President Tharman shares he met singer-composer AR Rahman, praises him for giving Singapore talent 'valuable exposure'
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam took to Instagram on Monday (Jun 2) to praise Indian music star, AR Rahman, for giving Singapore musicians "valuable exposure" to showcase their talents.
Mr Tharman's post included photos of himself meeting the award-winning acclaimed musician.
'Our Indian music and cultural talents, from classical to the most contemporary and edgy, are naturally a minority in the local scene. But they make Singapore's multiculturalism all the more special,' Mr Tharman wrote in his post.
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A post shared by Tharman Shanmugaratnam (@tharman.sg)
Mr Tharman went on to name home-grown musicians that Rahman has collaborated with, including rapper-songwriter duo Lady Kash and Krissy, singer-songwriter Shabir Tabare Alam and rapper-songwriter Yung Raja.
The collaborations include Wanna Mash Up?, a track with Singaporean duo Lady Kash and Krissy for the 2014 Hindi film Highway. Yung Raja also worked with Rahman on a rap in the Tamil film, Ayalaan.
Mr Tharman noted that Singapore was the first place that Rahman travelled to outside his hometown of Chennai back in the 1980s.
'It was here that he bought his earliest sound equipment, from Swee Lee and City Music. Good to see that both local music stores are still going strong after all these years,' he added.
The 58-year-old Oscar-winning musician recently released his directorial debut, Le Musk. The film, which premiered in Singapore on May 11, is the world's first multi-sensory VR film experience blending sight, scent and touch. It's screening at Golden Village Suntec City until Aug 12.
In a career spanning over 30 years, AR Rahman has produced the soundtracks to over 140 Hollywood, Bollywood and Kollywood films. Some of his famous pieces were featured in 1992's Roja, 2001's Lagaan and 2006's Rang De Basanti.
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