A R Rahman, the biggest name in the Indian music industry visited Birmingham on Thursday 10 April to announce details of a collaboration with one of the city's world-famous arts companies on a joint programme of work leading up to Birmingham's planned reign as European Capital of Culture. This major East meets West collaboration will emphasise Birmingham's rich diversity which has helped make it favourite for the European cultural crown in 2008.

Rahman has achieved superstar status through his Bollywood music, and is reported to be the world's biggest selling living artist with more than 40 million albums of his own and many more tapes of film music sold. He is now building his fame across the globe and has just flown to Europe from a concert tour of India, USA and Canada.

His first major work outside India was for Andrew Lloyd-Weber, writing the score for the West End musical Bombay Dreams - which is now set to open on Broadway. Lloyd Webber said, "A R Rahman is nothing short of a melodic genius. It has been thrilling to watch London theatregoers embrace Bombay Dreams with such fervour. Bringing this talent and this musical to Broadway brings my own dreams for this project full-circle."

After starting to learn the piano at the age of four, Allah Rakha Rahman started work as a keyboard player aged eleven. The Daily Mail described him as "the Asian Mozart from Madras". Following a teenage musical career, he earned a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in Oxford and a degree in Western classical music. He then started to make a name for himself in Indian by writing and producing advertising jingles. His career really took off after writing Bollywood film music like the hugely popular 'Chhaiyya Chaiyya' for the movie 'Dil Se', titletracks 'Rangeela' and 'Dil Se' and all the music for the internationally acclaimed blockbuster 'Lagaan'.

Following a previous visit to the Birmingham Film and Television Festival, A R Rahman was encouraged by the city's approach to multi-cultural arts and will now produce a major work to receive its world premiere at a famous city venue. He was in Birmingham on Thursday 10 April for a planning meeting. Picture here outside the Birmingham Symphony Hall, he will conduct the CBSO in the world premiere of 'Conference of the Birds' later this year.

BOMBAY DREAMS

The hopes of an entire South Asian Community rest on the success of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical 'Bombay Dreams'. After all, if this celebrated theatrical maestro with the world-famous music of A R Rahman and several million pounds cannot make a success out of this venture, then there is little hope of the South Asian Art form becoming mainstream. The natak fringe productions will remain just that - fringe! read more

LAGAAN - THE INTERNATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER OF 2001

Normally I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to see a Bollywood movie. If I say that not since 'Pakeezah' have I seen a decent Indian movie….you'll get the picture! But Lagaan, the Oscar Nominated Bollywood Movie of the Year is excellent - cricket fans will adore it. read more

Click here to visit Birmingham website.