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A. S. Dileep Kumar,is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician and philanthropist. A. R. Rahman’s works are noted for integrating Eastern classical music with electronic music, world music and traditional orchestral arrangements. Among his awards are two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, four National Film Awards, fifteen Filmfare Awards and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2010 by the Government of India.Rahman’s body of work for film and stage has given him the nickname of “the Mozart of Madras”, and Tamil commentators and fans call him Isai Puyal (English: the Musical Storm).
Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, R. K. Shekhar, was a film-score composer and conductor for Tamil and Malayalam films; 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 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”.
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, Ilaiyaraaja, Ramesh Naidu 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 Chennai, Rahman graduated with a diploma in Western classical music from the school.Rahman was introduced to Qadiri Islam when his younger sister was seriously ill in 1984. His mother was a practicing Hindu.He converted to Islam (his mother’s religion) with other members of his family in 1989 at age 23, changing his name from R.S. Dileep Kumar to Allah Rakha Rahman (A.R. Rahman).
In 2009, Time included Rahman on its list of the world’s most influential people.The UK-based world-music magazine Songlines named him one of “Tomorrow’s World Music Icons” in August 2011.
With an in-house studio (Panchathan Record Inn in Chennai), Rahman’s film-scoring career began during the early 1990s with the Tamil film Roja. Working in India’s film industries, international cinema and theatre, Rahman is one of the world’s all-time best-selling recording artists.In a notable two-decade career, he has been acclaimed for redefining contemporary Indian film music and contributing to the success of several films. Rahman has become a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising money for a number of causes and charities.
