A.R. Rahman Endorses Kamala Harris in US Presidential Elections

The pre-recorded concert on Sunday evening (October 13, 2024) was organized by the AAPI Victory Fund, a Super PAC (Political Activity Committee) backing Ms. Harris and other Asian American candidates.

Rahman sang some of his popular songs such as 'Jai Ho,' and ‘Singapenney.’

Rahman said, "Her (Kamala Harris's) interest in focusing on what unites us instead of what divides us is a message that is very important, not just for the United States but for the world."

"As a fellow South Asian, Tamil, person, I’m deeply proud of her commitment to making the world a better place," he added.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund which backs Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential Campaign, declared the performance as an important endorsement.

Chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund, Shekar Narasimhan said, "With this performance, AR Rahman has added his voice to a chorus of leaders and artists who are standing up for progress and representation in America."

Narasimhan further asserted "It is more than a musical event. It's a call to action for our communities to engage and vote for the future we want to see."

"You have to make a plan to vote. You have to volunteer in this campaign, and you have to donate,"

Narasimhan also said that 400,000 Indian American voters in seven battleground states -- Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, could be the decisive factor in the elections, by considering the narrow victory margins in these states in 2020.

Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher in California, was originally from Chennai (formerly Madras), which is also Rahman's hometown.