hAPpY NeW YeAr......

WiShInG AlL ThE ReAdErS A VeRy hApPy aNd pRoSpErOuS NEW YEAR

SuPeR StAR 2 100th EpIsoDe...

RaShMi ViJaYaN...

Well if you have watched Super Star Global & 100th episode of Super Star 2 then you would have seen this powerpacked performer... she too is a very fascinated about Stephen chetan and consider it has a blessing to perform with him on stage...
Rashmi Vijayan is a student of Media & Communication.She is residing in U.A.E.She has recently sung a song for a film which will be released soon... Truly...a mindblowing performer...she also sung a song in the latest tamil movie KANDEIN KAADHALI which is already released...

A RaRe pIc...

Stephen chetan with his great great Father and talented Brother....

sUpEr sTaR....

StEpHeN DeVaSsY.... at a show in Dubai..

                           

ROMANZ'A as a caller tune in your mobile.....

Hello friends,
There is a happy news for all Stephen Devassy fans....
Those who wished to set his first solo album as their caller tune can now easily do it.All the songs from the album are available as caller tune.
This service is only available for Vodafone customers.

Type ROMANZA and sent it to55655
Then from the list select the song you like and make it as your caller tune..

"Music Is What I Do Best"

 

Stephen Devassy has his finger on the pulse of his listeners and viewers. With his telegenic face, rakish charm, cool attitude and of course his mastery over the keyboard, pianist Stephen Devassy has become the heart-throb of television viewers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu courtesy his appearance on Amrita TV’s ‘Super Star’ and Vijay TV’s ‘Airtel Super Singer.’ This 28- year-old from Ottapalam in Palakkad is also one of the hottest talents in the South Indian music industry known for his scintillating work as a music arranger for chart toppers like Swapnakoodu, Mozhi and Azhagiya Tamil Magan. 


“A music arranger is someone who realises the vision of a music composer regarding the treatment of a piece,” says Stephen. “The composer will give a rhythmic guide such as thaka, thaka-thaka-thaka and it is up to the arranger to work with the idea and harmonise using a variety of tools of the trade such as computers, synthesizers and the musical instruments themselves. The more I did music arranging, the more I realised that I found my niche,” adds the pianist who started off working for people like Bernie Ignatius, Mohan Sitara and Alphons in chartbuster Malayalam films such as Swapnakoodu, Nammal and Kalyanaraman. Soon his skills caught the ears of the Tamil music industry and he was called in for hits such as Mozhi, Majaa, Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (with Praveen Mani to whom A.R. Rehman gave the contract), and Udaya. 

Wings of creativity ......

But it was for Mozhi under music director Vidyasagar that Stephen soared on the wings of creativity. “In the film Prithiviraj, who plays a music director, enacts a scene where he conducts a piece of music. I had to create a piece of music that synchronised with each and every minute flick and dip of Prithiviraj’s hands and nod of his head. It was a big challenge because his actions also had a lot of vague movements. I remember crying my guts out because it was just not gelling. In the end it took me almost six hours to acoustically recreate the one and a half minutes on film. The sweat and tears paid off I guess because I won a lot of industry reviews,” recalls Stephen beaming with pride about his contribution to the film that not only rocked the music charts in 2007 but the Tamil box office too.

In between, Stephen debuted as a composer with the Malayalm film Hariharan Pillai Happy Aanu and composed music for ‘Sacred Chants of Kosmic Music,’ a series of albums wherein he gave retro Western tunes to classical Sanskrit slokas. His latest experimentation was the background score for the film Modi Vilayadu. “Music is what I do best. I tried my hand at academics (accountancy) for two years but found that my soul lay in music… pattham classum musickkum…to twist the phrase is my qualifications,” grins the star of reality TV– a mantle that he gladly wears, along with his signature bandana, that is.

“Reality TV made me into a household name,” adds Stephen, who after training under Fr. Thomas at the Chetana Music Academy, Thrissur got his break at the age of 17 playing keyboard for music director Johnny Sagarika. “Chances to get a foothold into the music industry come by but once in a blue moon and if you are really talented then consider reality shows as a boon to get yourself noticed,” adds Stephen. That’s advice from someone who was literally pushed into music by his musically-inclined father, P.K. Devassy. “In fact it was my brother, Sam, who was into music. But soon I too was smitten by classical music. I would have loved to continue as a classical pianist but dire straits all but forced me into film music,” quips the youngster who is inspired by contemporary pianists Yanni and Louis Banks “because they paved the way to make classical piano trendy.”

