The Rahman Concert

Waking up in the morning before the sun is one of the deadliest sins that a graduate student should avoid like the plague. But exceptions are allowed. Say, for instance, when there is an A.R. Rahman concert in Sydney that you are driving to. Woke up half-an-hour before the alarm went off and tried willing it to ring (Why is it that alarm clocks ring late only when you are looking forward to it). The drive offered us an opportunity for 'Rahman talk', speculating on the songs that Rahman would perform. I was betting on Anbe Aaruyire, Fanaa and Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera and my friends were for Maa Tuje Salaam, Vellai Pookal and Dil se re. We also wagered for/against Girlfriend, Uyire.

The venue was the Superdome in the Olympic Park and the show started with a lackadaisical compere and his banalities. Sigh! Stop talking! Let Rahman on the stage, we all prayed. And Rahman entered with a bang; with Fanaaaaaa Fanaaaaa. Now this is what we came here for. The highlight of a Rahman concert will have to be the best of the singing talent touring with him. Hariharan, Kailash Kher, Blaaze, Unnimenon, Sadhana Sargam, Alka Yagnik, Chitra and Madhushree, the singers crooning to Rahman numbers read like the Who's Who of Indian Film Music. SPB was sorely missed. So was Shankar Mahadevan, who after performing in Melbourne left due to 'unavoidable circumstances', we were told. Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu were missed but not as much as Sonu Nigam. Was expecting some young stars like Karthik, Harini, Srinivas and SPB Charan.

Hariharan, to me is a great stage performer adding embellishments to musical pieces, engaging the audience and improvising on the stage. Of course, he becomes the conductor's nightmare. Kailash Kher was the funny foil to Hari - wearing outrageoulsy funny clothes and moving his hands and legs in a hilarious way that reminded me of the agitated devotees possessed by 'God' or 'Spirits'. And he will do better to stick to opening his mouth for singing and nothing else. But I have to add, his Mangal Mangal and Yun Hi Chalaa were awesome. So full of energy. Sukhwinder has some serious competition.

It would be inconceivable to talk of a Rahman show without lavishing praises on Sivamani who has now become synonymous with drums and anything which on tapping emits music. His solo piece with the Bosnian singer joining him was ohmigod! The Bosnian singer, who Rahman introduced as Ms.Alma working with him on the theatrical version of 'Lord of the rings' was brilliant and IMHO wasn't appreciated as much as she deserved.

Hit numbers from Bombay, Lagaan, Taal, Swades, Dil Se, Mangal Pandey, Boys were greeted with loud cheering and deafening applause. Mobile phones were flashed, shining like a billion stars adding to the celestail ambience of the concert. Humma Humma with Rahman and Blaaze got the crowd to their feet. Blaaze wowed the audience with his hip-hop and his B to the A to the B to the A - BABA. I felt cramped in my seats; fettered, while all I wanted was to get up and go dancing. My only previous experience with live shows was in Chennai when ShahRukh performed and we went crazy dancing to every damn song that was thrown at us and to think that I did not jump around dancing when 'Rahman' was performing is perhaps the only grievance of a grand evening. That and the unspectacular 3-D. Maybe it was just the position, but from where I was sitting, it was pathetic.

Sadhana Sargam's tamil diction is amazing (especially when compared to other singers like Udit Narayan and Adnan Sami both of whom have raped and murdered Tamil in the past) as was her voice. Madhushree, Alka Yagnik and Chitra; well! it was like nose-diving into a swimming pool of honey. I was truly overwhelmed and difficult on breathing.

Rahman also performed the song he composed for the UN Poverty Eradication program, "Pray for me brother". We were only the third audience in the world to listen to it. Fantabulous. Instantly likeable. We were left craving for more of it. I, for one am looking forward to the cassette/CD release of it.

An unplugged with Hari, Alka, Sadhna Sargam and Madhushree with Rahman on the piano was stirring. I totally understand that it is very diffuclt to perform live, what with sound editing technology helping even mediocre singing sound melodious. Should say that every one of the singers did a fair job and proved they were worthy of adoration. When Hariharan sang 'Nila Kaigirathu', I was transported out of this world. Navin's rendering of the Bombay theme on the flute gave me the goosebumps.

Steve Waugh, patron of Udayan came up on stage and I felt like all my Australian 'ambitions' were fulfilled. Just to see the man that close was enough for all the trouble I ever underwent down under. Salut! I shouted my throats out - atleast what was left of it. Believe me after Fanaa, Telephone Manipol, Snehithane and Hai Rama, I was croaking. End of show, it took me two days to create sound though my lips moved.

Quite surprisingly, a section of the crowd seemed unhappy with Tamil songs, not appreciating Deepan Chakravarthy, Unnimenon and Chitra when they sang Rahman's Tamil songs. Rahman (and the organisers) were considerate enough to choose majority of the songs that had both Tamil and Hindi versions. Sadhana Sargam, Hari and Alka Yagnik switched between languages in all their songs. Still, a small section of the crowd were not supportive enough. It really ticks me off because, 1. Rahman has done more movies/songs in Tamil than in Hindi, 2. There were quite a number of Tamilians in the crowd and 3. The whole concept of 'Music has no language barriers' is defeated. (I had a strong impulse to stitch Kailash Kher's mouth) Also conspicuous by their absence was the local audience. I saw no sizable Australian audience which though understandable does not bode well.

The denouement with 'Secret of Success' (alas! no Girlfriend) and the by now customary (how can Indians go to an Indian concert and not express their unaltered patriotism) Maa Tujhe Salaam (I was hoping it would be Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera) was spectacular but left you feeling it was too soon. I would have happily sat there for another four hours, as would most of the audience. It was a Rahman experience.

P.S. Chk out Preethi's take on Rahman's concert - lot more details for you)