A.R. Rahman brings ‘Wonderment’ (and A.I.) to North America

Rahman recently concluded the North American leg of his Wonderment tour, a month-long series of 16 concerts across Canada and the United States organized by Kash Patel Productions (no relation to the current director of the FBI). Each show had a slightly different set list, but largely centered his work from Indian movies across the Hindi- and Tamil-language industries, where he continues to break new ground when it comes to influence and instrumentation. Born Dileep Kumar Rajagopala to a Hindu family in 1967, Rahman converted to Islam in the 1980s before following in the footsteps of his father (a composter for Malayalam-language movies) and incorporated a number of Islamic spiritual elements into his melodies—from classical Sufi worship, to a contemporary Arabic pop-influenced track he conceived while on the Hajj to Mecca.

However, Rahman’s influences stem far beyond his line of sight. Some of his earliest Tamil work (before he would cross over into the Bollywood mainstream) contained hints of the western genre, while subsequent Bollywood songs would draw from everything from Punjabi bhangra to Chhattisgarhi folk (mixed with modern dubstep, or bro-step, for good measure). The permutations are practically endless, but Rahman’s reach never exceeds his grasp. His work is defined by lucid emotional goals, which run the gamut from and songs of romantic yearning on epic historical scales, to friendship ballads and club bangers infused with youthful rebellion. He’s also one of the rare film composers who captures not just momentum and feeling, but physical environment, and the mood of the atmosphere, with compositions which embody everything from the parched heat of the desert to gentle monsoon rain.

A.R. Rahman at the Wonderment Tour in Vancouver, B.C.

Kash Patel Productions

The Wonderment tour—which travelled across the United States and Canada through August, and now heads to the United Kingdom and India—sees Rahman take center stage with his signature keyboard and vocals (few major film composers can claim to have great voices too) while surrounded by a litany of international instrumentalists from Asia and South America, and backup singers from all across India, and a few from the United States and Lebanon too. Only one of them proves to be a dud—the granddaughter of legendary playback vocalist Asha Bhosle, whose grating inclusion feels purely nepotistic—while the rest of the ensemble brings enrapturing energy to the table (and some delightfully shiny outfits to boot).

From a lighting and production standpoint, the show veers between the overwhelming energy of a discotheque and the entrancing echoes of a house of worship, depending on the tempo of a given song. It’s everything long-time Rahman fans could hope for, even though a number of Hindi-speaking attendees have been put out by his Tamil tracks forming the majority of the concert (if anything, this stems from ignorance of his continued prowess within the Tamil industry). Unfortunately, the production also has one major red flag, which is unlikely Rahman’s individual doing, even though Wonderment is his baby. While all his music stems from organic artistry, the prominent video accompaniments for several tracks feature generative A.I. elements, from morphing faces to uncanny small-town alleyways. In addition to being ethically questionable, these are downright ugly to look at. Gen A.I. is a hot topic of debate, and it’s also been a part of Wonderment ever since its announcement video, souring the experience at least a tad.

However, obviously suspect uses of video technology aside, the show proves to be an acoustic delight steeped in nostalgia, with a number of deep cuts from Rahman’s Tamil and Hindi discographies, dating back to his first film, Roja, in 1992. Even those unfamiliar with each and every song often find themselves bopping along, and eventually, dancing in the aisles—a testament to Rahman’s widespread output.

A.R. Rahman at Wonderment Tour in Vancouver, B.C.

Kash Patel Productions

Outside of South Asian diasporas and his work on a handful of Hollywood films, Rahman doesn’t get the credit he deserves when it comes to western conversations on his work. Admittedly, he doesn’t need the validation, but debates on film music tend to lean westward and often feel incomplete without him, just as one’s own, individual playlist of film favorites could use an upgrade if it doesn’t include him. So, as a primer, here are ten tracks by Rahman to introduce you to some of his work. They include both Hindi and Tamil films (and one solo album), encompass a wide variety of songs dating back to his first movie, and include a couple of his finest soundtrack instrumentals too.

1. “Chinna Chinna Aasai”
Song from Tamil movie Roja (Mani Ratnam, 1992)