"If I Rise" is a song performed by A. R. Rahman and Dido, composed by A. R. Rahman, with

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...

by Dido and Rollo Armstrong. The song featured as the main theme for the Danny Boyle film '' 127 Hours''. The song won numerous awards including Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and Denver Film Critics Society Award. It was also nominated for Best Song Award at the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

and World Soundtrack Awards.

Background

The song was featured in the climax scene of the film. The chorus portion of the song is sung by The Gleehive Children's Choir,

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. The choir includes Jervis Dias, Kristen Fernandes, Alisha Pais, Jessica Dmello, Sherize Alveyn, Evania Cerejo, Jemima Fernandes, and Aidan D'silva. The portion was recorded at Octavious Studio, Bandra, Mumbai. The song was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Song.

Music video

The song was first picturised in the climax scene of the film. The official music video, featuring Dido and A. R. Rahman, was released in February 2011. Dido first confirmed on her official website that she and Rahman were going to film a video for the song. The music video was premiered on the '' Wall Street Journal'' website on 17 February. It has A. R. Rahman playing harpejji, which was the major instrument used in the track, and Dido singing the track along with Rahman. A few scenes from the film, mainly featuring James Franco, are also used in the video.

Live performances

Florence Welch was asked by Dido, who was pregnant at the time, to perform "If I Rise" at the

. She was joined by A. R. Rahman for the first live performance of the song.

Accolades

The song was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Song. However, it lost to Randy Newman's " We Belong Together" from '' Toy Story 3''. The Academy's decision not to award Rahman for the song evoked widespread criticisms in India. Apart from public responses, several actors also commented on it. Shabana Azmi said, "A. R. Rahman truly deserved the Oscar for Best Song this year." Konkona Sen Sharma also tweeted the same opinion. Sandhya Mridul said, "A.R Rahman stands apart he deserves every win". However, Rahman himself has stated that he personally believes Newman deserved the award.

Cover version

A single titled "Hours - If I Rise (vocal) Remix" was released on 4 February 2012. This is credited as performed by Katie Campbell (an artist with credits including a wide variety of

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of original famous and semi-popular movie songs) & Brian "Hacksaw" Williams, and notes a runtime of 3:03.

References

External links

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A. R. Rahman and Florence Welch performing "If I Rise" at the 83rd Academy Awards
* * {{authority control 2010 songs Dido (singer) songs Songs written by Dido (singer) Songs with music by A. R. Rahman Songs written for films 2010 singles Interscope Records singles Songs written by Rollo Armstrong