Singer Songwriters

"Commended, multi-talented and innovative Rahman for bringing East and West closer through music and for making the world look at Indian film music more seriously. Diversity of his styles and themes was appealing to different sections of the society."

"[Rahman sees music] as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it [and for] creating harmony in troubled times."

"Now the "Mozart of Madras" has the world's foot tapping along with him."

"In India, a country of a billion inhabitants, where film and pop music are one, A.R. Rahman, 43, dominates the music industry so totally that he has supplied the sound track for a whole generation. He enjoys the godlike devotion of India's youth, but everyone from the street child who sweeps train platforms to the middle-aged doctor in Mumbai's posh Malabar Hill hums his tune."

"The billboard outside the Broadway Theatre reads, A R RAHMAN'S BOMBAY DREAMS. That name may mean little to musical-theater devotees, but in the rest of the world it's golden. Like Gershwin or Lennon-McCartney, the name stands for melody, quality, energy, instant hummability — a sound both personal and universal, devouring many older forms and transforming them into something gorgeously new."

"Rahman, the world's most prolific and popular composer, lent his irrepressible melodic gift to Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in Rahman's native land, and nearly tops himself here with music that is tense, oppressive and finally exalting."

"Yes, 6 songs... Thiruda Thiruda: Great. I felt honoured since it was the last song Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan did before his death. We miss him a lot, it was an emotional bond in the 50th year to bring a synergy between India and Pakistan."

"The ultimate enjoyment for a composer is when his compositions get recognised and appreciated. For me, a small village in Kanyakumari is as important as New York or France."

"Jazz was my passion for a little while. I felt that all other kinds of music were stupid when I was into jazz. But I got over the addiction very soon"

"The trend in the north is more Punjabi folk and simple music. But, in the past, people like Naushad experimented with Hindustani classical music which I think has been completely forgotten. People don't experiment anymore and think that Hindustani classical music won't work. For me, coming from the south, it was just a little step to learn Punjabi music. The nuances are louder in Punjabi music. Songs like Mukkala muqqabla or Humma humma had more of the Tamil folk music in it."

"The way I work takes more time for me to get satisfaction. So it's better to take lesser load and do better work. Money can be earned anytime."

"What one thinks is possible might not always be so. I try to do my best but, finally, everything lies in God's hands. I consider my skills as a musician to be a blessing from God. Even today, before I perform, I am unsure of whether I will be able to move my audience. I leave everything to Him... He pulls the strings in my life."

"In my case, dust has become gold: Today, I work with people I grew up admiring. But, internally, I am the same person I always was. Ever since I embraced Sufism, I have learnt to separate myself from my desires and my success. Now, I can distance myself from all the adulation showered on me."

"It needs a lot of courage to pick up someone from another country and support him. When I first heard from Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1999, he praised my work. But I must say that choosing me over others to compose for Bombay Dreams was a brave decision."

"I had been doing the same kind of stuff for 15-16 years and was desperately seeking a change. But there was no opportunity to reinterpret Indian music. With Roja, we wanted to strike a new note. Mani's amazing visuals, Mutthu's romantic lyrics, relatively unknown singers... we wanted to impart to Roja an international flavour — and we succeeded."

"Ever since I embraced Sufism, I have learnt to separate myself from my desires and my success. Now, I can distance myself from all the adulation showered on me."

"I never exert pressure on my children: I encourage the children, Katija and Rahima, to pursue their dreams. Rahima is embarrassed by autograph-seekers and doesn't want me to visit her school. In fact, I have never attended a single PTA meeting or gone to pick up the report cards of my children."

"My mother's belief in spiritual healers grew stronger after our family went through a rough patch following my father's death. Sufi saint Karimullah Shah Kadri changed our lives and all of us converted to Sufism. But it wasn't an instantaneous decision — it took us 10 years to convert. The change in religion was like washing away the past."

"Musical theater had become very predictable. I think Andrew felt that Bollywood musicals could be a new treat for the Western audience."

"It's an approximate count. If you have a hit film, you'll sell 5 million or 6 million CDs. Of my movies, at least 20 or 25 were really big hits. [Mind you, he adds], in India, we don't get royalties. Otherwise I'd be a very rich man. I wouldn't have to come to America!"

"I wanted to produce film songs that go beyond language or culture."

"The first day I was in a daze thinking, ‘What am I doing? What’s my role?’ and then slowly we started writing with each other, and it was great. It took me way back to my high school days when I was playing in a rock band."

"I'm always fascinated by the innocence of children and the baggage that we carry as adults which manipulates our decisions."

"An ideal world can definitely be created with a pure mind and optimistic results."

"Bombay, which sold about 120,000 copies, is widely rated as my most successful work, though Roja is definitely the score that brought me where I am today."

"I think musicians here [India] get ripped off. Music production houses take good care of artists abroad and though the upfront signing amount is much less than what I get here, the royalty takes care of future returns."

"The reason I love 'Slumdog' is because the music is all world cultures, all celebrating. In India, I know people feel other film scores [of mine] are closer to their hearts. But when you are doing a film, it's very important to make the film look like one full piece of artwork. I think scoring 'Slumdog' with every kind of music possible, from Chinese to hip-hop to M.I.A. . . . was really fresh ground for me."

