Scenes from AR Rahman’s concert in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Special Arrangement
As the lights came up and the crowd dispersed at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, two things stood out: Everyone was shaking their shoulders to the tune of Chayya Chayya, which completed the three-hour musical journey guided by. AR Rahman Myself and amusing comments on how the show did better than expected in Tamil and Malayalam.
Accompanied by a full orchestra, Firdaus – a group of women from around the world including the war-torn countries of West Asia – and a team of talented singers including Shweta Mohan, Jonita Gandhi, Haricharan and others, performed the concert on Saturday (November 2) night Emirates It was both a celebration of peace and a trip down memory lane for the Indian diaspora.
Starting with the Oscar-winning Jai Ho, the show was everything one could expect from Mr. Rahman and more. A soulful rendition of Kun Faya Kun, romance and heartbreak in Munbe Vaa and Kadhal Rozve and the emotion and celebration of youth in Mustafa Mustafa and Barso Re.
Fan favorite Jonita teamed up with Mr. Rahman to set the bar right from the start with Mukkala Mukkala, Shweta Mohan won over the crowd with Kadhal Roseve, originally sung by her mother Sujatha, and followed Concluding with one spot-on performance after another. Yoddha’s rap battle in the early Malayalam version of Padakali.
Although the show had no specific declared theme, the dialectic of individual cultural identity and cultural integration was visible when Mr. Rahman took a moment during the show to tell the crowd that the “greatest identity” was “service to humanity, peace.” There should be. , and love” He then sang Yeh Jo Desh Hai Tera, a song about the need for people to go back to their roots and ended with its Tamil version, invoking ‘Tamijhar’. He also acknowledged emigration, pointing to the critically acclaimed The Goat Life.
Mr. Rahman’s quest to address the themes of humanity, both as a group and as individual beings, through his songs is not new to his fans. The audience was surprised when he made an announcement in the middle of the show, calling a woman from among them backstage and asking her to get ready to perform. Celine de Matahari, a French-speaking woman born to Indonesian parents in Dubai, sang Chinna Chinna Asai in heavily accented Tamil to a rapturous reception from the predominantly South Indian crowd.
The crowd was in for another surprise when the group started singing Hum Dum Suniyo Re and on the big screen appeared Vivek Oberoi, still the ‘cool guy’ whose bike syncs to the tune with headphones on his ears in Saathiya.
After an orchestral tribute to the “Superman of Tamil Nadu” Rajinikanth, a rap mashup and countless fan favorites covering the entire spectrum of musical genres, the all-too-familiar drum beats of Chayya Chayya that defined an era for Bollywood, nearly 18,000 Made people stand on their feet. With their flashlights blinking, a wonderful night in Abu Dhabi came to an end, cementing the hold Mr Rahman has held on the ears of the diverse diaspora.
published – November 03, 2024 05:55 PM IST