sunidhi Chauhan, Shekhar Ravjani, Vishah Dadhlani (Dostana)
Indiawaale – KK, Neeti Mohan (Happy New Year)
Phir Bhi DIl Hain Hindustani – Udit Narayan, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Dominique Cerejo (Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani)
Baby Wont You Tell Me – Shweta Mohan (Sahoo)
Aao Na – Sadhana Sargam (Kyun! Ho Gaya Na)
Koi Jaye To Le Aaye – Alka Yagnik, Shankar Mahadevan (Ghatak: Lethal)

Awards By the Trio (Shankar – Ehsaan – Loy)

Filmfare Awards – Bunty Aur Babli, Kal Ho Na Ho and 2 States.

International Indian Film Academy Awards – Kal Ho Naa Ho, Bunty Aur Babli, and My Name is Khan.

Star Screen Awards – Dil Chahta Hai, Bunty Aur Babli, and My Name Is Khan.

Filmfare R.D Burman Award for New Music Talent

MTV Immies Award -2004

National Award for best music direction – Kal Ho Na Ho

Years of Excellence at the Jack Daniel’s Annual Rock Awards – Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai

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3 March 2021 | Bollywood Singer

Wishing a Wonderful 54th Birthday to Salim Merchant

Salim Merchant

Salim Merchant born on March 03, 1974 in Mumbai, their ancestral town is Kutch, Gujarat. Inspired by his father Sadruddin Merchant. He is married to Jeanne Merchant and have a daughter named Ayesha Merchant.

Music Career

Salim Merchant had often worked along with his brother Sulaiman Merchant and they are widely regarded as Salim – Sulaiman. They have given music for a numerous Hindi movies.

Salim Merchant did his schooling from Mumbai’s St. Peter’s High School and went KC College to pursue his graduation. Salim developed an interest in music at a very young age, since father was a music director. After completing his graduation Salim enrolled himself in London’s Trinity College of Music to master the Piano.

There after he went to Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan Delhi to learn Harmonium. His Guru was Ustad Sultan Khan.

Salim Merchant has been composing songs along with his sibling, Sulaiman Merchant. They have gained popularity in the industry owing to the movies like Chak de India and Fashion

Moreover, Salim Merchant took control of Piano in his college days and mastered it. He received recognition for his work in the movie titled, Bhoot after six years of immense hard work.

Salim Merchant and Sulaiman have been composing music for over a decade having scored for movies such as Neal ‘n’ Nikki, Chak De! India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Fashion. The duo had also composed for many Indi-pop performers including Viva, Aasmaan, Shweta Shetty, Jasmine and Style Bhai among others, composed and produced several TV commercials and collaborated with artistes such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Sultan Khan.

 After that, they have gone to do movies with well-known producers and directors like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma. They were predominantly composing background scores for movies, until the Karan Johar, Kaal, for which their song compositions received acclaim.

Salim Merchant was one of the three judges for the Fifth season of Indian Idol on Sony Entertainment Television.

In addition of his music composition he is also a great singer his famous song was Ishq Wala Love from the movie ‘Student of The Year’

They have worked on a Bollywood remix for Lady Gaga’s songs Born This Way and Judas. They also worked on I’m A Freak By Enrique.

The duo are also composing music for the Hollywood film Sold produced by Academy Award winner Jeffrey D. Brown.

2010 FIFA World Cup

After being the first Indian musicians to be nominated for an Emmy Award, for outstanding original song in the children and animation category for the animation show, The Wonder Pets, Salim-Sulaiman have another laurel in store. The duo was recently approached by a corporate body associated with FIFA, to compose a song for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa in June.

The corporate body is mostly made up of Indians, so they wanted us to compose a sports anthem for the World Cup, on the lines of Chak de India, Salim Merchant, one-half of the duo, which has composed songs for Chak De India ,Kurbaan, and Fashion, among others.

Although, initially, the duo weren’t sure about whether the song would actually be used in a big way during the World Cup, Merchant informs that recently, the main FIFA organizing body heard the song and loved it. And now, there are plans of taking the song even further.

