US presidential elections: AR Rahman records music in support of Kamala Harris campaign

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

Oscar-winning composer Rahman, 57, is the first major international artiste from South Asia to have officially endorsed Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African parentage.

“With this performance, AR Rahman has added his voice to a chorus of leaders and artistes who are standing up for progress and representation in America,” said Shekar Narasimhan, chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund. The initials stand for Asian American and Pacific Islander.

“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,” he said after the AAPI Victory Fund announced that Rahman, the globally renowned music director of Slumdog Millionaire and countless other films, had recorded an exclusive 30-minute performance in support Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.

This powerful endorsement by one of the most iconic voices in the South Asian community underscored the vital role of AAPI voters in this election and the growing momentum behind the Harris-Walz ticket, said the AAPI Victory Fund.

The exclusive performance is set to be broadcast on AAPI Victory Fund’s YouTube channel, and also across major South Asian networks, including AVS and TV Asia, as part of a strategic push to galvanise support for Kamala Harris among South Asian voters worldwide.

This AR Rahman performance in support of Kamala Harris will be broadcast on AAPI Victory Fund’s YouTube channel on October 13 at 8 pm ET.

The 30-minute show will feature some of AR Rahman’s most beloved songs, interspersed with messages highlighting Kamala Harris’s historic candidacy and commitment to the AAPI community, a media release said.

The AAPI Victory Fund also released a teaser video on YouTube in which AR Rahman, along with Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami, is seen preparing for the performance.