“MUMBAI: While all are applauding Mick Jagger, AR Rahman and the rest of the SuperHeavy team—Joss Stone, Dave Stewart and Damian Marley—for “Satyameva Jayate,” not many have taken note of the lyricist behind the song—Raqueeb Alam. The talented writer has collaborated with Oscar-winning AR Rahman several times in the past, too, including on “Ringa Ringa” from Slumdog Millionaire as well as other compositions including Ada, Blue and Connections. “When ARji asked me to write lyrics for this track, I was really happy,” said Raqueeb Alam. “I believed that through this song I could write down what my heart felt and have it reach out to audiences—There is only one God—Satya/Truth—and there is only one religion—Satya/Truth—and if one accepts Truth then they can be successful in life.I am thankful to ARji for giving me the golden opportunity to write this historical song.””

“Says Rahman, “It took me back to my high school days when I played with a rock band, but this was a real one.” ‘Miracle Worker…’ is the first of seven singles in the untitled album, which is slated for a September-end release. After their maiden recording session in Hollywood, the group has had separate recordings all over the world, accounting for 35 hours. Stewart claims this is the most complicated record ever made: “Imagine, some of it is recorded in LA, some in South of France, off the coast of Cyprus, Turkey, Miami, in the Caribbean and even Chennai.” The video for the song has also been filmed. Jagger says, “I’ve said before that the band sounded like a good idea, I never thought it would actually happen.””

“Natalie Di Luccio's not a household name yet, but this Canadian-Italian singer has already garnered a fair share of fame with her western cover renditions of Kahin To... from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa; which had over a million hits in a day on a popular video streaming website, which she followed up with her rendition of yet another song Tu Jaane Naa... from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Only 21 years old, Natalie's performed with a number of Indian and international live acts including the Whirling Kalapas (formerly Indus Creed). Now, she'll be performing at AR Rahman's concerts in Nagpur and Bangalore. "I am thankful to him for allowing me to give my own vocal style to his songs," says Natalie. "Everyone praises ARR, but now that I have been in the studio with him, I have even more respect for him. He is a true musician who follows his instincts and loves to experiment," she says.”

“‘Kilimanjaro' from Enthiran was adjudged the popular song of the year. Other popular awards that were determined through an audience vote included male and female playback singers, Karthik for ‘Usurae Poguthae' and Chinmayee for ‘Kilimanjaro'. The popular album of the year was given to A.R. Rahman's musical Vinnaithandi Varuvaya. The awards included: Best music director - A.R.Rahman, Lyricist with most number of hits - Na.Muthukumar, Best song sung by an actor - Kamal Haassan for Neela Vaanam, Best sound mixing - Resul Pookutty and Co. for Enthiran, Best Male and Female singers - Vijay Prakash and Andrea Jeremiah, and Best folk song - Jilla Vittu from the film Eesan.”

“NAGPUR: With less than a week left for the A R Rahman live concert scheduled in the city on May 15, organizers claimed that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Nagpurians to experience world class music. "Rahman will be arriving two days before the concert with his team of 100 artists comprising artistes and musicians. He will have a full-fledged rehearsal on the eve of the concert to ensure the success of the show. A massive stage of 116X80 ft is being erected at the venue near University Campus off Amravati Road. Specialist teams from Mumbai are engaged in making arrangements," said Lalit Khobragade of the Bodhi Foundation, the show organizers. The highlight of the show will be light and sound by Roger, a leading name in the field with many world class shows to his credit. "Another highlight will be the LED screen on which Lata Mangeshkar's specially recorded songs for the show will be played and it will be matched by singers performing live," said Naidu.”

“Gems – The Duets Collection includes exciting musical collaborations with Grammy Award®-Winning Country Super Group, Rascal Flatts, Oscar Award®-Winning Composer / Producer, A.R. Rahman, International Pop Superstar, Seal, Australian singing sensation, Delta Goodrem, and the famed late vocalist Eva Cassidy. "It was an incredibly rewarding experience recording this album," says Bolton. "The opportunity to work with legendary talent like David Foster, Dan Huff, A.R. Rahman and some of the absolute greatest singers and recording artists in the entire world was inspiring. I can't wait to share the special music we all created with the world." "When I first met Michael, we got to talking about music, philosophy, the universe, and many things that we had in common," shares A.R. Rahman. "I wanted Michael to do a bit of singing that he's never done before, without compromising on his musicality."”