Great to see Indian artists perform at Coachella and winning Grammys, says A R Rahman

Mumbai: Whether it's performing at prestigious international music festivals like Coachella or winning Grammy Awards, music maestro A R Rahman believes Indian artists are finally getting the global recognition they truly deserve.

The two-time Grammy awardee, who is gearing up for his much anticipated 'The Wonderment Tour', said it is a "great time" for musicians.

“Music as an industry was never recognised. When you say, 'Oh, my son is a singer', people are like, 'But what does he do?' This is still happening.

“Now, when all these things (concerts) are happening, there are so many pockets of independent bands making it to Coachella... This is one of my dreams that should happen, and it's happening. People are winning Grammys,” Rahman told PTI in an interview.

In February, Indian-American vocalist Chandrika Tandon won the Grammy under the category Best New Age Album for 'Triveni' at the 67th edition of the musical awards night, a year after five Indian musicians picking up the coveted prize. Earlier this month, rapper Hanumankind of "Big Dawgs" fame performed at Coachella 2025, marking his debut at the American music festival.

Rahman, 58, said the "universality" of Indian music has the potential to captivate global audiences.

“India has that culturally. Now, the important thing is how much we can spread it out in the world, which is dominated by Western culture. Because people today are looking at an alternate culture, and if we pull up our stuff, we have an option to be liked by everyone. There are already great fans in Russia and Japan...” he added.

The multiple award-winning musician, who jammed with Ed Sheeran at the British singer's Chennai show as part of 'The Mathematics (+-=÷x) Tour' in India earlier this year, also reflected on the growing concert-going culture in the country.

“They come to the concert and enjoy it. We are trying our best to satisfy you (fans) and pray that you have great fun... Now, even the audience plays (at a show), they're also an instrument in the concert now.

“At most of the concerts... they know the song, they're singing along even for Coldplay or Ed Sheeran. It's nice to see that whole aspect, the interactive involvement, immersivity of souls together, almost like they're in a shrine singing bhajan together.” Music enthusiasts are in for a treat as Rahman brings ‘The Wonderment’ tour to the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on May 3.

The concert, the celebrated composer said, is a heartfelt celebration of the blessings he has accrued in his three-decade career.

“It's exciting to interpret your songs in front of people who love your music. I see myself as an audience first... That's the reason why we choose what we perform, the arrangements, and the visuals..."

“I thought of going back to something which celebrates every blessing that we've got. So, that's my wonderment, a wonder of every breath, a wonder of love, and why they (fans) chose you,” said the musician, who performed his first live concert in Malaysia in 1996 as part of a charity event.

Rahman said his second live concert was in Dubai in 1998 where he collaborated with notable musicians like S P Balasubrahmanyam, Kavita Krishnamurthy, and Sonu Nigam.

“In those days, composers would always tag along with actors. But, I wanted to do a concert with music as the headlining thing rather than tagging with somebody else. “The people who helped me were great, like S. P. Balasubrahmanyam ji, Sukhwinder (Singh), Udit Narayan ji, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Kavita ji, Sadhana (Sargam) ji, Chitra ji, and Shankar Mahadevan. I wanted to bring the audience towards the composer. So, all these people helped me to get where we are (today).” 'The Wonderment Tour' is conceptualised by the composer himself in collaboration with Percept Live and co-produced by Percept Live, Fair Game and Jo Entertainment. Rahman will perform classics such as Maa Tujhe Salaam, Chaiyya Chaiyya, Humma Humma, and Param Sundari, among many others.

The global premiere of the tour is said to be a grand concert under the aegis of the WAVES summit, taking place in Mumbai from May 1 to 4. Tickets are available in the District through the Zomato app.