Mozart of Madras does the city proud

Chennai

Chennai, Nov 1

He creates magic by combining traditional Carnatic and Hindustani music with modern electronic musical elements, world music genres and traditional orchestral arrangements. His musical gifts have won him several prestigious international honours, including two Academy Awards and Grammy Awards each, a BAFTA and Golden Globe, four National Film Awards, 15 Filmfare Awards, 13 Filmfare Awards South and numerous others. Time magazine’s list of World’s Most Influential People describes him as ‘the world’s most prominent and prolific film composer’. Rahman’s over two decade-long career that began with Mani Ratnam’s Roja is now globally influencing musical genres and he is now part of a cooperative project, ‘SuperHeavy’ with Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, soul singer Joss Stone and composer-reggae star Damian “Jr Gong” Marley.

His in-house studio, Panchathan Record Inn, at Chennai is one of Asia’s most sophisticated and high-tech. His KM Music Conservatory (KMMC) is the first institute of higher education of its kind in India, offering courses in Hindustani and Western classical music and music technology.

Rahman, one of the highest paid composers, is also a humanitarian and philanthropist. The purpose-built KMMC campus, for instance, houses The Sunshine Orchestra for underprivileged children. Speaking about his video album, ‘Infinite Love’ (2012), he said, “I’m always fascinated by the innocence of children and the baggage that we carry as adults, which manipulates our decisions. An ideal world can definitely be created with a pure mind and optimistic thoughts.”