This website is best viewed [at 1280 x 800] on Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. There will be a marked difference.


For an interview with the author, click here.

Please enter your email address:




Delivered by FeedBurner

Tuesday 24 February 2009

The Alchemist of precious rarity


A placard, Down Under, read - Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting. They will go unnoticed for even the Lord is busy watching.

Another placard, ordained in Swiss colours, popular at every Grand Slam, read - Shh..! QUIET! Genius at work.

Let us do away with placards now. Words, however apt and riveting, will now have to give way to this modern-day alchemist. His bottomless, sonorous cauldron effervesces chaste melody. One who makes words swing to his seemingly ever-pervasive tunes. Annals of history await to embrace and immortalize him. Enter the tunesmith and his resonating columns. 

Friedrich Chopin wrote almost exclusively for the piano. Our tunesmith is par excellence at the keyboard. And we dub him - The Chopin of Chennai...

But the great Wolfgang Amadius Mozart composed melodies in every conceivable form - concertos, operas, symphonies, requiems... It goes without saying that Chopin held Mozart in great esteem. And our tunesmith is promptly dubbed again - The Mozart of Madras.

Let us do away with dubbing, too. For, it is a rather arduous and pointless task to liken pure genius across different eras. However much the Bradmans and Lavers behold our Tendulkars and Federers in awe, we know it is but mutual admiration and respect. Each generation springs a surprise package. We ought to consider ourselves lucky to witness feats of talent sublime and orchestrated brilliance wherever the said package sets foot. 

Our beloved tunesmith belongs to a different echelon - well beyond the archetypal melody tappers of today. Much like the artist and the warrior of sport lore, he is an elite excellence of symphonic execution. Needless to say, he is a composer with a staggering range - from raga to reggae to hip hop to Indian rustbelt folk to jungle rhythms to faux baroque, brewed with an unerring feel for melody, swing and soul.

Music, it is said, is food for the soul. An Earthly ambrosia for us mortals... We revel in reverie. When has his refulgent genius left us disappointed? Awarded or not, when have his compositions even seemed like an "also-ran" in front of a myriad others..?

That intrepid tunesmith, my brethren, is a beacon. A calibre of precious rarity, per se. It is rather unsurprising that we allow ourselves to remain entranced by this Pied Piper incarnate who, it has to be agreed, has been composing melodies of the future. To imagine that we are listening to it today, gives us much relief. A silent satisfaction. For, we have had the blessed fortune of tasting something that is futuristic. Moreover, we live to tell the tale and sing praises to his name. 

After all, we were not made to wait for another Wellsian classic (a la The Time Machine) to ruefully read, imagining when-oh-when shall we see all this live... Soothsayers! No longer, are you required to read entrails to look at the future. Augurs! No longer do you need to observe the flight and appetite of birds to aid your prediction. Oracles! No longer shall incense-fantasized, beautiful lasses serve as mediums of your foretelling. Away with such charlatans who thrive on credulity, and their Sibylline books!

The enchanting alchemist is here, equipped with clandestine concoctions and potions that breathe futuristic vibes to those alluring compositions. Search his soulful notes for a taste of the future. Embrace. You may be lucky to spot a hint in those well-knit chords...

Vibrant notes, soulful chords,
The tarot decrees – King of Swords!
A sovereign over his domain, he is the khan.
Heavens thunder, as he faces the odds,
“Rahman! Rahman! Rahman!”
---

Take a bow, OscAR Rahman, take a bow!

56 comments:

bondgal_rulz said...

A.R. Rehman - Jai Ho !!

Need I say more ? :)

Unknown said...

I agree with Bondgal..

Jai Ho !!!!

lovely as always..

Priya said...

Congrats to him and good piece of writing.

Gauri Mathur said...

3 cheers for Rahman Sir!!
Hip Hip Hurray!
Hip Hip Hurray!
Hip Hip Hurray!

and now 3 Big Smilies too!!
:-):-):-)

Anonymous said...

one helluva lot of ode ths is to Rahman. I really do feel that he read this.. please do try and send ths to a newspaper or reach it out to him in some way..

V. Archana said...

nice write for rahman.

DMulan said...

Rehman genius indeed!

Kartz said...

##bondgal_rulz
The name says it all... :)

Kartz said...

##Ani
Thanks!

Kartz said...

##Priya
Merci, madame... :)

Kartz said...

##Gauri
Sirf smilie? :P

Kartz said...

##verbivore
How I wish, he does... Thanks! Glad you like it. :)

Kartz said...

##Archana
Gratias...

Kartz said...

##Divya
Bingo!

Akshat said...

hmm.....I wonder who your favourite composer??? :P :P

I love Rehman too but Jai Ho ain't his best according to me!!!

What say??

