“Any person who doesn’t want to listen or sing a song is a mad person,” says renowned folk singer Lourembam Bedabati, quoting her forefathers. The notion of the thought rings true. We are all consumers of music. It is a relationship that travels beyond geography, cultural ethnicity, language, caste, religion, creed etc. With music, we are all on a journey to a place which is ‘far away from the evils of life’, as AR Rahman puts it. Harmony with AR Rahman, a web documentary that delves into our musical heritage, is a reminder that we need to have several of such paths, ensure that the trails that few have ventured into don’t get lost. It also shows that it is okay for these paths to be interconnected; cultural exchange only gives more to the art itself rather than diminish its significance. At a time when Carnatic musicians are being brick-walled with hate for singing songs of other faiths, this is a lesson we would do good to keep in memory. Continue reading “Harmony with AR Rahman review: A necessary reminder about the encompassing nature of music” →