The composer duo is now planning to get iconic Senegalese singer and Grammy Award winner, Youssou N’Dour, on board to sing the song. Youssou is the most famous African singer and they’d love nothing more than to get him to sing for them. The only unfortunate thing is that they’d have to remove Sidd’s voice from the track. If all goes well for the duo, they will also perform at the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup.

Famous Songs of Salim – Suleiman

Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017) – Arijit Singh, Vishal Dadhlani , Raj Pandit.

Janaan (2016) – Armaan Malik, Shreya Ghoshal, Bhoomi Trivedi, Iqbal M, Natasha Hay.

Jai Gangaajal (2016) – Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan, Parvesh Mallick, Richa Sharma, Divya Kumar.

Wedding Pullav (2015) – Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh.

22 Yards (2014) – Siddhart Mahadevan, Amit Mishra, Nikitha Gandhi, Amartya Roy.

Ungli (2014) – Gulraj Singh, Neeti Mohan, Armaan Malik.

Mardaani (2014) – Sunidhi Chauhan

Kaanchi: The Unbreakable (2014) – Sonu Nigam, Ismail Darbar, Mika Singh, Neeti Mohan, Aishwarya Majmundar

Rabba Main Kya Karoon (2013) – Monali Thakur, Benny Dayal, Vidhi Sharma, Akash Chopra, Labh Janjua, Satyadev Singh.

Satyagraha (2013) – Shweta Pandit, Rahul Ram, Aadesh Shrivastava, Shraddha Pandit, Shafqat Amanat Ali

Awards

Filmfare Award for Best Background Score – Krrish
Apsara Award for Best Music Director – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
IIFA Best Background Score Award – Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
Star Screen Award for Best Background Score – Bhoot
Star Screen Award for Best Background Score – Dhoom
Zee Cine Award for Best Background Score – Ab Tak Chhappan
Syracuse International Film Festival Awards
Best Dressed Music Composers


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12 January 2021 | Bollywood Singer

Happy Birthday to Most Beautiful Shibani Kashyap

Shibani Kashyap

Shibani Kashyap was born in the capital city New Delhi. She has specialized in Western and Indian Classical music. She graduated in English Literature. She is a Bollywood singer and Genre she sings is Soundtrack, Indian pop and Bollywood. She loves to experiment with music and believes to sing in her own way.
Shibani got married to Rajiv Roda who is an Anchor , Emcee , Model and an Actor.

Career

Shibani started her career by launching the signature tune of A.I.R. F.M., a channel of the All India Radio. They took a lot of people’s audition for the jingle but Shibani made it through and the tune is been played from then till now.
She has composed advertisement jingles for Amul India and Subah Savere show on Doordarshan. She shot into national fame with her debut pop album Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat (1998).

She was selected to represent India at the 1999 annual international music festival Azia Dauysy held in Kazakhstan. In 2000, she released a
Sufi album called Nagmagee.

She has been performing all over the world and spreading the taste of Indian Music and letting people hear her melodious voice.
Her first song ever in Bollywood was –

Sajna Aa Bhi Jaa for the film – ‘Waisa Bhi Hota Hain – 2’

She has also sang songs for the films Zinda (2006), 1971 (2007).
She has worked as a Composer of the title track for the serial Akela on Sony Entertainment Teleision.

Shibani has also been a judge for the singing show called Bathroom Singer which was aired on Sahara Filmy Channel.
The Show was judged by Shibani and Bhojpuri Superstar Ravi Kishan.

In February Shivani released the Album called Chandani Raatein, which is one of my most favourite songs of Noor Jehan, one of the most iconic singers of Pakistan.

Even though it’s a slow song, there’s something very lilting and melodious about it. She always wanted to recreate the song in my own way. It has got a wonderful response, and she performed it at all her live concerts these days.

She has also composed a new song called “Ye Kaisi Bheed Hain’’ It talks about the fear of crowds or agoraphobia. It’s a hopeful song with a message about speaking about and expressing one’s fears. I’m also working on a piece against drunk-driving.

