When A.R. Rahman comes to Australia, it is a big thing for the South Asian diaspora. One of the biggest stars in the Bollywood world, Rahman has enjoyed success in the cross-over world as well through hits on Slumdog Millionaire and other films. The atmosphere in the ICC Sydney Theatre was palpable as Rahman entered the stage. 

From the opening beats of “Jai Ho”, the crowd was incredibly engaged in the craft of A.R Rahman and his suite of supporting vocalists and instrumentalists. Rahman’s voice soared through the near-capacity ICC Sydney Theatre, with his high notes especially punctuating through the air. For the crowd, this was a moment of celebration and adulation, with one of world’s biggest music icons coming to Australia for the first time in years. The crowd was largely made up of the South Asian diaspora and the excitement in the air was palpable.

The concert was very long, spanning three hours but it felt personal and considered in its execution. From the opening video montages, which were tailored to the audience with shots of Sydney all throughout, it felt as though Rahman had meticulously planned the show for his fans and executed it with the utmost professionalism. The production values were extremely high, with Rahman positioning himself around the stage playing a multitude of instruments in order to keep the crowd engaged.

At times, it felt as though the music was soaring, capturing the audience in a trance and taking them into a time of nostalgia and delight. Rahman evoked periods of music as he sang and invited members of his touring troupe on stage, with an exhilarating fervour as they played. 

He also mixed up the performance with a variety of classic Tamil and western influences sprinkled throughout the show. For one of his final numbers, he mashed up his classic “Urvasi Urvasi” with will.i.am’s sample of the song from “It’s My Birthday” which was appreciated by the crowd. And in this regard, a word must go to the vocalists for switching between vocal styles effortlessly and executing so flawlessly. It was chill inducing.

The quality of the instrumentals was also sublime throughout. The audience was treated to guitar solos, drum solos and instrumental solos from Rahman himself of the highest quality. The level of musical talent on stage was not lost on the audience, who, on the whole, were very well-versed in Rahman’s discography and rejoiced in every minute of the performance.

As the night drew on, the energy did not waver, with the variety of music and styles on show ensuring that the energy within the crowd remained focussed and lively. As Rahman performed his final song, the crowd was left cheering for “one more song.” While Rahman did not oblige this request, he still left the audience with a huge amount of goodwill after a night of superb music-making and performance.  

Rating: ★★★★1/2

A.R. Rahman – ICC Sydney Theatre – 19^th October, 2024