President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has praised Indian music star A.R. Rahman for working with Singapore musicians.
In social media posts on June 2, Mr Tharman uploaded photos of himself meeting the music and film icon popularly known as ARR.
Rahman, 58, was in town on May 10 and 11 for the premiere of Le Musk, a multi-sensory virtual-reality (VR) film he directed that is screening at Golden Village Suntec City until Aug 12.
“Our Indian music and cultural talent, from classical to the most contemporary and edgy, are naturally a minority in the local scene. But they make Singapore’s multiculturalism all the more special,” President Tharman wrote.
“ARR has also done our own talent good over the years, by giving them valuable exposure,” he added, listing the home-grown acts who have worked with Rahman – rapper-songwriter duo Lady Kash and Krissy, singer-musician Shabir and rapper Yung Raja.
Rahman’s collaborations include Wanna Mash Up?, a song with Lady Kash and Krissy for the 2014 Hindi film Highway.
Mr Tharman added that Singapore was the first place Rahman – who was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu – travelled to outside of India in the 1980s, and how the musician bought his equipment from local music stores Swee Lee and City Music.
“Good to see that both local music stores are still going strong after all these years,” Mr Tharman wrote.
Rahman has staged several concerts in Singapore, most recently at the National Stadium on Aug 31 last year.
He also performed at Gardens by the Bay in 2014, the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2005, and Marina Bay Sands in 2011.
The Straits Times
