Rahman set to enthral US with Bollywood-Hollywood fusion

WASHINGTON - Music maestro A.R. Rahman is all set to enthral audiences in the US capital Sunday as part of a world tour that takes him across America, Canada, France, Switzerland, Holland and Britain.

The 45-day world tour titled “AR Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour” starting with a show Thursday at the Nassau Coliseum in New York goes to New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Raleigh and Atlanta on the US leg.

The Bollywood legend who exploded onto the world stage with his Academy award-winning music for “Slumdog Millionaire” gave a glimpse of the theatrical experience that awaits the denizens of Washington at a preview here ahead of the tour.

Re-creating his studio arrangements live, Rahman will be flanked by costumed dancers, acrobats from Cirque de Soleil and a Mongolian contortionist. State-of-the-art 3-D light-mapping technology will conjure virtual movie sets, offering a spectacle inspired by the music’s cinematic sources.

The shows at the Patriot Centre in Fairfax Sunday and elsewhere promise to mesmerise audiences with a true fusion of Hollywood and Bollywood.

“Normally, I get a very mixed South Asian audience -Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Punjabi and Gujarati people from India; Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis,” said Rahman.

“Because of the success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ we’re hoping at least a percentage of the audience will be new,” said the man who is called “Mozart of Madras” who has performed several times in the US since 2000.

Rahman, who would like Americans to know more about the diversity of Indian cinema, said he had a new global listener in mind when he assembled the material. “We tried to pick out songs that would be universally appealing, to mix together elements in ways that have never been done before. It’s very exciting.”

“It will be a blend of the East and West, from Bharatnatyam to pop and tap dance,” said Amy Tinkham creative director of the concert.

The concert will span throughout Rahman’s career, right from its inception with “Roja” to the latest hit “Slumdog Millionaire” which brought him the Oscar. Besides these, there will be songs from “Laagan”, “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”, “Dil Se”, “Rang De Basanti” and his other creations.

“In the 150-minute musical spectacle, the very soul of India can be experienced. From the myths of rural India to the colours of the festivities, the rhythm and beats of the urban culture, this musical concert will have it all,” said producer Deepak Gattani of Rapport Productions.