Shibani has made many songs which have a social messages like one she created a song called “Don’t drink and Drive”

Alvida – Tribute to victims of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks.
I Am A Woman Am A Girl (The official Femina Miss India Anthem which is a tribute to woman)

Shibani Kashyap is a live singer performer with shows all over the world, with some of the biggest brands and film makers in India.
Her recent realease “Raanjhan” on Zee Music Originals. Shibani Kashyap recently launched a new single “Wanna Be Free” feat Richa Chadha

Shibani Kashyap recently did a successful show in Chicago 2016 followed by the prestigious show for Indian Army Regiment 57 at Rajouri at the India Pakistan Border, Jammu & Kashmir.


In June 2015 Shibani Kashyap was invited by the “Indian ambassador in Indonesia” to perform at the Sahabat India Festival held in Jakarta. Same month she was a speaker at the “TEDx Walled City” held in Delhi.

In 2014 Shibani Kashyap performed for the “Queen Of Malaysia” in Kuala Lumpur, the Indian Navy, at the Lavasa festival, the Tarpa festival in Silvasa to promote DNH tourism, for Goa tourism and allot more within the corporate sector.

She was once more invited along with the Indian President’s contingent to perform at the Independence Day celebrations of Mauritius in 2013. She was globally appreciated for her performance for the opening ceremony of the “Common Wealth Games” at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium!


And then internationally represented India in New York for the India day parade in 2012. Along with international shows on Diwali, Baisakhi and other festivals.

Shibani Kashyap performed at numerous fashion shows including the “Lakme Fashion week”. Her recent hit singles include, Dil Kahey, Soneya Feat. Mika Singh Khuda Khair from the film “Main Aur Mr Right” and “Sannatta” from national award winning film “Identity Card”.
On 6 July 2014, she enrolled as member of Bharatiya Janata Party, a political party of India, which formed government in month of May 2014.

She also announced this association on website Twitter, earlier also she released new music album ” My Free Spirit ” where the remix song was produced by Nakul Shourie which was launched by Sonu Nigam.
Shibani Kashyap has Ranviir – The Marshal in 2015 features a special number sung by her. She has also acted in the film. In 2018, she sang the gangster themed song “Bachke tu chalna re”, a duet with singer and composer Varun Ahuja for the film “Mere Paas Baap Hai“.

Shibani Kashyap has also also done an album with very famous singer Mika Singh named “Soneya”

Collaborations

Shibani Kashyap has collaborated with many renowned Music Directors and Singers. She has collaborated with Vishal – Shekhar for the movie Zinda.

Mika Singh for Soneya

Yo Yo Honey Singh, Sonu Kakkar Neha Kakkar, Mika Singh for Punjabi Mashup 2014.

Awards

Rajiv Gandhi Global Excellence Award – 2018.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award – Best Playback Singer.
Channel V Award.
Sangeet award 2005 – Best Female Pop Singer.
Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award 2020 – Voice of Soul.
Women’s Achiever Award Match by Phulkari Women Of Amritsar.
Star Achiever Award 2019.

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9 January 2021 | Bollywood Singer

Many Many Happy Returns Of The Day To Legendary Mahendra Kapoor

Mahendra Kapoor

Mahendra Kapoor was born in Amritsar, city in Punjab. Soon he moved to Mumbai – A city of Dreams. He always considered Mohammad Rafi as his guru and cited many time that he was the best singer to be ever born, considered him his mentor, he started learning classical music under classical singers like Pt. Hussanlal, Pt. Jagannath Bua, Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan, Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan and Pt.Tulsidaas Sharma.

Kapoor created a style of his own molded largely on Rafi. Kapoor had a very large vocal range, and he is sometimes known as The Vibrant Voice of India. He was the first Indian playback singer to record music in English. He was asked by the group Boney M to sing their songs in Hindi with Musarat from Pakistan.
Mahendra Kapoor sang the most iconic patriotic song of India, ‘’Mere Desh ki Dharti’’

Family

Mahendra Kapoor got married Pravinlata Kapoor and had a son and three Daughters.

