Journey of dreams

Om Swami’s If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir recounts the life of a millionaire who gave it all up in search of spirituality

In the 1990s, an eighteen-year-old headed to Australia to realise his worldly dreams. With little money or support, he strived to make ends meet. Two years later, he was earning an annual income of $250,000; by the age of 26, he was a multimillionaire. Yet, worldly success was merely a way station on a journey that began years ago. As an eight-year-old, he saw a vision of God in a dream, an experience that left him with a sense of deep joy and peace. The dream triggered off his desire to meet God, to see a manifestation of the Divine.

He practised astrology, intense meditation and tantra, yet God was nowhere in sight. Deeply frustrated, he dived into materialistic pursuits to distract himself from the restlessness within. After years of living the good life, he found he could no longer ignore the old restlessness; worldly pleasures just couldn’t fill the void within. He moved back to India and finally did what he had always yearned to do: renounce the world and become a monk.

In the Himalayas, in terrifying silence and solitude, Om Swami practised intense meditation. Death was always close as he confronted starvation, the fierce elements and wild animals. Finally, his sadhana brought him to the ultimate realisation, ‘I am what I have been seeking.’ Om Swami recounts his life in If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir, an astounding memoir of the making of a spiritual life in today’s challenging and often confusing times.

Source: http://www.theindiansun.com.au/2016/09/14/journey-of-dreams/

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Enjoy the Rich Musical Extravaganza of A R Rahman in Melbourne on 16th February 2017

The most awaited event in Australia is coming up. Asia TOPA  in collaboration with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and CHARINDAA, Arts Centre Melbourne brings you The Music of AR Rahman.  A one night gala musical performance event at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl on Thursday 16 February 2017 which will be performed by The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with the music icon himself as special guest performer. So let us start enjoy with Indian events in Melbourne with A R  Rehman.

A R Rahman is a film music composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer from India. In the twenty years of his career with music his more than 100 million soundtracks and singles were sold worldwide. His music for Slumdog Millionaire earned him two Academy Awards in 2009, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award.

Rahman had been an epitome in composing the music for over 130 Bollywood films most of them being super hit.  His first full composition was Roja, a film by Mani Ratnam. The film was a huge success. Rahman became well known in Bollywood and soon became the most successful composer in India.

Among his film scores and soundtracks for Bollywood classics like Bombay (1995), Dil Se ... (1998) ,Lagaan (2001) sold millions of records. The soundtrack of Lagaan (with the hit single Mitwa) accounted for sales of 3.5 million records in India. His best-selling soundtrack, however, was Bombay, of which 12 million records were sold. In 2008 he composed the music for the successful films like Ghajini (2008) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008). The film Ghajini of A.R. Murugadoss is the most yielding Bollywood film of all time (Rs. two billion).

In 2002 he composed the music for Bombay Dreams, a Bollywood themed musical in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The musical, in which a young man (from the slums of Bombay) wishes to become a major Bollywood star. It was first performed in London and two years later at the Broadway Theatre in New York. Mr. Rahman won this first notoriety in the United States.

Indian events in Melbourne

Together with the Finnish folk group Varttina he wrote the music for the theater production of The Lord of the Rings. Then he composed the song Raga's Dance for Vanessa Maes album Choreography.

Besides the many collaborations with Bollywood directors Rahman writings since 2006 has given music for British film projects. In 2007 he composed together with the Scottish composer Craig Armstrong music for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Mr. A.R Rahman, however, gained worldwide fame with his music for Slumdog Millionaire, the big winner at the 81th ceremony of the Academy Awards. His soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire has won two Oscars, the Oscar for Best Original Score and Best Original Song Oscar for the song Jai Ho. Rahman was the first Indian film composer who won an Oscar and also the first artist from India who won two Oscars.

In 2009, Rahman composed the score for the US comedy Couples Retreat Peter Billingsley (with Vince Vaughn in the lead role). It was the first American film for which he wrote the music. In 2010 he composed the music for the film 127 Hours, which was nominated for the 83th ceremony of the Academy Awards.

The Music Extravaganza of AR Rahman is a joint venture by Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and CHARINDAA TOPA for Asia: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts. CHARINDAA (Charities Through Indian Arts in Australia) promote and organize Indian Arts and Cultural events. Asia TOPA is a joint enterprise of the Sydney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne and is assisted by the Australian and Victorian Governments. The musical concert may have special compositions of AR Rahman like Cry of Rose from Roja, Theme from Lagaan, Chan Chan from Water, Mangal Pandey: The Rising Suite, Slumdog Millionaire Suite, Theme from Bombay, Changing Seasons, , 127 Hours Suite, and the very popular Jai Ho!. 

For more information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au or call 1300 182 183. You can follow Arts Centre Melbourne on facebook or on Twitter @artscentremelb. More information also available at www.theindiansun.com.au is an online magazine where you get all the latest news on Indian happening in Australia.