Singer Anuradha Sriram has taken on a new role – she’ll be hosting a radio show titled Rahman Ungaludan . As the name suggests, it will talk about everything about the Mozart of Madras – tales and trivia about the man of few words.
For the singer, who perhaps kick-started the idea of reality music shows in television when she hosted shows way back in 1996, it is a challenge and something to cherish at the same time. “Radio is a different ballgame but the fact that I’ll be speaking about a person who has been a mentor to me makes it exciting,” she says. Anuradha first sang for Rahman for Mani Ratnam’s Bombay ; it was not a full-fledged song but a few notes that she hummed. “He told me then that my voice was divine,” she says, “With Rahman, there’s always space to improvise and experiment. He lets you be who you are. Perhaps that’s why the output is always good – from then to now.”
It will be a learning experience for her, she hopes. “As a singer and a person interested in music, it’s fascinating to see how great minds work. I hope to track Rahman’s journey in music…and learn from it.”
‘Anbendra Mazhaiyile’, one of her songs for Rahman, remains fresh in the memory of the classically-inclined. “He wanted me to sing that particular song because he felt I evoked divinity in listeners,” recalls the singer, who later also branched into singing fast-paced kuthu songs like ‘Malai Malai’ ( Chocolate ) and ‘O Podu’ ( Gemini ).
Few people know that ARR has a sense of humour too – the singer recalls how he used to call her ‘Gnanapazham’. “He was very interested in classical music and used to discuss ragas extensively. I will talk about those sessions in the show and try to provide a perspective of the composer that only a few people know,” says Anuradha, who also ventured into music composing when she, along with husband Sriram Parasuram, worked on Five Star .
Starting tonight , Rahman Ungaludan will play every Monday to Friday at 9 p.m. on 92.7 BIG FM.