He found that his key to success was his knowledge of classical music and he put it to use while playing with his band Seven and with Rex Band. Stephen has also worked with the likes of singer Hariharan (with whom he tours extensively), drummer Sivamani (for the album ‘Mahaleela’) and with Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan (for the album ‘Breaking Barriers’) to whom he was recommended by Aman and Ayaan Ali Khan after he accompanied them at a WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) festival in Paris. When he is not making music, Stephen gets his kick out of watching war films and learning to fly at the Madras flying club. This is one pianist who is flying high!

A.R Rahman's Live in Concert in CHeNnAi.....

Location: Chennai

Event Start Date: 2009/10/11
Event Start Time: 6: 00

Event End Date: 2009/10/11
Event End Time: 23: 00


Its been some time since AR.Rahman started his flagship world tour Jai ho and it finally is coming to the home town of the wizard.The concert will be held on the 11th of October in chennai. Marg a leading construction group has tied up with AR.Rahman for this concert which is being held in aid of SHAKTI foundation.

The concert is expected to be one of the biggest musical event ever held in the city. JAI HO chennai will be held in Marg’s upcoming city MARG Swarnabhoomi.The musical extravaganza is to start at 6:00Pm and expected to go on for 4 hours with Rahman and team belting out some hits from Roja to Blue.

Booking for this concert is in full swing and it is reported that there is a huge demand for tickets, especially as this is Rahman’s first concert in home town after the Oscars…All we have to say is grab your tickets before its gone….

The link for booking tickets online is below:

http://www.margproperties.com/tickets.php

The retail outlets list where tickets are available is given below:

http://www.margproperties.com/ticket_counters.php

StEpHeNz Upcoming Live Shows......

Those who want to catch our beloved Stephen Live on stage can visit him at the places given below where his shows will be conducted on the respective days... so get your tickets soon....

SEPTEMBER
2nd UK (Rex Band)
11th Trivandrum

OCTOBER
1st Dubai
2nd Dubai
3rd Cochin (JT Pack)
11th Chennai (Jai ho!-A.R Rahman)
18th Cochin (Maharaja College)
22nd Muscat (A.R Rahman- Jai Ho)
24th Hyderabad(A.R Rahman-Jai Ho)
31st MUMBAI(A.R Rahman-Jai Ho)

NOVEMBER
1st DUBAI
6th Calicut
9th Chennai
13th Doha(A.R R ahman-Jai Ho)
14th Chennai(Shakti Foundation)
15th Australia
17th Australia
24th Culcutta
27th Dubai
28th Dubai

DECEMBER
11th Dubai
19th Pune

JANUARY 2010
5th Mouritious
6th Mouritious
16th Sydney

StEpHeN.... on Super Star 2....

Hariharan Flags Off Amrita TV’s Super Star-2 On July 20th

Super Star, Amrita TV’s genre-establishing mega reality show is on its comeback trail.

The show that turned viewing preferences topsy-turvy and re-wrote the meaning of entertainment by introducing the concept of reality show to the Keralite audience returns in its second season, as Super Star-2.

Starting the 20th of this month, Super Star-2 will hold sway over prime-time audiences again from 7.30 to 8.30 pm

Hariharan, noted playback singer ,ghazal wizard and composer who made a grand entry into the world of music with the chart-busting ‘Colonial Cousins’ will be the super star celebrity member for the

The child prodigy!

This little guy is just 3 yrs old and has a better sense of rhythm than most of us :-D! He has no formal training in music as of now... He just keeps listening to music and keeps singing the rhythm and then plays it wonderfully on his li'l drum kit!

He's the son of Sam Devassy, bro of Stephen Devassy... sure has music in his blood! Sam Devassy is a classical violinist and a sound engineer! Hope you enjoy this video!

We Salutes ThE KiNg oF PoP...

