U N Assembly sings ‘Jai Ho’, ‘Vande Mataram’ to mark 70 years of India’s Independence

New York: A R Rahman, the Oscar award winning Indian musician, enthralled the jam packed audience at the United Nations Assembly with his soulful performance on the occasion of India’s 70th Independence Day.

Rahman became the second Indian to perform at the UN assembly after M S Subbulakshmi and he paid tribute to the latter by playing Carnatic music at the concert.

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He was joined by the Sunshine orchestra, consisting underprivileged children and paid tribute to the Carnatic music great Subbulakshmi by playing ‘Kurai Ondrum Illai’.

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It may be mentioned that Subbulakshmi performed at the UN 50 years ago and 2016 was marked as her centenary. Subbulakshmi was invited by the then UN Secretary General Late U Thant to perform at the General Assembly in October 1966 and she become the first Indian to perform there.

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• She was the first ever musician to be awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna.
• The United Nations is also organising a four-day-long photo exhibition of portraits of Carnatic singers from August 15 to August 19.
• The concert was organized by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN with the support of Sankara Nethralaya, an India-based civil society organisation.
• Rahman along with celebrated Sufi singer Javed Ali, drum player Sivamani and his two sisters performed at the assembly.
• He played famous numbers—Dil Se, Vande Mataram and Bombay. Jawed Ali sang-- Khwaja Mere Khwaja’, ‘Kun Faya Kun’ and ‘Maula, Maula.’
• The concert concluded with the most famous song ‘Jai Ho’ from the movie Slumdog Millionaire, which had won the Oscar and many other big awards.