Mahendra Kapoor and Mohammad Rafi

Mahendra was around 13 when he heard the Mohammed Rafi number ‘’Yahan badla wafa ka – Jugnu,1947 and was totally mesmerized by the singer. Mahendra somehow found out Rafi saab’s house in Bhendi Bazaar and reached there even though it was a riot-affected area post-Partition. Winning the Metro Murphy All-India singing competition (1957) made it easier for Mahendra to make inroads in Bollywood. Rafi saab helped him perfect the nuances. He sang the non-film song

Ilahi Koi Tamanna Nahi

He said Mahendra, to look at the stars and the moon. It’s such a beautiful night. The creator of so much beauty has no ghamand (pride). Then how can we, who’ve just sung a few songs, pride on ourselves? I’ll perform namaz, you do pooja and let’s thank the Lord.

And the two lost themselves in prayer. Mahendra would never let go of any opportunity to show his gratitude towards Rafi. In 1979, a Mahendra Kapoor night was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London where Rafi’s sons, Khalid and Sayyed, happened to be present.

When Mahendra came to know of it, he asked the organizers to get him two garlands, something impossible at that hour. They were, however, bought from a temple in the vicinity. Then, he called the boys on stage, garlanded them, touched their feet and said, ‘I am not touching your feet, I am touching the feet of my guru who’s sitting in Mumbai!’ The audience was moved. Every singer has been influenced by another but no one acknowledges it.
Surprisingly, Rafi and Mahendra never sang together (except in Aadmi, 1968).Rafi would say, ‘Log hum mein kushti ladayenge (people will pitch us against each other). We are brothers, not rivals
The ’70s saw a paradigm shift in film music with the combination of Kishore Kumar and RD Burman taking over. It was a highly insecure phase for all singers, not only Kapoor.

The Indian and earthy style of singing popularized by singers like Talat saab, Rafi saab, Mukeshji and Mahendra Kapoor gave way to a western style. The instruments changed completely. That era troubled dad. Left, right and center it was only Kishore Kumar.

There was only one song of Rafi Saab and Mahendra Saab

Aadmi 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuo1wrfOOI

The Burning Hand Story of Raj Kapoor for Mahendra Kapoor.

Mahendra Kapoor told his family another incident when he went with Raj Kapoor for a show in Tashkent, in Russia. Rajsaab asked him whether he would play the harmonium when he sang his songs.

My father agreed, so as decided, my father played the harmonium and Rajsaab sang his songs. People applauded, Rajsaab was a demi-god in Russia.

The song ‘’Neele Gagan Ke Tale’’ was a huge hit in Russia. He asked someone to translate the song into Russian language and memorised it. After Rajsaab left the stage, Kapoor started singing ‘’Neele Gagan Ke Tale’’ in Russian. People went mad, and they began calling out my Mahendra Kapoor’s name and cheering for him. Rajsaab heard the noise and wanted to see who was so popular.
On seeing Mahendra Kapoor on the stage, he said, “Sirf ek Kapoor he doosre Kapoor ko maat de sakta hai” (Only one Kapoor can defeat another Kapoor).
Rajsaab was very happy with my Mahendra Kapoor.

While returning from Tashkent, he said, ‘Mahendra, I can’t give you the songs pictured on me as Mukesh sings my songs, you know that.’
Mahendra Kapoor said, ‘I know it and I don’t want them. Mukesh is a good friend.’
Rajsaab said, ‘There are second heroes in my films for whom you can sing. I can give you those songs. Henceforth, all my second hero songs, only you will sing.’
My father pulled his leg a bit. ‘Paaji, you are such a big man, once you reach India, you will forget you ever told me this.’
Rajsaab said, ‘Mahendra, you think like this of me?’ He then took the cigarette he was smoking and burnt his hand and said, ‘This mark will remain on my hand to remind me that I have to give you songs.’
When they came back, Rajsaab gave him the songs –

Woh Gaana Gaye Ga from Sangam

Career

Mahendra Kapoor’s debut as a playback singer in V. Shantaram’s Navrang in 1958, singing ‘’Aadha Hain Chandrama Raat Aadhi’’

under the musical direction of C.Ramchandra. Kapoor sung in a large number of Indian languages, and is the playback singer who has performed in the largest number of in Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Marathi movies. In Marathi he was very popular for being the voice of Dada Kondke in all his movies.
In spite of being associated with Dada Kondke’s colloquial style his singing for Marathi movies was not limited to Dada Kondke’s movies only.

