finetune artist: AR Rahman

b. A.S. Dileep Kumar, 6 January 1966, Madras, India. The son of a musical director for Indian films, A.S. Dileep Kumar took to music at an early age, initially on local television and, from the age of nine (following his father's death), as a keyboard player on Indian film soundtracks. As a teenager he accompanied other Indian artists and played in a rock band on the Indian college campus circuit. He gained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music, London, and following the completion of his studies, worked for six years in the Indian advertising industry, composing a number of successful jingles. He also embraced Islam and changed his name to A.R. Rahman. In 1992 Rahman began to work as a musical director for Indian film soundtracks. His music for the film Roja, the soundtrack of which sold 2.5 million copies and spawned two hit singles, was the first of a string of hugely successful soundtracks that also included The Gentleman (1994), Rangeela (1995 - his first Hindi film score), Bombay (1995), Indian (Priyanka) (1996), Iruvar (1997), Dil Se (1998), Earth (1998), Taal (1999), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India (2001), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), and Tian Di Ying Xiong (2003).

Listen to AR Rahman at Finetune.

(1997) Vande Mataram
(0000) Live In Dubai

Maa Tujhe Salaam
Revival (Vande Mataram)
Missing (Vande Mataram)
Tauba Tauba
Gurus of Peace