With an Oscar to his name, AR Rahman's pull in Europe and America cannot be doubted. While the composer might be quieter on the Indian front these days, he is busy working on his latest single which will see him collaborate with the iconic rock band, U2. The track, titled 'Ahimsa', will see Rahman collaborate with lead singer Bono and his band, U2.
‘Ahimsa’ — from the Sanskrit word for non-violence — celebrates the spiritual diversity of India and connects the ethos of U2 with the mastery of AR Rahman. The collaboration comes less than a month ahead of U2’s first ever show in India with the arrival of The Joshua Tree Tour in Mumbai on 15 December.
Speaking of the track, AR Rahman said, "Ahimsa requires courage and strength. A quality that is impervious to weapons or power. It’s a mission which is most needed to heal the modern world and it is incredible timing to collaborate with U2, with their amazing legacy, to revive this movement."
The band, set to arrive in Mumbai in December, also released a statement. Lead singer Bono said of the collaboration, "The fight against injustice has always been so important to us. We were somewhat shaped and formed by Martin Luther King who was a student of Mahatma Gandhi. Martin Luther King said, ‘The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice'.
"I don’t believe that any more. It doesn’t bend towards justice, it has to be bent towards justice. We have to be actively involved in our democracy to preserve it and show people how we feel and what we care about. We come as students to the source of inspiration. That is ahimsa… non-violence... India gave this to us, the greatest gift to the world. It is more powerful than nuclear energy, the armies, the navies, the British Empire. It is power itself. And it’s never been more important."
The collaboration sees U2 and AR Rahman, two of the biggest artists in the world, come together with JioSaavn, the music streaming service.