Hindi Songs

Chalo ek baar (Gumrah).

Tum agar Saath dene ka wada karo (Hamraaz)

Aap ke Paas (Kaajal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtLsnXzPC1E

Gujarati Songs

Roop ni Rangeli

Ruperi Raatni

Chalo ne Ramiye

Tara Dukh Ne Khankheri naakh

Bhojpuri Songs

Jekara Charanwa Men

Diyawa Ke Sange

Punjabi Songs

Hain Jaan toh Pyaar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2kG_SB09jQ

Ki Puchhde O Haal Fakiran Da

Chhara Sarpanch Banya

Ek Kudi Punjabi Shava

Mahendra Kapoor is one of the golden era singers. He remained as one of the most popular singers in Bollywood who has given his voice to almost all of the popular heroes and leading well-known actors. For Punjabi movies he has given his voice to Varendra, Mehar Mittal, Prem Nath and many more.
He has sung in almost every language in India, and has sung & covered almost every verity of songs such as Patriotic, Romantic, Bhajans, Qawwalis, Naats, & the TV Serial “MAHABHARAT” title song has been the umpteenth feather in his already crowned cap.

Collaborations

Mahendra Kapoor had collaborated with many artists like Mohammed Rafi for most of the songs in his career.

Asha Bhosle for Aadha Hain Chandrama Raat Aadhi, Are Jaa Re Hat Natkhat Aya Holi, Chehra Chupa Liya Hain, Ye Raat Ye Barsaat, Hum Jab Simatke Aapki Bahon Me Aagaye, Tujhko Mera Pyaar Pukare,

Lata Mangeshkar for Ye Kali Jab Talak Phool Banke, Tere Pyaar Ka Aasra, Mangal ki sewa, Teri Bindiyan Re

Awards

Padma Shri – India’4th highest civilian award.
National Film Award For Best Playback Singer – Upkar 1968.
Filmfare Awards for Best Playback Singer – Aur Nahi Bus Aur Nahi 1975. and Chalo Ek baar 1964 and Neele Gagan Ke Tale 1968.


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6 January 2021 | Indian Music Director

Wishing A.R Rahman A Wonderful 54th Birthday

A.R Rahman

Alla Rakha Rahman a.k.a A.R Rahman was born on January 6, 1966. In Madras now India is an Indian composer and singer and is regarded as one of most successful and one of the best music composers India has ever had.
Rahman’s father R.K Sekhar was very famous and prominent Score composer for Tamil and Malyalam Films and his mother, Kareema (born Kashturi)

A.R Rahman got married to Saira Banu and have 3 children with him.

A.R Rahman assisted his father in the studio, playing the keyboard. After his father’s death when Rahman was nine years old, the rental of his father’s musical equipment provided his family’s income. Raised by his mother, Kareema (born Kashturi), Rahman, who was studying in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan had to work to support his family. Which led to him to routinely miss classes and fail exams.

Therefore, the Principal Mrs YGP summoned Rahman and his mother and told them that Rahman should focus on academics irrespective of family circumstances. Rahman attended another school called MCN for a year, and later joined Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, where he was admitted on his music talent and formed a band with his high school classmates.

However, after discussing with his mother, A.R Rahman later dropped out of school to pursue a career as a full-time musician. Rahman was a keyboard player and arranger for bands such as Roots (with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja) and founded the Chennai-based rock group Nemesis Avenue. He mastered the keyboard, piano, synthesizer, harmonium and guitar, and was particularly interested in the synthesizer because it was the ideal combination of music and technology.

