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Singing a different tune A few members of Trivandrum Rahmaniacs (from left) Ali Mohammed P.T., Saran B.L., Anandamoorthy L., Sandeep Raj, S. Swaminathan, Kannan H. and Sakthi. Athira M. First Published : 02 Nov 2009 06:15:00 AM IST Last Updated : 02 Nov 2009 09:00:02 AM IST "We are not a run-of-the-mill fans' association.'' The first thing Trivandrum Rahmaniacs declared when we caught up with them. Trivandrum Rahmaniacs is perhaps the only registered A.R. Rahman Fans Association in the State. If there is something official, a Rahmaniac would move around in white, wearing the ID card. And, to become a member, you have to pay Rs 50. Only because they want to stop people from joining the fan club just for the fun of it. Otherwise, to become a member of Rahmaniacs, of course, you ought to be a huge fan of Rahman, your age (irrespective of gender) should be above 18 and you should have an ear for music (you needn't be a musician). It was Rahman himself who advised them to trace a different path. Vishnu H., president of the Trivandrum Rahmaniacs, was lucky enough to have a word with Rahman when the latter was in Kozhikode for the 'Jai Ho' concert. "When Vishnu introduced us, he told us that we should not remain just an association. Our work should be meaningful and he asked us to be purely dedicated to music,'' said Kannan H., secretary of Rahmaniacs. The association, registered in 2007, now has a blood donation cell. Every week, at least two members donate their blood at Regional Cancer Centre. And they readily arrange for blood whenever a need arises from the hospital. Sandeep Raj is heading the cell. The Rahmaniacs has a band which holds free concerts (only songs of Rahman) at poor homes in the city. On Independence Day, they gave away study materials to poor kids under 'Kits for Kids' initiative. Now they plan to launch an anti-drug, anti-alcohol campaign. They are planning a skit which will have a medley of songs by Rahman and this work will be staged in schools and colleges. Coming to the 'Jai Ho' concert, Trivandrum Rahmaniacs has a lot to tell. To cut it short, it was 20 members of this group (along with a few others from Kozhikode) who were chosen as volunteers. "We badly wanted to get involved with the conduct of the whole programme. So we approached the organisers (Global Kerala Initiative-Keraleey am),'' said Sakthi H., vice-president of Rahmaniacs. But it was not easy. However, seeing their resolve, the organisers obliged. They were given the duty of affixing holograms on the tickets and arranging the tickets in bundles. Luck smiled on them again when 20 of them got selected as volunteers. "You can say we controlled the whole thing,'' Rahmaniacs declared with pride. No trespassers were allowed and they were given directions to prevent anybody from taking pictures or videos. They were posted at different entrance points to check tickets. "I even stopped DIG V. Shantaram from entering the stadium. I didn't know who he was. He was so happy with our work that he said he also would join Rahmaniacs. The organisers also were very appreciative of our work,'' said Sakthi. The big moment was when they first saw Rahman. "We saw him at the rehearsals. Besides the organisers and Rahman's team, only we were there. His rehearsals usually start late at night and go on till 4.30-5 in the morning. Before we could realise, a small man passed by us. It was Rahman...'' Rahmaniacs went on. "We saw the full rehearsal. The man is so simple, religious and talented...,'' Ali Mohammed P.T. and Anandamoorthy are still in awe of the whole event. Rahmaniacs had many tales to share, which could even run into a book! "We could interact with other singers and members of Rahman's troupe. Only Vishnu was lucky enough to talk with Rahman sir,'' Rahmaniacs said. It was Rahman's sisters - Raihana and Israth - who launched their website (www.tvmrahmaniacs. com), which is designed by Saran B.L., a Rahmaniac. Trivandrum Rahmaniacs has 165 members now. "Many Rahman fans' associations have come and gone. We are confident of keeping this afloat,'' said S. Swaminathan, the treasurer of the group and the member of a now-defunct Rahman fan club. For details, contact 9995516155/ 9037402226/ 9447331297/ 9895090964. If you are an Orkutian, you will definitely come across the Trivandrum Rahmaniacs community. m_athira@epmltd. com http://www.expressb uzz.com/edition/ story.aspx? Title=Singing+ a+different+ tune&artid=Ak577aE% 7Cr7s=&SectionID=lMx/ b5mt1kU=&MainSectionID= lMx/b5mt1kU=&SEO=&SectionName= tm2kh5uDhixGlQvA G42A/07OVZOOEmts. __,_._,___