Jai ho Harris, Rahman’s musical endorsement
In a significant head-turner, Academy Award-winning composer A R Rahman has become the first South Asian artist to publicly support US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
With Hollywood A-listers already rallying behind her in the run-up to the election in November, Rahman’s endorsement is seen as a powerful call to mobilise South Asian voters in favour of the Harris-Walz ticket.
The renowned musician recently recorded a 30-minute performance video interwoven with campaign messages from Harris. This musical initiative, organised by the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund, aims to boost the representation of the AAPI communities in US politics.
According to Shekar Narasimhan, chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund, “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.”
The AAPI Victory Fund released a teaser featuring Rahman and Indiaspora Founder M R Rangaswami as they prepare for the performance. The full event will be broadcast on October 13 at 8 pm ET (October 14, 5.30 am IST) on the AAPI Victory Fund’s YouTube channel, as well as across major South Asian media networks, including AVS and TV Asia.
Harris appeared on the cover of the latest issue of Vogue, with the style bible calling her a “candidate for our times”. She, however, faces a tough fight against her Republican challenger and former President Donald Trump.