AR Rahman endorses US presidential candidate Kamala Harris with virtual concert

Rahman has become the first international artist from South Asia and from India to support a US presidential campaign.

He endorsed US vice-president Kamala Haaris through a 30-minute virtual concert supported by AAPI Victory Fund.

The AAPI Victory Fund is a political action Committee that focuses on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) eligible voters and supports Democrat AAPI candidates.

The AAPI Victory Fund Chairperson, Shekar Narasimhan said in a statement about roping in AR Rahman, "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. This is more than just a musical event, it's a call to action for our communities to engage and vote for the future we want to see."

The AAPI Victory Fund released a teaser featuring Rahman and Indiaspora Founder MR Rangaswami as they prepared for the performance.

The full event was broadcast on 13 October at 8pm. ET (October 14, 5:30 a.m. IST) on the AAPI Victory Fund's YouTube channel, as well as across major South Asian media networks. Rahman performed some of his most iconic compositions, like Singapore, and the performance was interspersed with messages highlighting Kamala Harris's historic candidacy and commitment to the AAPI community.

Rahman's performance and support of Kamala Harris is expected to bring in votes from the Asian community in the US. Most of the Indian diaspora is found in mainly four states namely, California (20%), Texas (12%), New Jersey (9%) and New York (7%). The United States goes to elections on November 5 when there will be a face-off between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.