I Chose Love

By Bhama Devi Ravi (With inputs from Karthika Gopalakrishnan), "When the music becomes the man" - The Times Of India - India
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Chennai: “Ella pugazhum iraivanuke” (All glory is to God) — the Tamil lines in Rahman’s acceptance speech capture the essence of his approach to work.

Spirituality is the cornerstone of the maestro’s life and music, the influence that defines him. Friends and colleagues consider Rahman a Sufi in the truest sense of the word — a man who subsumes his ego, whose humility and kindness shows in every action and word.

He is gentle in his interactions, self-effacing in temperament — even newcomers do not find him intimidating despite his formidable reputation.

When they were recording with children for a song in ‘Bombay’, for instance, Rahman conducted the kids himself as he thought they would be more comfortable with him, says S Sivakumar, chief sound engineer, A M Studio.

Rahman is often seen lightly mocking himself when he slips during rehearsals; it’s an attitude that’s known to put everyone in the studio at ease.

Rahman himself told TOI after he won the Golden Globe, “The Sufi philosophy of overcoming your ego is at the heart of my music.”

“His spirituality makes him sensitive to signs around him,” says lyricist Prasoon Joshi. A Hindu who converted to Islam after his family went through trying times, Rahman’s music is inspired by a mysticism which stresses on the universality of love.

As Rahman said in his speech, “I always had a choice between love and hate in my life. I chose love, and I am here.”

The Sufi in the man is evident in songs such as ‘Chhaiya, Chhaiya’ and ‘Piya Haji Ali’.

Though he does cater to demanding producers and nod at prevailing trends in the film industry, he is in his element when asked to capture the syncretism and exuberance of spiritual bliss.

The 2008 hit ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ from ‘Jodha Akbar’ is among the most memorable examples in recent years.

[Visit the Artist's website http://www.arrahman.com/v2/; Picture from KM Music Conservatory http://www.kmmc.in/html/home.php].