Part 4

Playback singing

In the movie "Bombay" Rahman formally took to playback singing.
Rahman had lent his voice to his compositions earlier too but they had been part of the chorus or bit pieces like `Marhaba' in `Urvashi' in `Kadhalan' or background pieces and interludes like `Yelelo' in `Chinna Chinna Aasai' in `Roja'. But `Hamma Hamma' in `Bombay' was Rahman's first complete song.


Vande Mataram

In 1996, when Rahman had gone to Bombay to attend the Screen Awards ceremony, he met his childhood friend G.Bharat.
During this meeting both had discussed a proposal for an album to commemorate 50 years of Indian Independence in 1997.
In 1997, the International music giant, Sony Music, whose portfolio included the likes of Michael Jackson, entered the Indian market in a big way.
They were looking to promote Indian artistes internationally. And the first person to be signed up by Sony Music from the Indian sub-continent was A.R.Rahman, on a 3-album contract.
Rahman suggested the idea that he had discussed with Bharat to Sony Music India and was immediately accepted. Called `Vandemataram', it was a tribute to the motherland and featured songs to mark the 3 colours of the Indian Flag.
`Vandemataram' was released simultaneously in 28 countries across the world under the prestigious Columbia Label of Sony Music on August 15th 1997.
Rahman himself performed live at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on the eve of the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence to a packed audience that comprised of the Prime Minister of India.
The album was a mega success and sold over 1.2 million copies in India and did reasonably well internationally too.