Bollywood-and-beyond composer/musician A.R. Rahman appeared at a press conference today at Midtown Manhattan Indian restaurant Bombay Palace, called to generate excitement among local South Asian media for his "A.R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour," which kicks off June 11 in New York at The Nassau Coliseum.
The first of 20 arena shows, the Nassau concert spectacle will be followed by 13 more North American dates before Rahman heads to Europe, concluding the tour July 25 at London's Wembley Arena.
Produced by Deepak Gattani of India's Rapport Productions, the tour will require 75 people, including 23 musicians and singers plus dancers and technicians. Gattani said via video that the tour has been in the works for the year following Rahman's Academy and Grammy awards both for his score for Slumdog Millionaire and its big song "Jai Ho" ("Be Victorious").
"We're trying to take the entertainment process to the next level," he said, and in an accompanying press statement noted that the two and a-half hour "musical spectacle" will encompass "the very soul of India" via changing sets, big LED screen imagery and Bollywood dance arrangements and acrobatics.
"From the myths of the rural India to the colors of the festivity, to the rhythm and beats of the urban culture, this musical concert has it all," Gattani said. "With technologically advanced theatrical treatment, Rahman will take us on a colorful musical journey of India, which will be a heartfelt experience for the world audience."
Creative director Amy Tinkham, who has worked on concert productions for the likes of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, said that Rahman's "Journey Home" tour, like his music, would reflect India while crossing geographical borders and including all people in an "East meets West" context.
"Through the vast tapestry of music that is A.R. Rahman," she said, "he takes us on a virtual journey through beauty, culture and spirituality. This is uniquely Indian--both ancient and modern."
For his part Rahman, who was flanked by Tinkham and nine other tour promoters, sponsors, management and tour executives, was happy that this tour would "go further" than his previous ones, which were "always put together at the last moment."
"All you guys deserve to see something more from india, and that's what we're trying to give you," he added.
Called "the Mozart of Madras" by Time, Rahman is one of the world's top-selling artists, and has played for crowds as large as 120,000 in India. Besides such other major Bollywood soundtracks as Lagaan and Rang De Basanti, he has scored English-language films including Elizabeth: The Golden Age. His music was the foundation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams, and he was featured in the recent remake of "We Are The World."
"I don't think there's anything he can't do," said Raju Sethi, , president/CEO of the New Jersey-based AVS South Asian programming network, who was covering the press conference.
"But I still think the audience is going to be primarily South Asian," Sethi added. "There aren't enough non-Indians who know about him outside of 'Jai Ho' to buy tickets."
Rahman, said Sethi, needs to collaborate with mainstream American pop singers in the manner of Jay Sean, who has successfully recorded with American artists including Lil Wayne and Mary J. Blige.
"You have to do that to get noticed--and he will," said Sethi. "There's no better South Asian music artist to do it than A.R. Rahman."
Subscribe to this page and follow me on Twitter!
Comments