Another talented Malaysian is making a name for himself in Rajinikanth’s action-packed film Kabali, writes Dennis Chua
MALAYSIANS may be familiar with local action hero Datuk Rosyam Nor’s first foray into Tamil language and Indian cinema in Rajinikanth’s latest film Kabali, set for release soon.
While the award-winning actor proves that Malaysians have what it takes to go global in acting, another talented Malaysian is also marking his debut in Tamil cinema, also via Kabali.
Composer, singer and songwriter Roshan Nair is contributing his voice and music to Kabali’s official soundtrack.
He performs two songs: Ulagam Oruvanukka (Recreation Of The World) and Veera Thurandhara (Unleash The Beast).
Roshan is also a member of popular hip-hop and pop group K-Town Clan, and his bandmates are proud of his “first” in India.
As a Tamil language singer and musician, his ultimate dream is to keep composing great music as long as he is able to, and perhaps meet the acclaimed composer A.R. Rahman.
Roshan also hopes to enter the US music market, be it as a soloist or with his band someday.
He tells us more below:
Tell us about your musical background.
I’ve produced and written six No. 1 hit singles on national radio, and was shortlisted to Top 50 for an international music production competition organised by Timbaland.
I’ve also had the pleasure of performing more than 100 shows with my group. We performed in South Korea and the Philippines and, in music competitions that we entered in our younger days, we were always crowned champions.
Was it always your dream to be a musician?
Yes, I’ve always loved music. In my childhood pictures, I would usually be holding a guitar, playing a toy keyboard or had a microphone in hand. I have to thank my parents for exposing me to the music of Queen, Sergio Mendes, Deep Purple, Lynard Skynard, The Beatles, Elvis, Gypsy Kings, Bob Marley, Gloria Estafan and The Bee Gees.
Later on, I fell in love with hip-hop when my cousins, who were studying in the US introduced me to Snoop Dogg, Tupac and 2LiveCrew. When I was in high school, my friends and I decided to do music and that’s when K-Town Clan came about.
When I finished National Service, I got a message from my cousin about a nationwide talent search competition by Astro called Blast-Off. We didn’t think twice about joining and after a month of competition, we were crowned the champions.
Prior to Kabali, have you done music for any other movie?
No. Thus I’m delighted to be featured as a writer and a rapper on two of the songs in this film. Kabali’s music director Santosh Narayanan knows just what he wants for the movie.
Tell us what it is like doing the music for Kabali.
I travelled to India four times to meet different music producers. It was never my intention to get into Indian cinema as I’m primarily an English artiste.
One day, my close friend, Vicram Lachumanam, who was the assistant director for the movie, called and asked me to email my demo to Santosh. I was reluctant in the beginning but as soon as I heard the main star was Rajinikanth, I thought I’d give it a try; I am his big fan.
The next thing you know, I got a call from Santosh and asked if I’d be interested to be on their main song. Esctatic, I agreed right away.
I wrote and recorded my parts here and emailed them to Santosh. He called me back and said “superb”. I was so happy that he approved my lyrics and no changes were required.
A couple of months later, I got another call from Santosh who gave me the fantastic news that they wanted me for another song. I was more than keen to hop on the second track.
Did you get to meet Rajinikanth? What did he say about the music for the movie?
When I met him, I was at a loss for words. There were so many things going through my mind at the time but nothing seemed to come out of my mouth.
I remember saying “I know you’ve heard this a million times before but you are truly an inspiration”.
What types of music do you like best and why?
I love classical, folk, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, dance, reggae, heavy metal and jazz, as long as it sounds good. But the blues give me a feeling that I cannot describe. It touches my soul every time.
What instruments do you play?
I play the guitar. I’m not great at it but that’s the only instrument I’ve picked up. I would love to learn to play the piano.
Have you had a cameo in movies?
Yes, I have but I can’t say which movie. Let’s say it’s a surprise. Making cameos in movies is not an important goal; I want to make music that is evergreen.
Who are your greatest musical influences and why do you like them?
My parents. They exposed me to great music and sparked my love for it in the first place.
What is your ultimate musical dream? To become like Rahman, the Mozart of Madras himself?
There can only be one A.R. Rahman but I would love to be successful like him, but in my own way and with my own style of music. My ultimate dream is to keep doing music and doing it well.
What are the best musical scores which have profoundly influenced you and why?
John Williams for his work on Star Wars, Indian Jones, Superman and countless other movie songs. These are songs that last forever.
Tell us about your coming musical projects.
K-Town Clan has a second album. We have finished recording it and it is at the final stages before release. We have yet to choose the release date as we need to take care of the marketing and business aspect first. Titled The Crunk Cowboys & The Moonshine Music, it’s like nothing else that I have produced before.
For the latest updates on Roshan and his career visit www.facebook.com/jamrock.blk (Roshan Jamrock) and www.facebook.com/ktcworldwide (K-Town Clan).