"Ich werde euch die Richtung zeigen Nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus und vor Paris steht Micky Maus"

"I don't sing my mother tongue No, this is not a love song"

"We're all living in Amerika Amerika ist wunderbar"

"The Communist Manifesto was our Bible... It's in our souls, our friendship, our music… This is music for the people. We were kamikaze. For your land you would kill everyone that came from the capitalist foreign land."

"Alla Pugacheva You have recently been at Rotaru's Anniversary. Is it possible that you will perform in the near future a song in duet with Sofia Mihailovna? - I would like to. However, one cannot hurry us in this. Rotaru is enormously overcharged, myself - as well. But we are dreaming about this already for many many years. And the singers' dreams should come true!"

"Vladimir Putin: "The art of unique Sofia Rotaru is one of the birghtest pages of modern pop culture. Rare in beauty voice, artistic temper and flawless artistic taste have righteously won You the recognition and love of numerous generations of fans. Your songs come from the very heart an dthat is why they have such a long and happy life." (Russian President has greeted the singer, People's Artist of USSR, S.M.)"

"Roman Viktyuk: Her destiny on Earth is to be the sun, the light. Her name in Ukrainian is Sonia, Solnyshko ["Sunny" in English]. That is how she is bringing throughout her whole life to people and throws handfuls of light, love and warmth into the concert halls... Sonechka, you know there was no way I would not appear on this stage since two nice parts of Western Ukraine are here. Sonia, Sonechko, there is no "our" or "your" sun, here is Light - Sonechka. Do keep on lighting, remain as tender, beautiful, talented, young as ever. You are unique, thank you Sonia. (Golden Grammy Awards Russia 2006, song "Do Not Love" [Russian: Не люби/Ne lubi)"

"13.04.95. Kharkiv [Ukraine] speaking to pyrotechnist - about fog on the stage... - Make sure no one can be seen. Myself as well..."

"Interview to the newspaper "Week" [Russian: "Неделя"/Nedelya], 1978: -They say you started singing from the cradle? -Couldn't do it in the cradle: the dummy was in the way."

"Replying to Anatolii Kirillovich and Ilya Savelievich to their jokes about Aurica Rotaru during one of the rehearsals in Krasnodar [Russia] ('93): - One more time, one can't here Aurica! - Well, she is echoing in Moldavian... - She is not echoing in Moldavian. I'll show you, khokhols!! Just sing, Aurica. - Well, I am not singing in the beginning... - I'm telling you: sing."

"20.02.94, Kyiv, 18:15 a boy from the crowd: - Sofia Mihailovna, how many languages do you speak? - I speak Moldavian, Ukrainian and Russian, but what is important is that we understand each other."

"Interview "Cosmopolitan Sofia": If there were a fire in your house, what would be the first thing you would take away with you? - I would take away my legs."

"One of the things about being a follower of Jesus is that though our calling doesn't change - the Great Commission - our assignments that are attached to that calling do change. So for that reason I really don't feel comfortable with any kind of titles because I'm really just doing whatever the Lord has me do in whatever particular season that is and that changes. I wrote a song about this a few years ago called 'New Wine', about not becoming so attached to the wineskins or not so attached to the ways that we assume God wants to use us, that we become so attached to that that we can't hold maybe the next thing that God wants to take us into."

"Songs are not only like poo, but songs are almost like the ground that's fertilized by the manure of life."

"Whatever you feed yourself, is what's going to come out. You could say life is like that, Scripture is the answer to that. I love to read, I love the Bible, I have a bad back because of it."

"Now that I have seen I am responsible, faith without deeds is dead."

"If I was a furniture mover, I’d probably volunteer to put out the chairs at church on Sunday. If I was a barista, I’d probably volunteer to make coffees in the church foyer on Sunday. Music is what I have in my hand, so it’s how I can serve."

"In my opinion, a good guitar is the guitar that brings the best out of you as a player and helps you articulate your musical voice in its highest and most authentic form."

"A believer’s theology is being shaped by the worship songs they’re singing in church or listening to through the week, as much as the sermons they’re hearing on Sundays. And what we believe about God completely dictates the way we see Him, ourselves, others, and indeed our very lives."

"Darlene Zschech. Eighteen years ago she saw something in me I didn’t see in myself. She called me out and up and on — as she has for so many others — and continues to do so. A true mother in every sense."

"Community is one of the ways that God is still rubbing off some of my sharp edges and some of my spiky bits. The things that come with community that can be really uncomfortable are actually one of the ways the Lord uses to form us more into his likeness."

"When it comes to worship, I think that one of the special things about Hillsong Church is that every single one of our songwriters are people who are either serving in the church, volunteers or staff [but] none of us are on staff to write. We're in the business of building the church, Meaning where there's life, there's mess. That's the reality of humanity, I think that all of that manure, in all of its stench and warmth is a fertilizer for songs."

"“I’ve done so much sh** in my life. I’ve had my nipples out, my panties out. But now, those are the things which, I guess as a mum and an evolved young lady–emphasis on young– there are things I feel like I would never do.”"