Take Care

Richa said...

u r the alchemist to have done magic with words :D

rehmaan deserves bows really.. i have always been his follower :D

Akshat said...

hmm.....I wonder who's your favourite composer??? :P :P

I love Rehman too but Jai Ho ain't his best according to me!!!

What say??

Take Care

Praveen said...

too good a writeup though I had to search for my dictionary more than once to actually understand what you meant by some words..

Anonymous said...

Jai ho.. ARR is the god of music.. :)

Anonymous said...

i envy you!

Kartz said...

##Akshat
Well, tbh, I don't have a favourite. My playlist is limited. And I don't listen to a lot of Rahman either... Cos, his numbers are "not my type". Not that I do not like him (else why would I write something like this?!), but we have our tastes, right..?

And oh yes! He had a lot other scores that prolly deserved something like an Oscar. But having one now, they get recognised. That's how I have taken it... I agree, Jai Ho is far from his best. Yet... :)

Kartz said...

##Richa
Me? Alchemist? Come on! No way...

:)

Kartz said...

##Akshat
Take-two? ;D

Kartz said...

##Praveen
Thanks, mate...

Kartz said...

##The Pink Orchid
We'll let history have the final say... :)

Kartz said...

##americanising desi
And why so? :)

jayu said...

Kartzmagus,take a bow! Your ode to Rahman is a brilliant piece of writing.

Tara said...

What better tribute can anyone give? Beautifully delivered. Jai ho Rahman sir, you are truly admired! :)

Anya said...

ARR.
he is simple
and i like his cool attitude
everyone would like it

and i still experience goosebumps when ever i see that oscar video

loved the sachin quote

www.chronicwriter.com

Amrita~Ams said...

well Its true Rehman rocks..
but Jai Ho! was not his best compo?
It was just the hype of movie..
I wonder If you have any fav?? :P :D

btw nice work...esp the last lines :)

Kartz said...

##Jayu
Thanks a megaton, auntie..! :)

Kartz said...

##Tara
Yep... He sure is! :)

Kartz said...

##Chriz
Good to see you back, bro'. Thanks for the read...

Kartz said...

##Amrita
Thanks... :) And yep, neither do I feel this is his best. But well, this did fetch him the recognition he and his past compositions deserve!

Nivedita said...

I will only say GO A.R. Rehman!!! GO Indian music!!!
Very eloquently expressive, am I not?
But I loved the way you compared him to an alchemist and- His bottomless sonorous cauldron effervesces chaste melody.

Matangi Mawley said...

Jai Ho Karthik!!!! wht words!! as gr8 as His music!!!

Jai Ho, Rahman!! :)

Anonymous said...

Neat!

Anonymous said...

Indians on global stage... Nice!

Jagrut said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kartz said...

##Hibbert
Thanks.

Kartz said...

##Anonymous
Sure is. Thanks...

Kartz said...

[Spam comment deleted]

Kartz said...

##Nivedita
:)

Kartz said...

##Matangi
Gee, thanks for those kind words buddy... Gracious, rather.

Anonymous said...

Magnanimous writin. Well dun nuntheless.

Anonymous said...

good 'un there!!!...!!

droppen in 'ere from ur StoryWrite and AllPoetry page.

don't u post dere dese days????

Anonymous said...

Who is it that you write for, with such bombast-ism..?

Sneha Shrivastava said...

AR no doubt is a music artist par excellence. What is amazing about him is that he is a very down-to -earth personality and cherishes his Indian ethos to the hilt and still is
appreciative and open to the western music. this embodies a true professional.:)

Keshi said...

I went to his LIVE show in Sydney abt 3yrs ago..it was superb :)


Kartz, so I'll see ya when I see ya next then. TY for everything! TC ok. Will miss ya!

Keshi.

kanagu said...

Great post friend :)

A.R.Rahman really deserves it.. As a fan of him I enjoyed.. :)

Kartz said...

##Harsh Singhania
Thanks.

Kartz said...

##Obsidian
Thanks.

Yes, I have discontinued posting there. Glad you stopped by.

Kartz said...

##Anonymous
I write for myself, first. Yes, I am unabashed and bloody proud of it.

Kartz said...

##Sneha
So damn true... :)

How are you? And thanks for the read.

Kartz said...

##Keshi
Know this - I still appreciate your readership and value your thoughts.

Thanks. Hope to see you around soon.

Stay safe. Be well.

Peace. Take care. Blessed be.

Kartz said...

##Kanagu
Thanks, dude... :)

Minions

facebook

Vox Populi...

Veni, vidi...

Rendition?

"Santa" Akshat comes to town!

"Santa" Akshat comes to town!
A token from a fellow blogging compadre, Akshat

Lady Cяystal relates...

Lady Cяystal relates...
Note - her creativity *swells* with every block. :)