26th June 2009 will be remaining as a dark day in the history of world music... It is the day on which MICHAEL JAKSON known as the "KiNg oF PoP" passed away....it was the end of a musical era....

but i am sure that that person who created a history in the world music does not have a death...yes he will be living through his millions of fans......

MICHAEL JAKSON.... YOU LIVE IN OUR HEARTS...

Ghananjani '09

Shakti foundation's annual fund raising concert, Ghananjani '09 was a spectacular show with 5 legends, Ustad Zakir Hussain, U. Shrinivas, Sivamani, Dominique Di Piazza and Stephen Devassy!! It was a great experience to be there in the crowd and watch these 5 maestros perform! and well, what do i say about Stephen Devassy? The youngest and probably the least experienced of the lot...... but wasn't any less than the others in the way he performed. His music just captivated the audience and his solo..... i have no words to express it! but to simply put it as short as i can, it was mind blowing!! His fingers move across the keys with ease and he's probably faster than Adnan Sami (may be, may be not! its my personal opinion!!). But i'm sure he got a real loud round of applause at the end of it..... And i must mention this... He's way too modest and humble. Blessed as he is, he knows to use it well and even for a moment, doesn't forget to thank his god! Hope he'd get a Grammy sometime in the near future for all his hard work and commitment! Anyway, to sum it up... it was a great show with amazing performances :) I enjoyed every bit of it. Lucky me :D !!

AmAzInG fAcTs AbOuT STEPHEN....

THE BELOW ARE SOME QUESTIONS ASKED TO STEPHEN AND HIS ANSWERS FOR IT DURING AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY A FM STATION (Radio Mango 91.9) IN KERALA ON 15/02/0

•  If Stephen is going to give a Oscar for A.R Rahman which song will    you prefer?             
  

           VANDE MATARAM...

• Why you are not coming to te field of music direction...?
  

          Actually i really will do it in future and i have got high confidence for doing it...

• Someone that you are inspired of...?
  

          Adnan Sami

 

• Number of keyboards at Stephen's home?
  

          12

• Maximum number of keyboards used in a single show?
  

          6

• You love someone?
  

          ya...

• Nickname?
  

          (Actually i know the answer for that but i am not publishing it in this                             post...hi..hi..)

• Something which you want always on your dining table?
  

          Pickle....

• Mohanlal or Mamooty
  

          Sorry i cant answer that one..

• One favourite movie which you like to watch?
  

          Patana Pravesham...

• Your looks resembles M.S Dhoni...?
  

        Actually a lot of people commented the same... even Dhoni said the same to                me once when             we met for a function in Chennai,that we both look                         alike...

• Are you conscious about your body..?
  

          Yes,but usually i dont get time for all those...

• Will you get angry?
  

          Ofcourse i will get angry,but will control it seeing the environment....

• What about your cooking skills..?
  

          Well,I cook omlete,noodles,tea....

• What qualities you want in your life partner...?
  

           She should have a lot of Patience....

 

StEpHeNs ShOw in CHENNAI

The Shakti Foundation presents the 18th annual fundraiser ‘Ghananjani’, a fusion music concert.

Artistes Zakir Hussain (tabla); U. Shrinivas (mandolin); Sivamani (percussion); Dominique Di Piazza (bass guitar); and Stephen Devassy (keyboard) will take part. The event will be held at 6.15 p.m. on February 21 at the Music Academy. Parking is available at St. Ebbas too. The proceeds will be used to purchase two ventilators and a dialysis machine for the rural underprivileged.

Donor passes are available at The Shakti Foundation, 9, Manikeswari Road, Kilpauk. For details and bookings, call 26611213 / 99529-88499.

The ReX BAnD

Taking their name from the King of kings, Jesus, the band fuses together a host of music styles including elements of Indian classical and folk music as well as other popular sounds of the younger generation to evolve its own style of contemporary Christian music

The Band
Over 25 professionals active in various fields with a distinctive talent in music dare to call themselves The Rex Band in honor of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Experiencing the joy of liberating Christian Music themselves, the band came together with a commitment to take this gift of quality Contemporary Christian Music and it's message to the new generation.

