Wake Up! A.R. Rahman with 150 All Stars April 15, 2006

Famed musical director A.R. Rahman joins Global Rhythm All Stars for benefit concert at Eastern Michigan University April 15
YPSILANTI - A.R. Rahman, one of India's leading musicians and music director for Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bombay Dreams, and the musical, Lord of the Rings, takes to the stage for a benefit concert Saturday, April 15, 7:30 p.m., at Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center.

The show, Wake Up! A.R. Rahman with 150 All Stars, will bring together Rahman's works on stage through colorful costumes and set designs, along with Indian and American singers and dancers. Rahman also will perform with the Global Rhythm All Stars, a group of more than 150 American artists that have performed with numerous Grammy-winning artists.

Tickets cost $50 - $205 and are available by calling the EMU Convocation Center at 734.487.2282 or www.emich.edu/convocation or www.tickets.com. Further information about the concert is here.

This is a special opportunity for Eastern Michigan to reinforce its multicultural mission, said John A. Fallon, president of EMU. The engagement of these international artists on campus represents a significant opportunity for our students to experience important elements of Indian culture. Beyond this, the funding raised will provide opportunities for student travel to India to observe and participate in the culture.

Joining Rahman on stage will be cellist V.R. Sekar, founder of the Madras String Quartet; playback singer/actor Vasundhara Das; and playback singer Kailash Kher.

In addition to the concert, Rahman and several guest artists will also conduct master classes at EMU , which will explore Indian film, music, drama and culture.

Nicknamed the Mozart of Madras, by Time Magazine, Rahman is known for redefining contemporary Indian music. He has sold more than 100 million albums featuring his works from more than 50 movies and has won 17 Filmfare awards (the Indian equivalent of the Oscars), three MTV awards and four screen awards among others.

Eastern Michigan University, the Kris and Vicki Joshi Foundation and Ohio Miami University are co-sponsoring the event. Proceeds will be used to create opportunities for students to gain greater understanding of Indian culture and the arts.