KUALA LUMPUR: More than 1,000 people attended an exclusive fan-meet event with world-renowned music maestro A.R. Rahman this evening.
The event, which took place at the Majestic International Convention Centre at Menara PGRM in Cheras, was a prelude to his mega concert at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil at 8pm on July 27.
Fans applauded and cheered as they heard Rahman speak to radio announcer Aanantha about his musical journey and upcoming projects.
One of his most memorable meetings was with the late Michael Jackson in Los Angeles in 2009, not long before the King Of Pop's death.
He revealed that Jackson loved his music and hoped to collaborate with him someday.
When asked about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in music composition, he said that it had its pros and cons but it could never truly replace pure human talent.
They also presented him with a heart-shaped "Welcome Back" card while the concert's organiser Star Planet gave him a batik shirt.
Star Planet, in a statement, said that they were thrilled to welcome Rahman to Kuala Lumpur.
"This special visit and the concert will be a highlight for all music lovers and fans of Rahman. We look forward to celebrating his incredible talent and sharing the magic of his music."
Rahman admitted that it was "so good to be back" in Malaysia, as Malaysians had always been some of his most loyal, mature and passionate fans.
When asked about the Malaysian artistes who will be joining him in his coming concert, Rahman said that they are "still under wraps" for now.
"As for my repertoire, every show at every destination has something different to offer. I always keep in touch with social media to get feedback from fans.
"And for my Malaysian fans I will be giving you state-of-the-art special effects wizardry."
On his future projects, Rahman said that he will be coming up with a computer-generated virtual band which combines sounds from different cultures.
He will also collaborate with renowned British musicals composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to create some musicals.
A.R. Rahman Live in Kuala Lumpur 2024 will showcase Rahman's iconic hits enhanced by extraordinary visual and audio production.
Joining Rahman will be an exceptional lineup of singers, including Mano, Srinivas, Sri Rascol, Shweta Mohan, Shakthisree Gopalan, Blaaze, and ADK.
Rahman, 57, from Tamil Nadu, India is popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films.
He is a winner of six National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, 15 Filmfare Awards and 17 Filmfare Awards South.
Rahman's film-scoring career began during the early 1990s with the Tamil film Roja. His music for Slumdog Millionaire (2008) earned him Best Original Score and Best Original Song at the 81st Academy Awards.
Tickets are priced from RM98 onwards.
For more information visit www.starplanet.com.my.