The Music
With musicians from such varied backgrounds like Indian classical or western classical to rock, pop and rap, the band has evolved a unique style over the past ten years. A rich mix of various streams of music and its trademark fusion tracks. Not surprisingly, The Rex Band has opened up new and ethnic elements in Contemporary Christian Music in India.

The Roots
Evolving out if a life-changing encounter with Jesus through the Jesus Youth movement, the band members are comfortable in using styles of the younger generation to reach out to today's urbanized youth through music albums, stage shows and encounter programs. The band members get together regularly for practice and to deepen themselves in the Word of God.

The Ministry
Beside the mega 3 hour shows, the band also considers its Retreats for musicians, Music skill development programs for budding talents and life encounter programs as vital elements of its call. The band strongly believes that the music becomes relevant only when its quality and message brings about a genuine change of heart.

The Shows
The typical 3-hour Rex Band show is a mega extravaganza with psychedelic lights and powerful sound including music, presentations, choreography and theater performances by Living Vision, a premier Christian theater initiative. It works in tandem with the band to present the message of Jesus in a powerful and attractive way. Right across India, The Rex Band has performed over 500 shows opening up the hearts of young people to a new life in Christ.
Realizing that quality contemporary Christian music is scarce in the Indian music scenario, the band has endeavored to reach out music lovers through it's 11 albums in various languages. Roses in Winter, the latest album showcases the trademark sounds of the band from popular music to experimental fusion music.

CHETANA MUSICAL ACADEMY,THRISSUR-KERALA

Its from this place that stephen learned his basic lessons of piano from Fr. Thomas Chakkalamattath CMI

from here he met FRANCO a well known singer in south. They combined and created a band called BAND SEVEN which is the first Indipop band from India.... and from there STEPHEN kept on advancing....

Composer A.R. Rahman on the Sounds of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and Being M.I.A.’s Idol

In India, fans love A.R. Rahman almost as we love David Archuleta — and he's reportedly sold a few more albums: 100 million records and 200 million cassettes. A huge pop star in South Asia, he's famous for scoring Indian classics like Roja and Lagaan (among the dozens of other films) — and he's recently begun to cross over into Hollywood with Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams. We spoke with him about his Slumdog Millionaire score — which Fox Searchlight is pushing for an Oscar — and his collaboration with M.I.A.
How’d you hook up with Danny Boyle?

I literally had to leave another film to do this. When Danny met me, he said, “I’ve heard a lot of your stuff’ and he talked about it. That’s about the first time I’ve heard a compliment from a Western director, apart from Andrew Webber. He’s a good human being.
Was it different working with him than a Bollywood director?

Usually, it’s very different. Danny used my stuff in a very different way. I really loved the film, so I would compose pieces to fit the images, so I would do a lot of templates. With this, there’s not many cues in the film. Usually a big film has 130 cues. This had just seventeen or eighteen: the end credits, beginning credits, that stuff.
What were you going for?

A lot of things. I had to do stuff from modern India, eighties Hindi film soundtracks, mixing modern India and the old India.
What did Boyle suggest?

He wanted something very pulse-y. He said he hated sentiment, hated cello. No cellos! He said, “Never put a cello in my film” — he was funny. I worked fast, like him. It took two months of planning, two weeks of completing. Usually it takes six months with the musical films I’m doing in India.
The soundtrack really drives the film. That seems like something Boyle has in common with Bollywood. Do you think so?

What’s good about [Boyle] is that he likes how Indian films mix music. You push it and it comes out. We wanted it edgy, upfront. He said every piece of music was going to be a piece by itself. Normally some directors suppress music — they always want the effects to be loud and the music to be softer. Danny wanted it loud.
And you worked with M.I.A. on a new track.

We met before but never worked before. M.I.A., she’s a real powerhouse. Somebody played me her CD and I thought, Who’s this girl? She came here and knew all my work, had followed my work for ages. I said "Cut the crap," this "my idol" crap. You have to teach me. We started working in India, then we e-mailed the track back and forth. She did the vocals in England. I did the rest in India.
How does the film’s Mumbai compare to the real thing?

For me, it’s not about India at all. It’s about human emotion, how we suppress so much and it all comes out. It’s a human film, not about India at all. The soundtrack isn’t about India or Indian culture. The story could happen anywhere: China, Brazil, anywhere. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is on in every damn country.