Oscar winner musician A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) will give three live performances in three different countries during January.
He will reportedly perform at Aspire Dome in Doha (Qatar) on January eight, historic Parramatta Park outside Sydney (Australia) on January 16, and in Police Stadium Muscat (Oman) on January 21.
Besides Rahman, these concerts will reportedly include few dozen artists/dancers also, including some well known names. These shows are claimed to be audiovisual spectacle involving pyrotechnics and lighting.
Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Rahman for taking the Indian music to new heights and bringing respect and international recognition to Indian film music. Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, urged Government of India to launch some world-class conservatories in collaboration with major business houses to channelize the abundant musical talent of India.
The two-and-a-half hours outdoor concert in Australia will be free for the public where the organizers have described it as “a night like no other”. Australian film director-screenwriter-producer Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) has stated: “Whatever the style, A.R. Rahman’s music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit.” Its venue Parramatta Park is one of Australia’s most important cultural landscapes and receives over 1.5 million visitors annually.
Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras” by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”.