Jai ho!!! - Oct 11, 2009

We the Fanatics of Allah Rakha Rahman…came to know how tough the journey to JAI HO would have been for him.
For us it was a long musical journey from Velachery to a godforsaken place.
This was the huge crowd we guys seen in live for any performance. It was few thousands more than what would be there for an INDIA Pak cricketing encounter in Chennai.

The wait was getting longer for everyone in the crowd. Sound checks happening over there helped our cause by making us guess the song list for performance.It only made our ears much more hungry. Award ceremonies happening and founders of the MARG association talking about the project and its social importance reached us as mere sound waves bypassing the ears without striking a chord in the brain.

Then came the big announcement that the program would commence in few minutes. The wait would have been for 300 seconds but the guesses we made for the first song would be close to 300C5 and it came to a halt when an ice cool sound emitted from a vocal cord said “When music makes u think, moves u to action then I think music is working”. Yes, it was true music made us think and moved us to action in a span of few micro seconds hearing the first syllable he pronounced. People erupted like a molten lava out of a mountain and were in air for a considerable amount of time.

Starting off with Jaage hain from guru.. things were getting restless for the crowd with Khalbali, energy reverberated everyone..thanks to drums mani and Keith peters slapping the bass guitar!! Though it was happening in Chennai “Dilli” became our yaar..with the female singer singing out in a variety of microphones.. Couldn’t believe it happening….telling it DIL SE RE!!Never knew item numbers would be this much entertaining when Swetha sung Rig Rig Ringa(accompanied by another female singer) and maiya maiya… there were myriad expressions both in the vocals and movements. Could never see a belly dance as decent and cute as this.

Hariharan’s singing kadhal rojave moved to roja jaane mann in the charanam.. Sadhana sargam was rendering the female vocals was not as impressive as the original. Chandralekha was a modified version with the bhajan like beats in the charanam.. gave a different feel... made ppl smile.. HUMMA HUMMA was breathtaking and mustafa mustafa made everyone nostalgic with waves of hands all around.. Javed Ali singing Jash ne bahara and dil gara guy singing..kabhi kabhi were soothing.

People who thought Rahman was very far were able to catch a glimpse of him. Thanks to the crane that took him close to the crowd. Though he couldn’t afford to give free hugs, he threw free hats to people. All this happened for Jiya se Jiya. For the first time in my life I felt like am hearing a prophecy. It was when he was talking about the important thing in a relationship, accepting people as they are. Rehna tu..ARR.

Then he tested by asking “Chennai are you alright” with vocal effects added to fiqrana. IT was really a travel under water for a span of 5 mins continued by a taxi ride.

Changing to white kurtas after a break, it started off with a medley of azeem shah, rukmani vocals and veera pandi kotayile. Things turned out divine with a harmonium, white cap on head and a pure innocent voice heart reflecting in the voice. IT came out through the much awaited khwaja je and arziyan(Javed ali adding to the melody).

Hariharan’s unplugged with Rahman on grand piano took things to a different place. Tamizha tamizha made Indian tri color flying amidst the crowd and uyire uyire made waves for a long time in the hearts. Things got intensified with mani’s solo performance in his well spread drum kit(it contained most non living things that could produce a beat).

Arriving much late for the performance Chinna kuyil Chitra started off with kannalane. Little bit off beat was compensated by the full throated khawali humming in the interludes. The charanam then became flawless. Chennai moved to alapuzha with the Malayalam version of jiya chale.. It was chitra again.Ey hairathee by Hariharan and sadhana was way too relaxing also with the chill humming. Aye bachu provided the bang again followed by rollicking beats for chaiya chaiya..

The dark sky was lit up by fireworks during JAI HO and vande mataram.. Though the clocks ticked late into the light we moved fast to catch our bus reluctantly.

The ending words spoken by Rahman were surprising.. It was a collection of thanks to all the people who made it happen but telling the whole crowd “certain mistakes could have gone unnoticed..We will give a better performance next time”… We knew why he is a legend now. Brave enough to admit and humble enough to thank.

He made the location a blessed one through his musical soul and its not godforsaken anymore.
Am proud to say that am a Rahmaniac or a fanatic or any word related to the context

JAI HO!!!!