**Bhubaneswar:** Music maestro AR Rahman needs no introduction. Music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer. He is a versatile home-grown talent who has bagged the Grammy’s, Oscars and scores of other prestigious awards, taking Indian music to greater heights like never before.
With so many accolades to his name, the joy and excitement of the crowd watching the master performing live in Bhubaneswar for the first time, knew no bounds. The audience of a packed Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar was clutched to Rahman’s performance at the inaugural ceremony of the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018.
Rahman’s magic unfurled with a classical-cum-western composition involving a variety of musical instruments which cast a spell on the people watching with rapt attention. The illuminated ambience of the stage blended with the master’s performance lustrously.
Rahman rekindled memories of the romantic war drama film Bombay with the song “Ek Ho Gaye Hum Aur Tum…Humma Humma”. Rahman classed apart for the subtle and gentle movements during his performances, won the hearts of thousands of youngsters who heard the track on DVDs and TV sets earlier.
Vande Mataram, was Rahman’s maiden studio album released in 1997. And what could have been a better platform to relive the ‘Maa Tujhe Salam’ song, than the inaugural ceremony of World Cup Hockey, the ‘National’ sport, loved by billions. Rahman led the soothing chorus which instilled a spirit of nationalism within millions of his fans watching the performance live at the venue and on broadcast.
It was the turn of the much awaited ‘Jai Ho’ from the movie Slumdog Millionaire which won Rahman the Oscars in 2008.
The music maestro last performance was also the concluding show of the grand event’s inaugural ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium. Rahman stunned the crowd with the Anthem of Odisha Men’s Hockey World 2018: “Jai Hind Hind, Jai India…. Mathe Pe Sajegi Bindiya….Chahe Jeete Hum, Humein Khelte Rehna Hai…”
Hockey World Cup’s anthem had already become extremely popular, bagging over a million views on Youtube. However, watching Rahman’s rendition was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for one and all.