INFORMATION
| Artist Birthday : | 06/01/1967 (Age 57) |
| Born In : | Chennai |
| Occupation(s) : | Music director, composer, singer-songwriter and music producer. |
| Genres : | Film Score, Classical Music |
AR Rahman does not need any introduction. He is one of the greatest Indian musicians of modern times and has graced the county with an Oscar as well. He is also a representative of contemporary Indian music around the globe. His musical ability has gained him the nicknames like The Mozart of Madras, Isai Puyal, and AR.
Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on January 6, 1967 to R. K. Shekhar and Kareema (born Kashturi) and was named A. S. Dileep Kumar. His father was a local music composer in Malayalam films but died when he was very young. Thus, he had to struggle for a stable life and served as a keyboard, synthesizer, harmonium and guitar player in the initial days. He was particularly interested in the synthesizer as it combined music with technology.
At the age of 11, he joined the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja and later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan Ramesh Naidu and Raj Koti. He also accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, and L. Shankar.
He learned music through a scholarship in Trinity College of Music and ended his studies with a degree in Western classical music.
In 1992, he established a studio in his backyard which he named Panchathan Record Inn. It is now an assembly of highly advanced recording instruments. Starting a career as a jingle producer, he managed to score music for Mani Ratnam’s Roja in 1992.
His music was universally appreciated and regarded as the changing industry needed. He produced timeless music for Bollywood movies like Dil Se and Taal in the following years. Rahman also launched a music label under him named KM Music in 2006.
Rahman gained worldwide attention when he created music for Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. His production was acknowledged as the best for the respective year which made him the first Indian to win two Academy Awards and one Golden Globe award. In 2010, he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor.
The legendary composer is married to Saira Banu and has three children, Khadijah, Rahima, and Aameen. Due to his childhood struggle, Rahman became an atheist but later converted to Islam in 1989, his mother’s religion.
Rahman is still developing as a composer and singer which is evident in his recent work. His live performances are often regarded better than original tracks as they showcase the use of various musical instruments in complete harmony.
