A.R. Rahman has been called the "John Williams of India," the "Mozart of Madras" -- and there have even been references to Elvis. But to millions of South Asians, he's simply a musical god who can do no wrong. All the reasons for this adulation were on display Saturday night as the composer made his Chicago debut at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates before a crowd of nearly 11,000 devout fans.
Rahman is the superstar music man behind the sound of the sprawling, lavish Bollywood films they love -- he has scored more than 70 films and sold well over 100 million albums. During the three-hour-plus concert that featured nearly 70 singers, dancers and musicians, the crowd greeted his classic hits from films such as "Roja," "Dil Se" and "Taal" with wild enthusiasm.
A.R. Rahman, called the "Mozart of Madras," performed his songbook for nearly 11,000 fans Saturday at Sears Centre.
Trying to simulate the big, effervescent performances typical of Bollywood musicals, the softspoken Rahman, through his music, infused the show with an infectious high energy (video projections and flashy lasers added to the effect). A better composer than he is a singer, he mostly held court behind a bank of keyboards and let his longtime musical director K. Srinivas Murthy lead the musicians. The result was an effortless run through Rahman's prolific songbook from haunting ballads to infectious rockers that had everyone on their feet dancing.
The singers -- Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Chitra, Madhushree, Sadhana Sargam and Naresh Iyer -- offered the most distinctive sounds of the evening, capturing the dizzying tones and free-flowing melismas characteristic of the musical forms native to South Asia.
Powerful drummer Savimani overwhelmed the audience with sizzling versions of "Tere Bina" and "Barso Re," songs from the 2007 hit film "Guru." Another song from the film, "Mayya, Mayya" was presented in an eye-popping number featuring singer-dancer Neeti Mohan, who came onstage encased in a cocoon of red fabric. As dancers slowly unraveled her to reveal a belly-dance costume, the number heated up as the dancers swiveled their way through the Middle-Eastern beat.
Midway through the show, Rahman sat down at a grand piano and performed "Pray for Me Brother," a song that prodded listeners to think about the world's less fortunate inhabitants. A lovely pop song sung in English, its gentle lyrics and captivating melody proved that Rahman has the ability to create songs that could very well be his key to a crossover hit and the start of a bid for world domination.
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