He quickly transitioned to popular Bollywood but kept to his long-standing tradition of always starting his concerts with spiritual, soulful numbers. Khan’s beautiful “Tu Na Jane Aas Paas Hai Khuda” – which translates to there is God everywhere near you – had the crowds waving their hands and cell phones in unison, creating beautiful waves of flickering light.
Many fans became ecstatic, with a group of young girls shouting “Love you Rahat” and “Marry me Rahat.” The shy singer – dressed in a heavily embroidered kurta — blushed and went on to make hundreds of hearts skip a beat as he sang the smash hit “Main Tenu Samjhawa Ki, Tere Bina Naiyo Lagta Ji.”
“I love his music. It’s so soulful. He is gentle in one song and then he gives this high-powered disco-like energy in another,” one of the audience members, Vishali Verma, told India-West. “I would not miss this concert for anything. I listen to all his songs,” said Verma, a San Jose-based homemaker who came to the concert with her group of girlfriends.
“It’s reminiscent of the times back home. I grew up listening to the music of Ustad Nusrat (Fateh Ali Khan) and Rahat is carrying forward the tradition with such sincerity. I am just so happy that I am able to hear him live,” Sabah Siddiqui, a Newark resident who, like many, came to the concert with a large group. Even the steep ticket prices were not a deterrent.
Though there was none of the pyrotechnics or blustering spectacle of a Madonna or a Shah Rukh Khan concert, the troupe nevertheless held the fort with nothing more than the swift instrumentals of the harmonium and tabla and pure vocals. The decorated singer, who recently also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, was a crowd charmer as he interacted freely with his audiences and generously sang to their requests.
“I hope you are all enjoying the music…I am humbled to have your love and praise. The energy in this hall is pulsating and I am going to give it back,” Khan said as he cheered his audience and repeatedly acknowledged their love with a ‘salam’.
Not to disappoint the many who had come to be in immersed in the trance of romantic Sufi mysticism that is Khan’s trademark, he sang the pulsating “Kiya Re Kiya Re Khud Isqh Khuda Na” and “Tum Yeh Dillagi Bhula Na Sakoge.”
Among the other popular numbers of the night was the fast-paced “Habibi” from Khan’s solo album. In a subtle gesture of support to the embattled Bollywood star Salman Khan, he sang one of his most famous songs, “Surili Ankhiyo Wale.” The singer has frequently lent his voice to Salman Khan and has sung some of the star’s most famous songs.
Khan’s family name is enough to draw crowds and many in the audience lauded AAA Entertainments’ Neeraj Dhar and Bharat Patel of Dylan Entertainment for bringing the show to California.
Jai Entertainment and AAA Entertainment presented the Northern California show, while Dylan Entertainment and Tisha Entertainment brought the show to Southern California.
“We have a bevy of stars coming to the Bay Area through the summer but I am just glad we kicked off the season with Rahat. Neeraj and his team have done a great job organizing this. The lines were smooth and the overall experience is great for us especially since we are here with our ageing parents. It’s a total family atmosphere and we love it,” Nishant Kaushal, a Santa Clara resident, told India-West.
Khan continues to enamor his fans as the Sufi mysticism of his music left many in a trance. Shalini Dagar, a young engineer from Sunnyvale, summed it up aptly: “It’s magical.”