AR Rahman endorses US presidential candidate Kamala Harris with virtual concert

AR Rahman endorses Kamala Harris

Rahman has become the first international artist from South Asia and from India to support a US presidential campaign. He endorsed US vice-President Kamala Haaris through a 30-minute virtual concert supported by AAPI Victory Fund.

The AAPI Victory Fund is a political action Committee that focuses on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) eligible voters and supports Democrat AAPI candidates.

The AAPI Victory Fund Chairperson, Shekar Narasimhan said in a statement about roping in AR Rahman, “With this performance, A R Rahman has added his voice to a chorus of leaders and artists who are standing up for progress and representation in America. This is more than just a musical event, it’s a call to action for our communities to engage and vote for the future we want to see.”

AR Rahman performs iconic songs

The AAPI Victory Fund released a teaser featuring Rahman and Indiaspora Founder MR Rangaswami as they prepared for the performance. The full event was broadcast on October 13 at 8 p.m. ET (October 14, 5:30 a.m. IST) on the AAPI Victory Fund’s YouTube channel, as well as across major South Asian media networks. Rahman performed some of his most iconic compositions, like Singapenne, and the performance was interspersed with messages highlighting Kamala Harris’s historic candidacy and commitment to the AAPI community.

Social media was flooded with messages praising Rahman for lending his voice for Kamala Harris. One X user wrote, “Thank you @arrahman for letting your voice heard. It’s important that artists of your repute speak out against hatred and divisiveness. We need to come together to give Kamala Harris a huge mandate because she stands against fascism, racism, and divisiveness.”

Another user stated, “music composer AR Rahman has recorded a 30-minute performance video in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, which is expected to give a big boost to her presidential campaign ahead of the November 5 general elections.”

Rahman’s performance and support of Kamala Haaris is expected to bring in the votes from the Asian community in the US. Most of the Indian diaspora is found in mainly four states namely, California (20%), Texas (12%), New Jersey (9%) and New York (7%). The United States goes to elections on November 5 when there will be a face-off between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.