Maestro A.R. Rahman,Dr. L. Subramaniam celebrate life with a special tribute

Celebrated musicians A.R. Rahman and Dr. L. Subramaniam have joined hands to celebrate commonality and the gift of life virtually at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival. The composer and violinist have rendered a musical tribute to violin legend Prof.

V Lakshminarayana. This collaboration is symbolic of the friendship between their families which goes back two generations. The tale goes that Rahman’s father, composer, arranger and musician RK Sekar, and Subramaniam’s father, Prof. V Lakshminarayana, used to live on the same street in Mylapore, Chennai. The prodigious musical folks have been in artistic and goodwill communion since.

This special collaboration features Rahman and Subramaniam joined by the artists in their family. Centred around Don’t Leave Me,” a song composed by Dr. L. Subramaniam, that Rahman grew up with, the music video comprises performances by Rahman’s children Khatija Rahman, Raheema Rahman, AR Ameen, and Subramaniam’s daughter Bindu Subramaniam and Subramaniam’s granddaughter Mahati Subramaniam, along with the musicians’ dear friend and illustrious percussionist Sivamani. This collaboration features a new rendition of Subramaniam’s composition Don’t Leave Me,  which has been rearranged by Rahman and Subramaniam.

About the rendition of Don’t Leave Me, A.R. Rahman said, “Here we are, three generations, virtually, at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.The friendship between our two families goes back two generations, when my father, composer, arranger and musician RK Sekar, and Prof. V Lakshminarayana, who is responsible for making the Indian violin globally known, used to live in the same street in Mylapore, Chennai. In celebrating and honouring the violin virtuoso, Dr. L. Subramaniam’s father, Prof. V Lakshminarayana, our families have come together to perform a song I grew up with, Don’t Leave Me, composed by Dr. L.S. whose timeless instrumentation and compositions continue to enrich, inspire, and influence all generations.

Joining Dr. Subramaniam and me, in performing my favourite track, are my children Khatija Rahman, Raheema Rahman, AR Ameen, and  L. Subramaniam’s daughter Bindu Subramaniam and granddaughter Mahati Subramaniam, along with my dear friend and percussionist, Sivamani.”

Rahman added, “Through this collaboration, we celebrate music and friendship, and hope that this tribute brings people together to not think about their differences but to see how we may all unite to create art and change.”