A.R Rahman began his early musical training under Master Dhanraj, and at age 11 began playing in the orchestra of Malayalam composer (and close friend of his father) M. K. Arjunan. He soon began working with other composers, such as M. S. Viswanathan, Vijaya Bhaskar, Ilaiyaraaja, Ramesh Naidu, Hamsalekha and Raj-Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship from Trinity College London to the Trinity College of Music.

Studying in Madras, A.R Rahman graduated with a diploma in Western classical music from the school. Rahman was introduced to Qadiri tariqa when his younger sister was seriously ill in 1984.

A.R Rahman‘s mother was a practicing Hindu. At the age of 23, he converted to Islam with other members of his family in 1989, changing his name to Allah Rakha Rahman

Career

A.R Rahman initially composed scores for different documentaries and jingles for advertisements and Indian television channels. In 1987 Rahman, then still known as Dileep, composed jingles for a line of watches introduced by Allwyn. A.R Rahman also arranged the jingles for some advertisements that went on to become very popular, including the popular jingle for Titan Watches, in which he used the theme from Mozart’s Symphony no. 25.

In the year 1992 Mani Ratnam gave an opportunity to A.R Rahman in the movie “Roja” to compose the score and soundtrack for Tamil Movie

During the filming, its Cinematographer Santosh Sivan signed A.R Rahman up for the Malayalam movie Yodha, directed by his brother Sangeeth Sivan released later in September 1992.

The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, an unprecedented win for a first-time film composer. A.R Rahman has since been awarded the Silver Lotus three more times for Minsara Kanavu (Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer. Roja’s score met with high sales and acclaim in both its original and dubbed versions, led by the theme song “Chinna Chinna Aasai“

Bringing about a marked change in film music at the time. A.R Rahman has worked with Indian poets and lyricists such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Vairamuthu and Vaali.

A.R Rahman has consistently produced commercially successful soundtracks when collaborating with particular film directors such as Mani Ratnam, who he has worked with since Roja, and the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys, Sivaji and lately for Enthiran.

In 2005, Rahman extended his Panchathan Record Inn studio by establishing AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai, thereby creating the most cutting-edge studio in Asia. A.R Rahman co-scored the Shekhar Kapur project and his first British film, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, in 2007.

A.R Rahman garnered an Asian Film Award nomination for Best Composer at the Hong Kong International Film Festival for his Jodhaa Akbar score. His compositions have been sampled for other scores within India, and appeared in such films as Inside Man, Lord of War, Divine Intervention and The Accidental Husband.

In 2008, A.R Rahman scored his first Hollywood picture, the comedy Couples Retreat released the next year, which won him the BMI London Award for Best Score. A.R Rahman scored the film Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards, becoming the first Asian to do so. The songs “Jai Ho” and “O…Saya” from the soundtrack of this film met with commercial success internationally.

In 2010, A.R Rahman composed scores for the romance film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, blockbuster sci-fi romance film Enthiran and Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours. Rahman started off the year 2011 by scoring Imtiaz Ali’s musical film Rockstar. The soundtrack became a phenomenal success and earned A.R Rahman immense critical praise.

Bollywood Music

Many successful scores for films including Dil Se and the percussive Taal followed. Sufi mysticism formed the basis of Chaiyya Chaiyya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmrmVs10X8

For the former and the composition “Zikr” from A.R Rahman‘s score of the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements.

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 #4 on the Billboard 200 chart. The song “Jai Ho” reached #2 on the Euro chart Hot 100 Singles and #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

A.R Rahman also gave a major break to many musical artists one of them is Benny Dayal , he gave him an opportunity to sing in one of his movies.

Rahman released a 19-minute orchestral composition The Flying Lotus in 2017 featuring the demonetization. This musical piece is an open interpretation of this major stance against black money which also includes Narendra Modi’s speech.

Other Works

In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music. Its first release was his score to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. Rahman scored the Mandarin language picture Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 after researching and utilizing Chinese and Japanese classical music.

