The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A. R. Rahman takes a trip down memory lane

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A. R. Rahman takes a trip down memory lane

Sudhish Kamath

"It's nice to have a place dedicated to music" he says

AT HOME: It was a get-together of sorts when A.R. Rahman paid a visit to his alma mater on Tuesday. The music director inaugurated the piano section at Musee Musical. — Photo: V.Ganesan

CHENNAI: Little Dilip used to come here years ago, and grew up watching many musicians finetune their skills.

For many like him, it was second home.

Musee Musical, the best known landmark for music, musicians and instruments, opened yet another door on Tuesday evening, when a Toyota Innova made its way through a rain battered lane off Anna Salai.

For Dilip, it was a trip down memory lane as he stepped out of the car to a warm welcome — now as A.R. Rahman.

New piano section

Clad in a white embroidered kurta, a blue waist-coast with matching corduroys, he quickly proceeded to cut the blue ribbon to declare the new piano section of the store open.

After obliging lensmen with a quick 15-second test of the Yamaha piano, he went around to check out the other beauties crafted out of ebony and ivory.

"I first came here when I was ten or eleven," recalls the music director. "I used to come with my father. I wrote all my music exams here."

"Jacob John, the piano teacher was his master," M.H. Das, managing director and owner of Musee Musical, adds.

"It's nice to have a place dedicated to music," says Rahman, fondly recalling his long association with the centre.

"I was busy and hadn't been here in a while. But I came back last year. The last thing I brought here was a shehnai. I tried to learn and failed miserably," he laughs. After a quick chat on his forthcoming films, he then steps into yet another section of the store upstairs for photographs with the staff. "He's such a humble man. I met him yesterday at 15 minutes notice and he immediately agreed," Das smiles. "He is just the same boy, he hasn't forgotten us."

The folks at Musee Musicals were thrilled, some of them had their cameras loaded with pictures and others showed off the prized autograph. Dilip, surely, made their day.

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