99 SONGS

A.R Rahman had written and Co-Produced the film 99songs which featured various artists.

The Oscars

One cannot forget mentioning about Oscar award won by this legend Rahman.
Oscar are the world’s best awards for the film and music industries.
AR Rahman with his talent and impeccable music experience had directed the Music in the movie Slumdog Millionaire (English) Slumdog Crorepati (Hindi).

International Tours of Rahman

Rahman has put his shadow all over the world not only India. Since 2004 Rahman has performed three successful world tours before audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and India, and has been collaborating with Karen David on her upcoming studio album.

A two-disc CD, Introducing A. R. Rahman (featuring 25 of his Tamil film-score pieces), was released in May 2006 and his non-film album Connections was released on 12 December 2008 Rahman performed at a White House state dinner arranged by US President Barack Obama during an official visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 24 November 2009. He is one of over 70 artists on “We Are the World 25 for Haiti”, a charity single to raise relief funds in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In 2010, Rahman composed “Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat” in honour of the 50th anniversary of the formation of Gujarat State,”Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam” as part of the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010, and the theme song for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, “Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto“

A.R Rahman Charity Work

Rahman is involved in various charitable causes. In 2004, he was appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by WHO. He has shown support to charities including Save the Children, India, and worked with Cat Stevens /Yusuf Islam for his song “Indian Ocean“.

The song featured a 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 partnered with Audio Media Education facility to tutor and train aspiring musicians in vocals, instruments, music technology and sound design. The conservatory – with preeminent musicians on its panel and a newly founded symphony orchestra – is located near his studio in Kodambakkam, Chennai, offering courses at Beginners, Foundation and Diploma level. Rahman composed the theme music for a short film for The Banyan in 2006, in aid of destitute women in Chennai.

In 2008, Rahman, along with percussionist Sivamani created a song titled “Jiya Se Jiya“, inspired by the Free Hugs Campaign and promoted it through a video shot in various cities in India.

Famous Bollywood tracks by Rahman

Hain Rama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxqB1xUX36s&feature=emb_logo

Bombay(1995)

Taal se Taal (Taal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEqpxQ_tB5I

Saathiyan (Saathiyan)

Yuhi Chala Chala (Swades)

Khalbali (Rang De Basanti)

Jashn-E-Bahaara (Jodha Akbar)

And who can forget…

Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire)

Collaboration With Other Artists

Rangeela – Hariharan, S.P Balasubramaniyan, Kavita Krishnamurthi, S. Janaki.
Dil Se – Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Kavita Krishnamurthy.
Taal – Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Richa Sharma, Shoma, Madhu Vaishali.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – Vijay Prakash, Sapna Mukherjee, Satyanarayan Mishra.
Rang De Basanti – Harshdeep Kaur, Daler Mehndi, Naresh Iyer, Mohammed Aslam, Mohit Chauhan, Lata Mangeshkar, Naresh Iyer.
Rockstar – Mohit Chauhan, Sapna Awasthi, Harshdeep Kaur, Javed Ali, Tanvi Shah, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Suzanne D’Mello, Clinton Cerejo.
Guru – Shreya Ghoshal, Udhai Mazumdar, Bappi Lahiri, Chinmayi Sripada, Alka Yagnik, Mohammad Aslam.
Jodhaa Akbar – Bonnie Chakraborty, Mohommad Aslam, Madhushree, Bela Shende.

Awards and Honours

Academy Awards –

Best Original Score and Best Original song – Slumdog Millionaire – 2009.

BAAFTA Award –

Best Film Music – Slumdog Millionaire

Golden Globe Award – Best Original Score – Slumdog Millionaire – 2009.

Grammy Award – Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – Slumdog Millionaire – 2009.

World Soundtrack Award – The Public Choice Award – Viceroy’s House 2017.
The Public Choice Award – 127 Hours 2011.

National Film Awards –

Best Music Direction – Roja 1992

Minsara Kanavu 1996

Lagaan 2001

Kannathil Muthamittal 2002

Kaatru Veliyidai 2017

Mom 2017

 And Many More..

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